Construction on a community pavilion in Gladstone Memorial Park will get underway shortly

In 2019, the Gladstone Market Committee was successful in their grant application with the NSW government to build a permanent community pavilion in the park. Now after COVID delays and planning regulations, construction is ready to go ahead.

"We are so happy to have it happening, it's just fabulous," market coordinator Jenny Gibson said.

"We have needed it for so long because we get the winds, and we get so many people there.

"There are bands in every market, and it has been really difficult to try and set up tents, so it will be great."

The inclusive and multi-purpose pavilion will diversify the use of Memorial Park offering a platform to host staged events while also acting as a sheltered place to enjoy a picnic, the barbecue and playground facilities within the park.

Treasurer Roger Gifkins said the committee thought a bandstand would complement the Kempsey Shire Council's re-development plans.

"We were pretty keen on the re-development of the park, which we worked with council towards and so we saw this as a reasonable contribution from the market to the local community," Mr Gifkins said.

"It's going to be a great improvement for the park."

The council will remove the ageing barbecue shelter and has temporarily relocated the underground electricity at Memorial Park to make way for construction of the pavilion.

Committee member Paul Smith is responsible for the design of the new bandstand, and the group recently secured another grant from council for the electrical work of the structure.

Mr Gifkins said that the project "should just about be done by Christmas".

The Gladstone Markets are held on the third Sunday of every month.

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