JOY BLOG

For immediate release

JOY94.9 welcomes the news regarding the site location for Australia’s first Pride Centre.

In an event held today on Fitzroy St, Minister Foley announced that after a thorough tender process, a site in St Kilda had been selected based on an outstanding proposal submitted by the City of Port Phillip which clearly placed LGBTI inclusion and community at the heart of the municipality.

Minister Foley said, “The Pride Centre is long overdue – it’s exciting news for the LGBTI community and yet another welcome addition to St Kilda.”

Jude Munro, Pride Centre Board Chair said, “The St Kilda site was selected because it is a vacant site, the contribution from council is valued at approximately $13 million and the site is offered on a freehold basis to the Victorian Pride Centre that represents the LGBTI community, on the condition that a Pride Centre operates there for the next 20 years.”

JOY94.9 was the first LGBTI community organisation to express interest in the Pride Centre when it was announced in 2016 and has subsequently worked with the Department of Equality, the Pride Centre Board and other LGBTI organisations to review site and community requirements to help guide the selection process.

Melinda Rich, President of JOY94.9, said, “This announcement is significant for the whole Victorian LGBTI community and especially for JOY, as we search for a permanent home for the station. We have been lucky to have support from the City of Melbourne for over 7 years with the JOY studios and office space occupying an entire floor in City Village on Bourke St. The proposed Pride Centre will help JOY as we continue to grow and expand our reach.”

JOY94.9 broadcasts radio 24 hours a day thanks to a dedicated team of over 300 volunteers. As the first and only LGBTI radio station in Australia, JOY is a communication hub for the entire community providing a platform for our stories to be heard.

Melinda added, “The opportunities for increased collaboration between community organisations housed together is really exciting. The Pride Centre will help create a physical community for LGBTI Victorians and JOY is proud to be part of this plan.”

The JOY94.9 Board and operations team will conduct a thorough review of the site, business case and implementation plans over the coming weeks to assess the implications for JOY’s future operations within the Pride Centre.

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For more information, please contact:
Tennille Moisel – CEO

ceo @ joy.org.au