The demolition will make way for the new Macleay Valley Family and Community Centre at 85 Belgrave Street, Kempsey.

The revitalised centre will partner with local schools and health services to provide a multi-service hub for Macleay Valley residents, with local support services company Macleay Options Limited managing the centre.

Macleay Options has been serving the Macleay Valley for 60 years. General manager James Mainey said he is proud that they are in a position to ensure this much-needed community project comes to fruition.

"Having been involved in numerous community projects, Macleay Options understands that the commitment in bringing this centre to the community is much more than a business decision, it is also bringing the promise of support and understanding to the less advantaged within our community," he said.

"Our team looks forward to working with a range of services including Allied Health, government and non-government agencies and Aboriginal leaders."

Chairperson of Macleay Options Betty Green said the goal of the centre is to bring all agencies together to support women and children escaping domestic violence.

"The problem is that a lot of these services are working alone at the moment. We want to work with everyone," she said.

In June 2021 Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan announced $6.5 million in funding to convert the old Kempsey Ambulance Station into the community centre.

Having now cleared council approvals, the final build will include 24 rooms for crisis accommodation, as well as a common area for youth activities and a cafe.

"With the current increasing pressures on the housing market and statistics around domestic violence within our community, there has never been a more crucial time for a development like this to get underway," Mr Conaghan said.

"It's fantastic to see an old site such as this removed and repurposed to better service the modern needs of the community.

"This will be the anchor point for the social issues we face on a day-to-day basis."

The project has also been able to get off the ground due to an additional $500,000 in funding from the NSW Government.

Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey said the community centre will offer important services to ensure occupants are supported.

"This project is going to be far more than crisis accommodation, it's going to offer 24-hour support to our young people who are most in need," she said.

Former principal of the Macleay Valley Workplace Learning Centre and member of the Macleay Options board Mark Morrision said it feels "unreal" for the demolition process to get underway.

"This has been in the works since 2017. I'm ecstatic because this is really what the community needs," he said.

The project is scheduled for completion in early 2024.

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