Townsville Toy Library will be able to expand to infinity and beyond with a new 10-year lease approved by Townsville City Council at this month's first Ordinary Meeting.
The library is a volunteer-run toy library service, giving member families access to a collection of educational, developmental and environmentally-friendly toys to borrow for children aged from babies up to 12 years old.
Townsville Toy Library has operated out of Hodges Crescent at Vincent since 2024, and earlier this year requested to extend its lease to include additional land to allow for the construction of a building for storage.
Townsville Toy Library's community engagement and inclusion coordinator Stephanie Johnson said the extension would help the service expand to meet demand from local families while supporting the toy library's mission of making quality play accessible and affordable for everyone.
"This lease gives us the certainty to build what will become a real community hub. A space with room to ease crowding during sessions, bring in large disability-inclusive equipment for families with medically complex children, and welcome other local not-for-profits in too," Ms Johnson said.
Townsville Toy Library president Stacey Prenter said while the organisation was expanding its physical footprint, it was also looking for locals to lend a hand in making the storage shed a reality.
"If you're a community-minded individual or business, we'd love your support to help get our shed off the ground and invest in the future of play for Townsville families," Ms Prenter said.
Divisional councillor Andrew Robinson said Council was pleased to support the extension of the Townsville Toy Library's lease.
"This incredible service has been running for almost 50 years, which is a testament to how valuable a resource like the Townsville Toy Library is to our community," Cr Robinson said.
"With the cost of living on the rise, families are increasingly finding ways to get more bang for their buck. Signing up to borrow toys not only keeps costs low for families but also keeps toys out of landfill – this is a real win-win situation for our community.
"Extending the library's lease has been a smooth transition and will help give our community even more value when they sign up for the Townsville Toy Library."
Townsville Toy Library's lease footprint has been extended, with the new $1 lease agreement approved for the next 10 years through Council's Community Lease Program. The program supports more than 200 local community groups, sporting clubs and not-for-profits by providing access to Council-owned land and facilities.
