City secures funding boost for Dordaak Kepup

Set to open in late 2025, the facility will be a vibrant and inclusive space designed to inspire creativity, with innovative features such as a recording studio, demonstration kitchen and gaming room.

Mayor Linda Aitken said the City was grateful for Lotterywest’s support to further boost the offerings at the centre.

“State investment has been key to making this project a reality,” she said.

“Dordaak Kepup is a first-of-its-kind space that blends culture, technology and creativity, where young people can express themselves and feel part of something bigger.

The Lotterywest grant will go towards fitting out the Youth Innovation Hub with equipment and technology and supporting the provision of Noongar interpretive signage throughout the facility.

Room naming signage has been developed with guidance from the City’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Reference Group, Ni Kadadjiny Koort, and endorsed by the Noongar Boodjar Language Cultural Aboriginal Corporation and Elder Vivienne Hansen.

Nineteen rooms and areas within the hub have been given Noongar names that reflect their purpose and atmosphere, tying into the name Dordaak Kepup, which means “place of living waters.”

Internal signage will help build cultural understanding of the land, forming part of the City’s broader commitment to reconciliation and cultural learning.

The total project cost is estimated at $18.38 million. In addition to the Lotterywest grant, the City has received support from the State Government’s WA Recovery Plan ($6 million) to enable the Youth Innovation Hub and an EV Charge Up Grant of $12,046 from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.  The City is investing the remaining funds of the project.

For more information, visit wanneroo.wa.gov.au/dordaakkepup