The new Oxley Vale Lifelong Learning Centre is one step closer with $3.4 million dollars committed to the project in the 2019/2020 state budget, handed down on June 18.
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The centre will be build on vacant land east of the Douglas Vale Historical Homestead on the Oxley Highway.
It will house the Port Macquarie Arts and Craft Centre and the Hasting's Men's Shed.
Plans for the centre are before Port Macquarie-Hastings Council awaiting a development application.
President of the Hastings Men's Shed Denis Woods said he was "ecstatic" to hear the money was in the budget.
The group has been in rental premises for the last 10 years.
The new Men's Shed building will include an open plan workshop, metal room, paint rooms, office space, kitchen, meeting rooms and parking.
Mr Woods expects membership to increase once they have the new premises.
Port Macquarie Arts and Craft Centre President Dr Mavourna Collits estimated the centre (best case scenario) is likely to be ready by the end of 2020.
She said the Arts and Craft Centre is currently in a "building falling down that is both unhealthy and unsafe," Dr Collits said.
"We do wonderful work in a very difficult building," she said of the 150 members.
The centre currently offers art ( portrait, painting, regular landscape and life drawing), pottery and silver work among other art and craft.
The new building will allow the Arts and Craft Centre to offer night classes allowing more professionals to join in.
Both Dr Collits and Mr Woods expressed gratitude to Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams who they said has been a champion for the new centre.
The project also has the support of Catholic Care of the Aged and Greenmeadows Medical Centre.
"One doctor told me 'We can fix bodies but we can't fix minds and so many of our patients would go along to your group and be able to socialise and be helped in retirement,'" Dr Collits said.
