Eighteen months ago Ipswich was devastated in the 2011 floods.

Then Sony and and some of the biggest names in music stars came to the rescue with a CD which raised $2 million – enough to build a major youth centre.

Ainsley O’Keefe reports.

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Names like Pete Murray, Delta Goodrem, Beyonce, Pink and Bruce Springsteen donated their time, and their talents, to the flood appeal CD.

And here’s what it bought, a state-of-the-art community and youth centre in the suburb of Goodna.

At today’s opening, Pete Murray performed live to show his support.

The centre will provide counselling and legal services, educational support, plus much more for the area’s youth.

Vox 1: “We’ll see a lot of people coming out to take advantage of the services here.”

Vox 2: “If they’re having activities, it gives them something to do, they’ve already lost so much and gone without so much as well.”

Leah Cameron and her daughter lost everything in January 2011.

They felt helpless and isolated and believe this centre is a lifeline for others in the same position.

Leah Cameron, Resident: “A lot of people are still struggling. the strong ones will survive but it’s the ones that don’t know how to ask for help and feel like they have nowhere to go, but now they do.”

Councillor Paul Tully says the centre will help the community move on.

Paul Tully, Ipswich City Councillor: “What we’ve gone through in the past 18 months, when the waters came to the roof of this building and now we’ve got a youth centre for the people here, for families and for individuals.”

The Salvation Army helped build the new centre as part of their long term commitment to the Goodna community.

The services offered here at Goodna’s youth centre will help rebuild and revitalise the community of Ipswich.

Ainsley O’Keefe, QUT News.