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COMMUNITY ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE – $2 MILLION & UNDER
Initiatives that maximise benefits to the community and showcase partnerships in the development and management of community assets that are a new, one-off activity of a capital nature. This category comprises two sub-categories: ➢ Projects $2 million & under ➢ Projects over $2 million. This section profiles projects that are $2 million & under.
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Judging Criteria
➢ Clarity of the project’s outcomes ➢ Demonstrated leadership ➢ Innovative features ➢ Transferability ➢ Cost benefits
Winner
High Commendation
Finalists
➢ Latrobe City Council, Construction of a Sports Pavilion at Latrobe Synthetic Sports Field, Churchill ➢ Maribyrnong City Council, Footscray Bouldering Wall ➢ Monash City Council, Holmesglen Neighbourhood Activation Project ➢ Moyne Shire Council, Koroit Youth Space
Portland Library is located within the Council’s civic precinct. It is a single level, ground floor building consisting of 850 square metres of floor space with views of Portland Harbour.
The library redevelopment project began two years ago, when Council received a $300,000 grant through the Victorian State Government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Fund for the refurbishment of the existing library building. Council committed financial and in kind support to co fund the project.
As a key community facility servicing a regional town, involving local residents in the redevelopment project in meaningful ways was integral to its success. Through the implementation of a comprehensive communication plan, the Portland community was kept informed of project timelines and progress, as well as having opportunities to influence the building design, furnishings, and colour palettes.
Through a reorganisation of library functions and the introduction of zoned areas, the existing library has been ‘opened up’ to embrace the outlook towards Portland Harbour. By relocating closed spaces within the library and back-of-house functions to the building’s perimeter, the main body of the library – with soft furnishings, new joinery dividers and improved acoustics – now provides for flexible community use and facilities that have improved interaction between users. A purpose built, child friendly space has also brought a great sense of fun to the library. Positive energy now abounds at the library. The facility’s spaces are filled with people of all ages, engaged in many different activities. The social benefits the redevelopment has delivered are clear – community members are involved and engaged with library activities as never before. Parents socialise while their children play and read, community groups hold meetings, young people are studying and making use of free wi-fi, and increasing numbers of visitors are experiencing the latest library exhibitions.
Community response to the redeveloped library has been overwhelmingly positive. It attracted 9,000 visitors in its first three weeks of operation and patronage remains high, borrowings have increased, and attendance has risen for both children’s and adult’s programs. Interestingly, the number of adult males accessing the library and participating in events has also increased.
Demand for meeting rooms is high, with community organisations and volunteer groups given access to these spaces at low or no cost.
The redevelopment is also supporting economic activity, with local businesses and professionals making good use of technology upgrades and the high quality meeting spaces.
In the 12 months since the project completion, key indicators of library performance show new memberships have increased 27%, annual visitations have grown by 29%, and participation in adult programs have almost doubled, growing by 96 percent.
The Portland Library redevelopment is a great example of the positive outcomes that can be achieved for rural and regional communities when Local Government, residents and the Victorian State Government work with unity of purpose.
The Lakes Entrance Seawall Project has provided the community with increased protection against sea level rise, erosion, and storm surge, and an attractive boardwalk which is popular with local residents and tourists.
The project, initially undertaken for safety reasons, has resulted in significant environmental, social, health and economic benefits to the community. The need to act strategically in partnership with other agencies, coupled with the innovative seawall design, and the leadership of East Gippsland Shire Council officers to lead the project, has produced a hugely successful outcome.
Lakes Entrance, situated on the beautiful Gippsland Lakes, is a thriving town of around 8,000 permanent residents that swells to three times that size during holiday periods. The town was built along the picturesque foreshore area which was protected many decades ago by the building of bluestone seawalls.
These seawalls were becoming seriously degraded and were at risk of collapse. However, a major problem in fixing the issue was that it was unclear which level of government was responsible for the replacement and upkeep of the seawalls. Faced with this situation, the Council decided to cut through the levels of bureaucracy and lead the project bringing all the relevant agencies together to obtain a successful outcome.
The economic risk of the collapse of the seawall had been estimated at up to $70.9 million, and the impacts on community prosperity, health and potential loss of life would have catastrophic and long lasting effects. Through this innovative project, these risks are now substantially mitigated.
The delivery of the Latrobe Synthetic Sports Field Pavilion Project was the realisation of many years of community and Council campaigning on behalf of the Latrobe Valley community.
It provides a multi-use pavilion for users of the Latrobe City Synthetic Sports Field, both sporting and educational, and includes unisex change facilities for all participants, a large multi-purpose room, commercial kitchen and associated office and storage space.
The striking modern architecture and design focuses on sustainability and use of natural materials and has been embraced by the local community. The project has provided much needed infrastructure for the synthetic sports field and is complementary to the adjacent Federation University campus.
It created a precinct that facilitates community participation, inclusion, cohesion and interaction with sporting facilities, education facilities and meeting facilities.
The project was not without its challenges. In a rate capped environment, budget surplus was not sufficient to cover the shortfall, so a stringent value management process was undertaken to reduce construction costs and additional funding was sought from the Federal Government, along with increased contributions from Council and Federation University.
The importance of cost sustainability and low energy usage were key points in the design brief. The pavilion incorporates principles of Environmentally Sustainable Design with a north/south orientation for capturing the heat of the winter sun and designed to deflect the summer sun. The pavilion has water saving devices in the change rooms and toilets and LED lighting throughout.
The Footscray Bouldering Wall was completed in 2018 following extensive community consultation to improve the quality of the space under the Hopkins Street Bridge along the Maribyrnong River Trail.
The iconic four metre high climbing wall and surrounding recreational plaza were designed in collaboration with the Victorian Climbing Club to activate the space, making it a safe and vibrant hub.
The wall offers freely accessible public climbing with various colour coded routes which are changed throughout the year and cater to a range of abilities and experience. It is the only wall in Melbourne’s inner west and it is longer and higher than other bouldering walls in Melbourne’s CBD.
The rubber fall zone has been designed to comply with all Australian playground safety standards to meet best practice and provide the safest experience possible. This allows users to experience physical challenges and enables children to learn through risk taking in a safe environment.
The $780,000 project provides an inclusive and welcoming fitness space along the Maribyrnong River Trail with many coming to learn, exercise, or just to spectate. The adjacent fitness equipment and surrounding plaza space provides complimentary activity and gives users a reason to stay and enjoy the space.
The initiative is a great example of the community having a positive planning impact. It has provided immeasurable benefits to the community by encouraging people to spend more time doing physical activity outdoors and has further enhanced the perceived image of Footscray and the Maribyrnong River Trail to a broader audience.
Monash City Council’s Holmesglen Neighbourhood Activation Project funded in partnership with the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJSC) has applied crime prevention through environment and design principles to activate a public space and increase community safety and confidence.
Located between a popular shopping strip, Holmesglen Station and Holmesglen Institute, the site was regularly targeted by graffiti and vandalism, had poor lighting, sightlines and low perceptions of community safety. Following the completion of the project it now boasts a bouldering wall, bike maintenance station, mural, LED lighting, landscaped gardens and improved shared pathway. Safety has improved and community connections have been strengthened.
The project has positively impacted on the local community by improving lighting in the area which has led to improved perceptions of safety. The site has been activated and transformed into a vibrant, safe meeting place where all ages, abilities and cultures can connect. It has led to a more active, engaged and integrated community.
Physical activity has been increased with people using the bouldering wall and riding their bikes to the site to utilise the bike maintenance station.
Barriers and obstacles were encountered in the pre construction phase particularly with the negotiation of the lease agreement with VicTrack. There was also concern that the site may be contaminated and this led to delays in the project while extensive soil testing was undertaken.
Council has met with several other LGA's and discussed the project and the DJCS program sharing their learnings and information to Councils interested in planning and delivering a similar project.
MOYNE SHIRE COUNCIL KOROIT YOUTH SPACE
The Koroit Youth Space has activated a large area of open space in the heart of Koroit for a range of youth recreation and play activities. The anticipated number of young people using the precinct is above expectations and informal and formal feedback from users has been highly positive.
The space has been dramatically improved through landscaping and footpath treatments creating an area that is used not only by young people, but by also families and visitors.
The project represented a whole of Council and community approach to providing a valued, safe and active place. The project included design planning with community members including Moyne Shire Youth Council members. It has provided a skate arena, a multi-use half court, seating and picnic areas, footpaths and landscaped open space. The Youth Space has created a much needed recreation area for younger residents of the town and for visitors given its location close to the Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail.
The objectives were to create a community gathering and activity space for the young people of Koroit and to provide opportunities for active and passive recreation. The project was delivered through an innovative partnership between Council, young people, community and residents to develop an active, welcoming and mult-use space for all members of the community.
It has resulted in increased recreation and social activities for young people in the region and has instigated further community discussion on a project that will benefit the town.
