Working with community to relocate Gellibrand Neighbourhood House

Colac Otway Shire Council is working with the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House (GNH) to find a new home in the Gellibrand Hall.

Council will contribute more than $40,000 to convert the hall’s former bar and box office area into a dedicated office space for the GNH. Improvements will also be made to the hall’s entry foyer area, under a plan to make the hall a new community hub.

Council and the GNH committee realised a few years ago that the community needed to consider the future location of the GNH, which currently occupies an ageing former infant welfare/maternal child health building in Rex Norman Park.

The GNH led the community engagement in exploring a new home, and President Max Moegerlein said the hall emerged as a clear preferred location because of its capacity to become a central gathering point for the town.

“The majority of the community favoured the hall as the future location because they would like to see it better utilised as an ongoing and permanent community resource,” he said.

“Moving the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House to the hall will revitalise that part of town and provide more certainty for the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House.”

A structural engineer’s report obtained at the start of September has determined that the GNH building is no longer suitable for use.

Council CEO Anne Howard said closure of the current GNH building in advance of the hall being ready was unfortunate, but necessary in the interests of community safety.

“A recent inspection of the building by a structural engineer has determined it’s no longer suitable for use and has recommended that it be closed to the public.

“Naturally we hoped that the Hall would be ready for the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House before we needed to close the existing facility, however the safety of our community remains our highest priority.

“Council’s focus now is to create a new, comfortable, permanent home for the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House at the Hall for all of the community to use and enjoy.”

Ms Howard said Council was seeking quotes from builders to complete the work as soon as possible.

“Current State Government restrictions on the construction industry are creating some challenges with regard to availability of builders and building materials.”

The GNH committee of management is currently investigating alternative venues to work out of until the new office space at the hall is ready.

“The GNH is working on finding a temporary venue to operate out of until the new office space at the Hall is ready,” Mr Moegerlein said.

“We thought we would have more time to make the move, but with the help and support of Council and the community we will find a way to continue to operate, and we look forward to relocating to the hall as soon as we can.”

Gellibrand Public Hall Committee President Andrew Daffy said he was excited at the prospect of the hall gaining a permanent tenant.

He said the GNH’s move to the hall was step one in a larger vision for the facility, which is owned by the community and managed via a board of trustees.

“The hall is regularly used for hires and events, but having the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House based there will further strengthen the viability of this important community asset,” Mr Daffy said.

“Ultimately we’d like to upgrade the kitchen and toilets, add a dedicated place for the storage of historical artefacts and improve our meeting spaces. Having the hall used more often is the first step.”

Council adopted the Rex Norman Park Masterplan in 2016 and has progressively implemented the plan as funding becomes available. Works completed include installation of a new playground, improved path networks and a new picnic shelter and seating.

“The community has recently installed a welcome wall on the top corner of Rex Norman Park with the support of a Council grant, and they’re to be congratulated on the warm sense of arrival it has created,” Ms Howard said.

“We know that the three-phase power board is currently located in the Gellibrand Neighbourhood House, and we can confirm that this will be retained and will continue to be accessible to the community via a lockable cabinet.

“It is disappointing that the current building can’t continue to be used while the Gellibrand Hall is made ready,” Ms Howard said.

“I commend the collaborative approach that has been taken by the Neighbourhood House committee and Hall Trustees and am confident that these groups will find a way to support each other and their community.”