Connecting Communities Through Spaces

 

Baw Baw Shire Council is committed to supporting the vibrancy and character of our local communities through good planning, provision of community focused services and facilities, and through support for local people, groups and organisations.

We know that community spaces play a huge role in all these goals and we have taken a fresh look at our community space: how they are used, how they are developed and how they can best connect communities.

Council identified the need to explore the idea of Community Hubs through the Baw Baw 2050 Vision and during the development of the 2017-2021 Council Plan.

Following a period of extensive community engagement and consultations, the Community Hub Strategy was adopted by Council in July 2019. The strategy ensures community infrastructure across the Shire responds to the needs articulated by each community, rather than a one size fits all approach

The Strategy is comprised of two parts:

• The Aspirational Community Hubs Strategy 2019(PDF, 3MB), which outlines the recommendations for each Baw Baw region, based on community feedback;
• The Community Hubs Action Plan 2019-2024(PDF, 639KB), which outlines how Council will progress the priority recommendations over the next five years.

The Community Hubs Strategy will see Council work with communities to develop integrated community spaces that respond to their unique needs and will help us best plan for future improvements to local spaces, including facility upgrades, improvements to existing public space, reenergising underused areas, and support for community-led initiatives. 

Council will advocate for State and Federal Government funding to aid the delivery of integrated community spaces across the shire.