Greater Dandenong City Council is planning for a community hub in central Dandenong.
This project represents the next step to develop infrastructure in central Dandenong to meet current and future community needs.
Community hubs are multi-purpose community facilities providing a range of complementary services in a single accessible location and generally have a range of shared facilities and functions for the community, groups and organisations.
You told us that the site bounded by Stuart Street, Clow Street and Sleeth Avenue was a preferred site (see below). Council has supported this site as the preferred location.
One Monday 11 April 2023 Council endorsed Option 2 as the preferred base option of the three options consulted on in November 2022 subject to the following:
- In addition to the existing CIP funding in the 2022-2023 Budget for the Dandenong Community Hub, a sum of $680,000 is to be allocated from the major projects reserve in the Proposed 2023-2024 Budget to the detailed design and documentation stage. Any future capital project savings that materialise during the 2023-2024 year will be used to reimburse the major projects reserve.
- Using Option 2 as the base concept design, that a co-design approach be used to finalise the concept design prior to 30 October 2023, using feedback from the November 2022 consultation;.
- That following finalisation of the concept design (as per item 2 above), Council proceeds to detailed design in 2023-2024.
- Council participates in the State Government of Victoria’s Four-Year-Old Kindergarten/Pre-Prep initiative to determine future early years requirements within the City of Greater Dandenong.
- Utilising the preferred concept design and the detailed design plans, Council advocates to the State Government for partnered funding to support the construction of a Community Hub for Dandenong.
Council is committed to engagement and consultation during the development of the hub.
This commitment is also a priority in the recent review of the Local Government Act 2020 and the Act requires longer and more intensive engagement processes for Council projects.
Council is committed to ensuring the requirements of the Local Government Act 2020 are adequately addressed in community consultation activities and our Community Engagement Policy reflects these requirements.
The policy provides for meaningful, consistent and genuine engagement which provides adequate time for community members to provide informed opinions. As a result, timelines and milestones for the development of the business case and concept plan have emphasised consultation and engagement in three important stages outlined in our lifecycle on this webpage.
Then next step is the ‘detailed design’ process, which includes:
- Council policy and State Government legislation dictates compliance to a procurement process for detailed design.
- Engagement of architect/engineers – who will take on and develop the approved concept plan and refine till plans are set.
- Additional community consultation will be undertaken with the updated detailed design to seek community feedback and return to Council for endorsement of the detail design plans.
- This will be the basis for the construction of the project (subject to budget and funding as nominated by Council).
If you would like further information, please contact Samantha Ackland.
Reports
Consultation and Engagement Report - Central Dandenong Community Hub Needs Analysis - 1 June 2020 - 624KB
Key Findings Report - Central Dandenong Community Hub Needs Analysis - 21 July 2020 - 2.4MB
Final Background Research Report - Central Dandenong Community Hub Needs Analysis - 24 July 2020 - 849KB
Dandenong Community Hub - Engagement Findings Report - December 2022 - 586KB
Concept Plans
Dandenong Community Hub - Draft Concept Plan Option 1 (Ground Floor) - 3.8MB
Dandenong Community Hub - Draft Concept Plan Option 2 (Ground Floor) - 4.5MB
Dandenong Community Hub - Draft Concept Plan Option 3(Ground Floor) - 4MB
Dandenong Community Hub - Draft Concept Plan Option 1 (First Floor) - 1.5MB