Warrnambool City Council is seeking quotations for a facilitation and consultation exercise with the North Warrnambool community to understand current community needs and future aspirations, specifically in relation to how a new Sports and Community Hub might meet these needs.

The Community Infrastructure Plan developed in 2013 identified the need for a Sports and Community Hub and identified Brierly Reserve as a suitable location. A feasibility study for the Hub was completed in 2013. Due to the length of time since the feasibility study and the extensive growth and change of the demographic in the area, it is necessary to re-engage with the community to identify the functionality of the building and surrounding precinct.

The engagement with community is a critical strategic piece that will provide the functional brief for the design and costing of the community hub and to inform a Business Case suitable to attract Victorian and Australian government funding.

Community hubs create lively spaces and opportunities to deliver missing critical social infrastructure. When developed correctly, they serve as a place to bring people, opportunities and services together under one roof and to reconnect people with their neighborhoods by creating spaces that integrate social and functional needs. The range of services reflect local need and may be delivered by local people, other organisations, or public agencies. Examples can include parent and toddler groups; health and wellbeing activities; employment support; meeting places for social support and allied health agencies.

GOAL: To create a vision for a new Sports and Community Hub to be located at Brierly Recreation Reserve that captures, using co-design principles, the aspirations and local priorities of local residents and other stakeholders.

• Development of a deliberative community engagement strategy using co-design principles.
• Delivery of a series of facilitated workshops, group and individual meetings
• Regular fortnightly meetings with the project manager
• A report that synthesizes and summarises the findings of the community engagement into a clear vision.