Project - Lower Chittering Community Centre (Hall Replacement)

Credit: Jo Larvin

Current Status

✅ Preliminary Community engagement undertaken
✅Concept plan for the Lower Chittering Community Space completed
✅Reference Group members elected. First meeting held 11 October 2021
✅ Architect appointed -Site Architectural Studio
✅ Lower Chittering Community Centre Schematic Design Report (SDR) created and received by Council
✅ SDR advertised / Community comment.
✅ Consultant engaged to create Business and Economic Plans for Community Centre.
✅ Reflections Area and Walk Trail - Stakeholder Meeting held.
✅ Business Case and SDR endorsed by Council (February 2023)
Final Architectural Designs
Tender for Construction
Funding Approvals
Construction

Project Management Team:

Community Development Coordinator (Project Manager)
Principal Building Surveyor

Where are we now?

Lower Chittering Community Centre (LCCC)
Council will now consider the allocation of funding to this project in future budgets, and a timeline for the construction of the facility will be created. The project will be subject to external funding approvals, which will require the completion of the final Architectural Design Plans, and endorsement by Council.

A solar pump has been placed on the LCCC site which will supply water to the Fire Station holding tank in case of emergencies, and will also supply water to the Community Centre once constructed.

Electricity installation is currently in the design process. This utility will also supply power to the pump, for times when the solar generation is not sufficient for supply requirements.

Reflections Area and Walk Trail Project

A stakeholder meeting was held in September 2022 and a design scope was created. A landscape designer is now assisting with the project, with the hope that final plans can be taken to council this financial year for approval.

Lower Chittering Hall

Once the LCCC construction is approved, a historical research project will begin to inform the future use of the Lower Chittering Hall. This will include input from current users, surrounding residents, identified local community members, and council staff. The importance of the existing hall to our community is something the shire is aware of and embraces.

This information, in conjunction with financial restrictions and possibilities, will be reviewed before any decisions are made about access and usage of the Lower Chittering Hall going forward.

Background

In 2020, the Community Development Team conducted a Community Development Review, as well as a Sport and Recreation Survey. The results of these consultations, combined with conversations in our community, showed a need for community connectivity and recreation facilities, in the Lower Chittering area.

The only current community/recreation facility in Lower Chittering, the Lower Chittering Hall, located at 23 Chittering Valley Road, is reaching its end of life (2035) and is reaching the end of its “useful life”. To facilitate the changing activities of the Lower Chittering community, it needs to either be developed or replaced.

Previously, in preparation for the expiration of the useful life of current Lower Chittering Hall facility, a report was produced by the Shire’s Principal Building Surveyor, through consultation with industry specialists, to ascertain the future development potential of current Lower Chittering Hall to meet the communities growing and changing needs.

The report outcome confirms that the building was, and remains approved for use in it’s current state, meeting compliance at the time of each previous upgrade. However, upgrades to meet future needs of the community would result in the requirement to make the building compliant to a current standard. This would include upgrades to waste management systems, and due to hall’s location in such close proximity to a water source (the Marbling Brook), there is insufficient space on site to place the a system which will meet requirements.

As a consequence of this, and other restrictions detailed in the report, further development of the site is not possible, and a replacement facility on an alternative site will be required to meet the community’s needs.

As a result of the consultations and report, staff held further consultations with the community in 2020/2021 through Council’s Community Advisory Forums, and Master Planning in Lower Chittering. The result of this is the aspirational plan endorsed by council at the June 2021 OCM. The plan outlines ideas for the Reserve area behind the fire station, previously identified as the preferred recreational and connectivity space for the Lower Chittering community.

Business Case

In 2022, Whitney Consulting were engaged to create a Business Case and Facility Management Plan for the Lower Chittering Community Centre, which were endorsed by Council at the OCM on 15 February 2023.

Architectural Services

Pending Council Budget allocation, the final Architectural Design work will be advertised for tender, and completed.

A Request for Quote for Architectural Services was advertised in November, and closed on 22 October 2021. Council received 7 submissions.

Site Architectural Studio were selected as the successful applicant, and will meet with the Reference Group to further discuss the communities ideas for the new facility.

The Reference Group and Site Architecture worked together to develop a project ready Schematic Design Report (SDR) which was received at the July 2022 OCM.

The SDR has been advertised for public comment and was endorsed at the OCM on 15 February 2023.

Reference Group

The LCHR Reference Group is now in recession until final Architectural Design work commences.

At the Ordinary meeting of Council on 21 July 2021, Council endorsed the creation of a Reference Group to provide feedback and input in to a plan for the replacement of the Lower Chittering Hall. The group members include current users of the existing facility, local community members, and council representatives.

The group held its first meeting on 11 October 2021, and requested feedback from the community on their needs through a poll on the Lower Chittering Chatters Community Facebook Group, which closed on 31 October.

The results of this poll, and the comments associated, have been forwarded to the Reference Group and will be used to inform them of any inclusions not already considered as part of this project, and to determine the importance to the community of those that have been discussed.

The group met to further develop a plan for a new facility on the reserve adjacent to the Lower Chittering Fire Station, which has been identified as a suitable location for a new facility for Lower Chittering.