Plans for hub at Royal Park

AS the election approaches, Royal Park stakeholders and the City of Ballarat are lobbying the State Government for funds to establish the Buninyong Community Hub.

Designs are in production for the facility which would be built on the Hedrick Street side of Royal Park, beside the new Buninyong Soccer Club changerooms and grounds, and would require $1.5 million from the State to launch.

The Hub would include a space for local groups including Friends of Royal Park, Landcare, Sustainability Buninyong, and the Soccer Club to share and use, and external landscaping would wrap around and complement the pre-existing community garden on site.

Buninyong resident and Royal Park volunteer Shell Corcoran said the precinct’s stakeholder groups are passionate about sustainability and see value in more community green spaces in the township.

“The group has plans, structure, and good support, but they want to do more in this space with a building that’s non-branded, and allows for passive exercise and engagement for all abilities, alongside the garden,” she said.

“We have lots of community groups in temporary places who are ready to come back, but are waiting for a replacement for the old building that was knocked down on site.

“We’re really excited for this unique space. The community engagement and need is there, and there’s a real commitment to share the space and collaborate to bring more value to this much-loved little precinct.”

Member for Western Victoria Andy Meddick visited Royal Park on Monday morning, and said community revitalisation projects should extend beyond the updating of sports grounds.

“Hubs like this are a proven pathway to successfully bring the community together in lots of different ways, provide a focus point, and encourage cross-over,” he said.

“Every community needs sporting facilities and sporting clubs, but this Hub could be an even greater reflection of what the broader community is, which will in turn draw more people in to use it.

“That makes the argument for even more investment further down the track.”

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said a similar model has been successful in Ballarat North, where a senior citizens club, taekwondo group, and the University of the Third Age share facilities beside Midlands Reserve.

“Gone are the days where we build standalone facilities for a single organisation and they’re used one afternoon a week,” he said.

“There are benefits across the organisations as they spend time with each other. We want to raise the profile of this community project now.”

If the Buninyong Community Hub receives State support, proponents say it could be built within the next 18 months to two years.