Sebastopol hub works on track

CONSTRUCTION of the new Sebastopol Community Hub at Vickers and Beverin streets is on target to be finished by late-November, for use from January 2026.

The intergenerational facility will have three 22-place kindergarten rooms and play spaces, three meeting areas, a 150-person hall, maternal child health consulting rooms, a community kitchen, and on-site carparking.

The City of Ballarat is contributing up to $5 million, the Federal Government has chipped in $4.5 million through the Investing in Our Communities program, and the State Government has allocated $4.5 million via the Building Blocks Capacity program.

Design features include internal windows that connect the kinder and meeting rooms to the corridor.

City of Ballarat deputy-mayor Cr Ben Taylor, Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison, and Member for Ballarat Catherine King were taken on a tour of the site by Nicholson Construction project manager Elliot Lamb last week.

The hub reached lock-up stage before winter, most of the external facade is finished, internal plastering and painting is underway, and the carpark is being created.

“This community hub is going to have an enormously positive impact on so many people’s lives, spanning across different demographics,” Cr Taylor said said.

The intergenerational facility has a community hall big enough for 150 people.

“To see such incredible progress on the project is extremely exciting and it gives me great anticipation to see the finished product.”

The hub is expected to be given a new name, and enrolments for the 66-place kindergarten are being taken now via the City of Ballarat kindergarten webpage.

“From local senior citizens to our littlest residents, this will be a place where people connect and memories are made,” Ms King said.

“So much work has been done already to make this new facility a reality, and like the rest of the Sebastopol community, I can’t wait to see it open.”