Shire applies for funds to design Anglesea hub

THE Surf Coast Shire is pressing on with the design phase of the redevelopment of the McMillan Street precinct in Anglesea, voting to apply for $775,000 of federal funding.

A majority of councillors resolved to approve the application to the federal government’s Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program at their meeting on Tuesday night.

At its July 2024 meeting, the council resolved to start work on the implementation of the Anglesea Community and Health Hub Concept Plan, including seeking funding for detailed planning and design, and to receive an implementation report no later than July of this year.

The $775,000 from the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program would be paired with $250,000 in the shire’s 2024-25 budget and $110,000 from the Victorian government’s Building Blocks Planning Grant for a total of $1,135,000 for schematic design development for the whole precinct.

The officers’ report to councillors states detailed design development will be completed for the community hub component first “as it is the council priority and pivotal in the site redevelopment sequencing”.

The new community hub building will integrate the hall and existing kindergarten and is expected to have a total end cost of just under $20 million.

Speaking at the meeting, Cr Libby Stapleton said the federal funding was a “timely and important opportunity” for the shire, and the hub would be built in stages “over the coming decades”.

“It presents an opportunity for a true community health and housing hub that provides a shared, sustainable space for multiple community groups with improved integration of services, enhanced landscaping and better services for our community.”

The Anglesea Community and Health Hub proposal is divisive in the Anglesea community, particularly the inclusion of affordable housing for key workers at the site.

“It’s also important to note that we heard from those opposing housing for this project that most are not against affordable housing, they would just prefer the council to provide it elsewhere,” Cr Stapleton said.

Opposing the application, Cr Paul Barker said it was “not good governance” for the council to apply for the federal funding “for a project that’s likely going to have the rug pulled out from under its feet”.

He said he also did not support housing being built on shire land.

“Trying to squeeze this in as we come into a federal election is super-cheeky at best.”

Cr Adrian Schonfelder unsuccessfully attempted to move an amendment excluding housing from the project.

For more information on the concept plan and community engagement report, head to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/AngleseaHub