Council

16 December, 2023

Neighbourhood House approved for the West

WARRNAMBOOL City Council has endorsed the construction of a Neighbourhood House in West Warrnambool’s Pecten Avenue Park.

By Staff Writer

Early next year council will release a tender for the construction of a modular building in the park, with the view to having the new Neighbourhood House operational in late 2024.

“This is a great outcome for the West Warrnambool community,” Cr Vicki Jellie said.

“For a number of years the Neighbourhood House, which was established in 2019, has operated out of several different venues which was less than ideal.

“It’s a credit to the staff and the community that this was able to work as well as it did.

“Now the community can look forward to having a dedicated venue that is located in the heart of West Warrnambool that will allow a range of programs and services to be delivered.”

Before making its decision, council undertook an extensive community consultation that included writing to 2200 West Warrnambool residents, conducting a survey and holding focus group meetings.

The survey showed about two-thirds of residents supported the proposal to have a Neighbourhood House in Pecten Avenue Park, while the majority of participants in the focus groups also supported this proposal.

“Neighbourhood Houses bring people together and create an environment where people can build social connections as they engage in educational, recreational and support activities,” Cr Jellie said.

“During the pandemic we saw how important the Neighbourhood House was in providing support and relief.

“They provide services that contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and communities.

“With a dedicated home the Neighbourhood House will be able to look at offering activities the community has asked for but were difficult to provide including cooking programs, gardening, printing and photocopying and health and nutrition programs.”

The Neighbourhood House program is funded by the Victorian Government’s Department of Families, Fairness and Housing with support from the council.

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