Murrindindi Shire Council is restarting its Facilities Review and inviting community members to help shape how community facilities across the Shire are planned and managed into the future.
The review forms part of Council's Financial Sustainability Roadmap and will help Council develop a clear and consistent approach to future decisions about community facilities. It is about understanding what communities value and need, while recognising the financial realities of maintaining a large portfolio of facilities across a rural Shire.
Council's Asset Plan 2025-2035 identifies that Council buildings are collectively valued at $92 million. These include libraries, swimming pools, public halls, sporting facilities and other community buildings. They play an important role in community life but they also require ongoing investment to operate, maintain and renew.
The Facilities Review is about establishing fair and transparent principles to guide future decisions, informed by community priorities, facility use, condition, cost and the different needs of communities across the Shire.
Council began seeking community feedback in late 2025 but paused the project following the January fires to concentrate resources on emergency response and community recovery. Council is now in a position to restart the Facilities Review and pick up the conversation with the community.
As part of this next stage, Council is reopening its community survey and seeking Expressions of Interest to join the Facilities Review Advisory Group, known as FRAG. People who previously applied to join the group will be contacted to confirm whether they remain interested.
FRAG is a community advisory group that will bring together people from across Murrindindi Shire to work with Council and independent facilitators. The group will consider the challenges and opportunities associated with Council's facilities, help develop and test guiding principles, reviewing options and making recommendations to Council.
This builds on the original approach, which was to have a diverse community panel help develop principles and recommendations for managing facilities fairly and sustainably.
From February to March 2027, FRAG members will take part in facilitated workshops, considering community feedback and exploring the principles that should guide how Council plans for and invests in community facilities over the longer term.
Mayor Damien Gallagher said restarting the review was an important opportunity to have an open conversation with the community before Council makes future decisions about its facilities.
"Community facilities are an important part of our towns and communities. They are places where people meet, play sport, learn, volunteer and stay connected.
"At the same time, we have to be realistic about what it costs to maintain and renew a large number of facilities across a rural Shire. The challenge is making sure the resources we have are directed where they deliver the greatest community benefit, now and into the future.
"We don't want to make these decisions in isolation. We want the community involved in developing the principles that will guide us, so future decisions are fair, transparent and based on good information.
"There will be different views, and that is exactly why this conversation is important."
Feedback already provided through the earlier consultation will not be lost. It will be considered alongside new feedback gathered through the reopened community survey, with a summary provided to FRAG so members can consider views from across the Shire.
Community feedback and Expressions of Interest to join the FRAG close on Sunday 13 December 2026. Independent community engagement consultants Capire Consulting Group will review applications and select FRAG members and facilitate the workshops with FRAG and Council staff. Successful applicants will be contacted in early 2027, with workshops beginning in February.
To learn more about the Facilities Review, provide feedback or submit an Expression of Interest to join FRAG, visit murrindindi.vic.gov.au/facilitiesreview
