The Chiltern Community Hub was officially opened today when State Minister and Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes joined Mayor Sophie Price and a crowd of almost 100 people to tour the building and cut a ribbon to signify the official opening of the $4.13M facility.
The Hub was completed earlier this year and houses a new library, customer experience and maternal and child health services as well as childcare and a kindergarten all under the one roof.
Mayor Sophie Price says the one-stop-shop provides the opportunity for the community to connect across the ages in a convenient and welcoming environment, from new parents meeting with other families or visiting the library while they wait for Maternal Child Health services, young children enjoying StoryTime or attending the kindergarten, right through to older visitors seeking Council services or curated library offerings.
"The completion of this project is such an important milestone for this community and already, we're seeing its benefits," Cr Price says.
"Not only do we now offer a permanent customer experience presence in Chiltern, we also have an expanded library offering and within a week of opening, we saw almost 40 new library members join. Our community has never had greater access to Council services and support." Cr Price said.
The hub also has flexible, fully accessible internal and external community spaces that can be used for art exhibitions, public events and gatherings.
A new community gathering space that consolidated various community services and created an inclusive, welcoming space for all residents was identified as a top priority when the Chiltern Placemaking and Structure Plan was adopted by Council in 2016.
The $4.13M facility was funded by $2.5M from the Victorian Government, $1.1M from the Australian Government through its Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and $530,000 from Council.
