Renewal of Winchelsea's riverside Mud Hut shelter will proceed following community endorsement of revised concept designs.
Surf Coast Shire Council resolved at its May meeting to formally adopt the designs developed by a community led Project Control Group and to allocate $80,000 from its Open Space Reserve Fund to the project.
The move follows public consultation which found 63 per cent of respondents satisfied or very satisfied with how the design responded to feedback from an earlier petition.
Plans for the shelter include low-profile walls, added timber cladding and design elements reminiscent of the existing hut. The shelter also includes picnic tables and seating.
"We are really pleased to be issuing a green light for construction and look forward to working further with Winchelsea community to get it built for the enjoyment of locals and the many visitors who stop to enjoy the area," Mayor Liz Pattison said.
"We acknowledge and specially thank the members of the Project Control Group who did such a great job reworking the original designs, based on community feedback.
"This project has demonstrated the importance and value in having community lead the way and we thank community members who have provided input, including during our recent public consultation on the updated plans."
The new shelter was scheduled for installation mid-January 2023 but pandemic restrictions, contractor unavailability, extended community consultation through the Project Control Group and discovery of microbats breeding in the existing structure have contributed to project delays.
Council engaged a zoologist to assess the microbats and provide advice on how to manage them. The microbats have been found to have moved on, but Council will continue to work with the zoologist should any return during demolition of the structure.
Demolition of the existing hut will start as soon as possible.
The project budget of $265,000 is jointly funded by Council and the Australian Government, through a $50,000 allocation from its Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
