September 2018
Golden Plains Shire Council is extending and improving the Bannockburn Customer Service Centre for residents, Councillors and staff. The redeveloped offices will be known as the ‘Golden Plains Community and Civic Centre’ or GPCCC.
Council delivered a significant stakeholder and community consultation plan to ensure the redeveloped offices reflect the needs of the community and users within the Victoria Park Precinct. Find out more about the public consultation plan on FAQ 12 and 13.
1. What will the project include?
The project is a redevelopment of existing offices to meet current and future needs (see FAQ 6), and will include:
- An accessible, modern and welcoming customer service area for the community
- Private meeting rooms for residents to meet with Councillors and Council staff about issues important to them
- New Council Chambers with more seating for residents, new technology to ensure excellent sound quality and the equipment required to offer live-streaming of Council meetings (so people can view the meetings from home or work)
- A Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre, to be utilised during natural disasters.
- Flexible and efficient working spaces to better perform functions and deliver services
- An environmentally sensitive design
- Accessibility for people of all abilities (Disability Discrimination Act compliance) that allows Council to engage and employ people from diverse backgrounds.
2. Why is Council undertaking this project?
The current building does not meet the community’s needs – it does not provide private space for community members to meet with staff or Councillors (at the moment, staff speak with members of the community in the narrow foyer, which offers no privacy). The current building also does not offer enough areas where staff can discuss confidential matters with residents over the phone. In addition, residents have frequently advised Council the customer service area lacks privacy and does not provide a modern, welcoming and accessible space for visitors.
The building is outdated and has safety issues – it is around 40 years old, and services, building and maintenance costs are substantial and rising. Furthermore, the building does not comply with current disability access standards and has a number of building compliance issues.
It isn’t big enough – 40% of Council staff are accommodated in onsite portables, which do not have toilets, running water or appropriate heating and cooling. These were not intended to be permanent offices. Council has an obligation to provide safe and efficient staff accommodation, with the flexibility to cater for future staff requirements as our population and their needs continue to grow.
Council’s environmental impact will be significantly reduced – the redeveloped building will reflect the community’s aspiration for a more environmentally friendly centre and is expected to halve Council’s current energy consumption. Find out more about our environmental considerations on FAQ 10.
Not proceeding with the project will be more costly to the community – the building cost increases by $500,000 every year we don’t proceed, which is why acting sooner than later is important.
3. How is Council funding this project, and will it increase rates?
The project will be funded from Council borrowings to be repaid over a thirty-year period. Spreading the cost over a longer period allows Council to maintain spending on other capital works programs. In the current low-interest rate environment, this was judged to be the most prudent method of financing the project.
The cost of the project will not result in any increase in rates. Council will manage this cost within its annual expenditure forecasts, allowing for the ongoing effect of the State Government’s rate capping policy.
4. How much will the project cost?
The budget for the Golden Plains Community and Civic Centre is $9.5M, however Council is continuing to work with our architects to find ways to keep costs down.
Council’s budget for the Centre has been carefully constructed to find the right balance between meeting the needs of today, without compromising those of our future generations.
5. How was the cost of the redevelopment determined?
A feasibility study was undertaken to determine the condition of the existing building and explore suitable options for a redevelopment.
Council engaged an architectural firm to provide concept drawings and indicative costings by an experienced Quantity Surveyor.
6. Why did Council choose a redevelopment over other options?
Council engaged consultants to investigate the options of redevelopment (extension and refurbishment) of the current building, or construction of a new building on a ‘greenfields’ site.
A redevelopment was judged to be the most cost-effective option as the costs of constructing a new facility were $1.9M greater than the cost of redevelopment, not including the cost of land purchase.
The redevelopment of the existing building will support efficiency initiatives and provide the lowest ongoing costs.
7. What stage is the project at?
The project has been under consideration since 2014 with pre-planning focused on an analysis of local needs, future Council service arrangements and staff requirements, along with best practice concept design and cost analysis.
Detailed architectural designs are currently in development, using community feedback gathered in Council’s extensive public consultation campaign in 2017 – find out more about community engagement in FAQ 12 and 13.
It is expected the project will go out to tender in November 2018, with construction anticipated to commence in February 2019 and be completed around August/September 2020.
8. How different is the detailed design from the concept shared with the community in 2017?
It is extremely rare for concepts not to change in the detailed design process and there have been changes to the design since the original concept was shared with the community. This includes changes suggested by residents as well as changes around the orientation of the building, however none of these modifications increase the cost of the building.
All the key features in the original concept are retained in the detailed designs. The following key inclusions are still present in the detailed designs: new and improved customer service area, new Council chambers with significantly increased public seating space, meeting rooms for residents to meet with staff and Councillors and a Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre, to be utilised during natural disasters.
9. Will the new building feature an extravagant fit-out?
From the beginning, Councillors requested that the new building be modest, fit-for-purpose and built without extravagant features.
- The redeveloped building will be open plan rather than built with excessive offices
- It will not have luxury features, such as a staff gymnasium or commercial kitchen
- Furniture for the building will focus on efficiency, functionality, occupational safety and cost-effectiveness
- Storage space has been kept to a minimum, with the organisation to take a ‘paper-lite’ approach
- Many of the materials used in the design are either low-maintenance or known for their durability to keep costs down, now and into the future.
By way of comparison, where our building has a budget of $9.5M, other local government office redevelopments in Victoria have cost more than three times this amount.
10. What features are included in the project to minimise the impact on the environment?
It is expected the redevelopment will see Council decreasing its energy consumption by half. Key to this reduction, is the open plan office space, inclusion of solar panels and use of LED lighting, natural light and efficient heating and cooling systems.
The building will include a large section of glass roofing, which is strategically angled to catch the winter sun and utilise its heat. Similarly in summer, the building design will keep the building as cool as possible.
The redevelopment will also utilise one third of the existing floor space, which allows Council to avoid significant demolition works and reduce waste material. More efficient and effective building management systems will decrease operational costs for the redevelopment as well.
11. What benefits does a redeveloped centre in Bannockburn offer residents in other areas of the Shire?
The project is a redevelopment of the existing Bannockburn Customer Service Centre, which is located in the Shire’s major population centre because Bannockburn and surrounding townships make up more than 46% of the Golden Plains Shire population.
The Centre will also allow Council meetings to be live streamed, which significantly increases public access to Council. We have a Customer Service Centre in Linton and a newly established one at The Well in Smythesdale to provide access to Council and we will continue to rotate Council meetings between Linton and Bannockburn.
The building will have private meeting spaces so that residents from across the Shire needing to meet with Councillors or staff will be able to do so. Design features will include upgraded technology to enable remote meetings and video conferencing.
12. What opportunities were there for the community to provide feedback?
Over 150 community members participated in a range of community engagement opportunities from October to December 2017. This included the opportunity to review the draft concepts and provide comment. The consultation plan included:
- Pop-up conversation posts (four posts with a total of 97 participants) in Bannockburn and Smythesdale
- Focus groups (three sessions with a total of 20 participants) with representatives from key stakeholder and community groups
- A feedback form (40 participants) which was available online, at Council’s Customer Service Centres, and in the December 2017 Gazette (a four-page information brochure was included in the October 2017 Gazette, which included a feedback form).
13. How was feedback used to develop the project?
Most community members who provided feedback were positive and supportive of the redevelopment project, with many acknowledging the inadequacy of the existing facilities. Some community members were concerned about the cost of the proposal, and the relevance of the redevelopment to those living in the north of the Shire. In response to these concerns, Council has continued to provide clear and transparent information about funding arrangements, and is now providing customer service from The Well Smythesdale four days per week.
Community members provided a range of useful ideas about design features and facilities for the redeveloped building. To view a detailed summary of feedback from community members and how this has influenced Council’s decision making process, please read our summary of community engagement results.
Key messages from the community and stakeholders included:
- Increase community access to and use of the facility
- Improve features to support remote or digital access to Council meetings and Councillors
- Maximise environmentally sustainable design features as much as possible
- Enhance integration with the surrounding precinct
- Retain the Bannockburn Shire Hall as a community facility.
All of the above have been considered, and are reflected in the detailed designs.
For further information about the project, please contact Council on 5220 7111 or email [email protected]. You can also send us an online message via the Customer Portal.