Grange Planning Brain

title: Strategic Community Infrastructure Priorities council: moorabool state: vic category: infrastructure classification: MAJOR status: unknown last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:

  • strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf
  • strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf
  • strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf
  • strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf
  • strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-west-aug-2019.pdf

Strategic Community Infrastructure Priorities

Moorabool’s Strategic Community Infrastructure Priorities act as a staged service-capacity program rather than a single asset list: the core mechanism is to shift ageing, single-purpose buildings toward shared hubs that can carry early years, maternal and child health, library, youth, seniors, disability access and community meeting functions through to 2041 (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.1). The main spatial pattern is a dual focus on Bacchus Marsh and Surrounds for immediate growth-facing facilities, and Ballan for renewal, consolidation and land reservation tied to future township expansion (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-11).

Background

The priorities were prepared through the Moorabool Community Infrastructure Framework and respond to needs identified in the Community Infrastructure Needs Analysis Findings and Recommendations report and related analyses undertaken between March 2018 and April 2019 (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.1). The framework uses Council’s forecast.id small areas and groups Bacchus Marsh, Darley and Maddingley as Bacchus Marsh and Surrounds, which matters because several projects are planned as shared catchment assets rather than suburb-specific facilities (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.1).

The program is explicitly forecast-dependent: Council states that updated forecasts, data or assumptions would require the needs analysis, findings, recommendations and priorities to be reviewed and reset if required (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.1). That caveat is material because many recommendations use trigger-based or contingent timing, including Ballan sports-ground provision when winter utilisation reaches 90 percent, monitoring indoor court demand after two years of use, and reviewing additional football/cricket ovals after new ovals at BM Racecourse Recreation Reserve and Underbank have been active for at least two years (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.9-11).

Analysis

Network Logic: Hubs Before Stand-Alone Buildings

The short-term program concentrates multiple services into a small number of strategic sites, which is the main architectural idea behind the priorities (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-5). The West Maddingley Early Years and Community Hub is specified as a minimum two-room kindergarten with 33 places per room, at least two maternal and child health consulting rooms, two multipurpose community rooms, a commercial kitchen and design standards suitable for children, older people and dementia programs (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.3). The mechanism is simple: one building is expected to absorb kindergarten, MCH, social support, seniors, centre-based meals, dementia programming, local library functions and community meeting demand, while any excluded uses must be found elsewhere in Maddingley or Bacchus Marsh (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.3).

Rotary Park performs a second hub role for central Bacchus Marsh because the master plan is required to integrate the Andy Arnold Centre and Quamby Room, Bacchus Marsh skate park and Young Street Kindergarten (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4). Its required package includes two upgraded multipurpose community rooms, upgraded age-friendly and dementia-friendly seniors and social support facilities, a new youth space connected to Rotary Park, two additional MCH consulting rooms at Young Street Kindergarten and one extra kindergarten room with at least 22 places (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4). This means the site is not simply a recreation upgrade; it is a service redistribution node where early years, youth, seniors and informal recreation must be physically coordinated (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4).

The former Shire Council offices site on Main Street, Bacchus Marsh is the third hub candidate and is deliberately linked to Rotary Park planning (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.4). The concept plan must test a civic and community precinct, possibly with commercial or residential uses, while also deciding whether contemporary community meeting rooms should be provided there instead of at the Andy Arnold Centre (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.4). The same site is expected to consider expanding Lerderderg Library to up to 1,000 square metres of public and staff floor space, improving parking and disability access for Bacchus Marsh Public Hall and RSL, and adding a second accessible emergency exit to Lerderderg Library (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.4).

Bacchus Marsh and Surrounds: Growth-Area Social Infrastructure

Bacchus Marsh and Surrounds carries the highest number of short-term multi-service actions, which reflects its role as Moorabool’s main urban growth catchment in these documents (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-8). The West Maddingley hub was listed as an existing Capital Improvement Program project, programmed for design in 2020-21 and construction in 2021-22 (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.3). The Rotary Park master plan was also an existing Capital Improvement Program project programmed for 2019-20, while its skate/BMX expansion was deferred to the 2022-2029 period through the same master-planning process (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4, 7).

The sports-ground program is staged across BM Racecourse Recreation Reserve, Underbank, Darley Park, Maddingley Park and Masons Lane (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.5-8). At BM Racecourse Recreation Reserve, Council was to proceed with one competition cricket/football oval by 2022 and ensure the associated pavilion could also operate as a community venue (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.5). The Bacchus Marsh and Surrounds extract records that this oval was under construction at the time of the extract (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.5). A further two soccer pitches and associated pavilion were scheduled for the medium term at BM Racecourse Recreation Reserve, with the pavilion again required to serve as a community venue (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.7).

Underbank is the clearest example of development-linked social infrastructure in the documents (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.7). The priorities require construction of one competition football/cricket oval and an associated pavilion/community facility at Underbank, with the extract noting that this was to progress through the Underbank Development Plan (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.7). The same section identifies western Bacchus Marsh as lacking community facilities, so the pavilion is not a secondary add-on; it is intended to fill a local community-space gap while also serving organised sport (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.7).

Indoor recreation is treated as a replacement and capacity project rather than a simple expansion (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.7). Council was to plan for a maximum of four indoor courts in Bacchus Marsh and Surrounds, based on the 2018 Indoor Recreation Facilities Feasibility Study, and the recommendation assumes that the two existing Bacchus Marsh Leisure Centre courts would be replaced through the project (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.7). The follow-on mechanism is monitoring: after at least two years of use of the new courts, Council is to review indoor basketball and netball participation to determine future facility requirements (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.7).

Ballan and Rural West: Renewal, Consolidation and Land Reservation

Ballan’s priority package is less about one new building and more about resolving a cluster of ageing and undersized assets across library, early years, MCH, seniors, community house and youth support functions (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-5). The Ballan Community Infrastructure Improvement Plan must address upgrades to Ballan Senior Citizens Centre, Ballan Kindergarten and MCHC, Wallace and District Preschool and MCH, and Ballan and District Community House (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, p.3). It must also create one additional MCH consulting room by 2031 for Ballan and Rural West, expand or relocate Ballan Library to an absolute minimum of 214 square metres and preferably more than 300 square metres, and allow future expansion to at least 500 square metres (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, p.3).

The Ballan package also has a land-assembly and asset-rationalisation dimension (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4). The documents identify neighbouring Council-owned and State Government-owned sites between Inglis Street and Steiglitz Street, a vacant site west of the Ballan Senior Citizens Centre, and the Shire Council offices and depot as possible components of a community hub or alternative solution (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4). The Ballan Kindergarten and MCHC may be relocated and the existing site sold to fund community infrastructure improvements elsewhere, while Wallace and District Preschool and MCHC may either be upgraded at its existing site or relocated to Ballan (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-5).

Ballan’s sports strategy depends on early land reservation in growth areas before the utilisation trigger is reached (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.4, 7). Council is directed to identify and acquire land for one dual-use football/cricket oval or dual soccer pitch sports ground and associated pavilion/community facility within Ballan’s new development areas, potentially Precinct 5 under Ballan Strategic Directions 2018 (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, p.4). The long-term delivery trigger is when winter utilisation of Ballan Recreation Reserve reaches 90 percent of maximum playing capacity, at which point Council is to plan for one dual-purpose oval within Ballan (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, p.7). The practical implication is that land acquisition is a short-term risk-control measure, while construction is demand-triggered (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.4, 7).

Rural West priorities are more dispersed but still tied back to Ballan as the service anchor (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-west-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-8). Elaine Recreation Reserve needs immediate public toilet improvements that also support cricket and tennis clubrooms because those clubs rely on the public toilets for club use (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-west-aug-2019.pdf, p.4). Wallace Public Hall requires an options investigation, including either refurbishment and retention as a community facility or disposal and reinvestment in the Recreation Reserve pavilion to create a community venue (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-west-aug-2019.pdf, p.4). Gordon Public Park tennis courts need safe, level access from the clubrooms, while Dunnstown pavilion requires change-room and amenity upgrades including improvements for female participation (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-west-aug-2019.pdf, pp.4-5).

Rural East: Developer Contributions and Small-Town Access

Rural East contains two notable community-space mechanisms: a state-government/reserve-management pathway at Greendale and a developer-contribution pathway at Hopetoun Park (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8). The Greendale Recreation Reserve facility is intended to serve both Greendale and Dales Creek and is to be addressed through the adopted Greendale Recreation Reserve Masterplan (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8). The Hopetoun Park facility is intended to serve new residential areas north of the existing settlement, is to be partly funded through development contributions, and must be delivered before completion of the new residential areas (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8).

This makes Hopetoun Park the clearest timing-risk item outside Bacchus Marsh and Ballan (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8). If residential development proceeds before the community facility and local-scale recreation/play assessment are resolved, the service gap becomes embedded rather than temporary (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8). The document does not provide the development-contribution rate, the delivery agreement structure or the proposed land area, so the funding enforceability cannot be assessed from these source documents alone (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8).

Accessibility, Safety and Inclusive Design as Binding Requirements

A large share of the short-term program is not new capacity but minimum access, safety and fitness-for-purpose work (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.5-8). Ballan Senior Citizens Centre needs at least one fully DDA-compliant toilet immediately, with the Ballan extract noting that this was to be investigated through a professional DDA audit (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, p.4). Bacchus Marsh Public Hall and Supper Room require car-park resurfacing, DDA access improvements, stage access work, a hearing loop, foyer/storage improvements and better accessible parking arrangements (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.5). Bacchus Marsh outdoor pool requires disabled access improvements to the main pool and kiosk, while Ballan outdoor pool requires disabled access improvements to the main pool and a pedestrian safety assessment across Simpson Street/Blackwood Street (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.7).

The repeated requirement for age-friendly and dementia-friendly design is not cosmetic language; it changes facility specifications by requiring spaces to support seniors groups, social support groups, dementia programs and centre-based meals across hubs, halls and pavilions (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-6). The same design logic applies to sports pavilions, where Council is directed to make new or upgraded facilities suitable for community venue use where appropriate (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.5-6). This broadens the infrastructure value of pavilions but also increases design complexity because bar areas, change rooms, kitchens, toilets and bookable community rooms need to operate safely for non-sport users (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.5-6).

Current Status

The source documents are dated August 2019 and contain project status information current to that publication, including existing Capital Improvement Program projects, under-construction works, new items with no status, and items to be monitored as required (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-7; Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-8). The extracted source set does not include later council budgets, capital works updates, adopted master plans, tender records or completion reports, so this page cannot confirm whether 2019-2025 actions have been delivered, delayed, rescoped or superseded (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.1).

Dependencies

  • Blocks: The priorities block coherent sequencing of local community infrastructure if they are not translated into capital works, development contributions, master plans and land acquisition decisions, especially at West Maddingley, Rotary Park, Main Street Bacchus Marsh, Underbank, Hopetoun Park and Ballan Precinct 5 (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-11).
  • Blocked by: Delivery is blocked or constrained by updated population forecasts, capital funding, land acquisition, development timing, development-contribution agreements, state-government/reserve-committee coordination, and completion of related master plans or concept plans (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.1, 3-11).
  • Informed by: The recommendations rely on the Community Infrastructure Needs Analysis Findings and Recommendations report, the Community Infrastructure Planning Policy, the Community Infrastructure Planning Process, the Travel Accessibility Assessment for playgrounds, the 2018 Indoor Recreation Facilities Feasibility Study, Ballan Strategic Directions 2018, the 2018 Ballan Recreation Reserve Master Plan, the Lighting Audit and multiple suitability or fitness-for-purpose assessments (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.1, 4-7).
  • Implements: The program implements the Moorabool Community Infrastructure Framework through short-term, medium-term and long-term priorities for aged and disability services, community spaces and libraries, children and young people, early years, and sport and recreation (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.2-11).
  • Conflicts with: The documents identify internal allocation tensions rather than explicit policy conflicts, including whether community meeting rooms should be located at Rotary Park or the former Council offices site, whether Wallace Public Hall should be retained or funds reinvested at the Recreation Reserve, and whether Ballan early-years facilities should be upgraded in place or relocated (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, p.4; Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-west-aug-2019.pdf, p.4; Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-5).

The documents identify several non-Council delivery interfaces but do not provide formal cross-jurisdictional agreements (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.5-10). Ballan Recreation Reserve upgrades require work with the Committee of Management and State Government, Greendale Recreation Reserve requires work with State Government and the Reserve Committee of Management, and Ballan hub options involve both Council-owned and State Government-owned sites between Inglis Street and Steiglitz Street (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-4; Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8). The Hopetoun Park facility depends on developer contributions linked to residential development north of the existing settlement, but the source documents do not include the planning permit, contribution instrument or development plan that would show enforceability (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-rural-east-aug-2019.pdf, p.8).

Gaps in This Analysis

The largest analytical gap is the absence of the Community Infrastructure Needs Analysis Findings and Recommendations report, which is repeatedly identified as the evidence base for the recommendations (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.1-2). Without that report, this page can explain the delivery mechanism and priority structure but cannot verify the demographic demand calculations, service benchmarks, catchment modelling or utilisation assumptions behind each project (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, p.1).

A second gap is the absence of cost, funding and land-area data (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-11). The documents specify quantities such as kindergarten rooms, MCH rooms, library floor-space targets, indoor court numbers, outdoor netball court numbers and sports-ground counts, but they do not provide capital cost estimates, operating-cost impacts, land-take areas, contribution rates or confirmed budget allocations for each item (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-all-moorabool-shire-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-11). A third gap is currency: because the source set stops at August 2019, later delivery status must be checked against Council budgets, Capital Improvement Program updates, adopted master plans, development plans and project completion reports (Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-ballan-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-7; Source: strategic-community-infrastructure-priorities-darley-bacchus-marsh-maddingley-aug-2019.pdf, pp.3-8).

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