City of Ballarat approves tender for new Alfredton Community Hub

The City of Ballarat Council has approved the tender for the new Alfredton Community Hub, appointing Ballarat company CIQ Construction Management Pty Limited to undertake the project at a cost of $6,457,305. 

The community facility will accommodate a diverse range of users, foster a sense of place, and ensure kindergarten infrastructure meets demand, the Council said.

As well as the three preschool rooms accommodating 99 children at a time, the purpose-built community facility will feature two community rooms, a meeting room, and associated staff facilities. 

The State Government is contributing $2.25 million toward the project, with the remainder being sourced from the Developer Contributions Plan. 

Mayor Des Hudson said it was positive to see the project progressing as planned. 

“As Ballarat continues to expand to the west, it is crucial we keep up and provide the community with integral infrastructure,” he added. 

“The Alfredton Community Hub will include the construction of a 99-place kindergarten, but it will also accommodate a diverse range of users and become something of which the whole community can be proud.”

Having the tender awarded to a local company, he continued, is “another big step forward and we can’t wait to see works begin”. 

As identified in the Community Infrastructure Plan 2022-2037, the population in Ballarat’s west is forecast to grow by 73 per cent from 2021-2036.  

Other key growth forecasts from 2021-2036 include:  

• A 65 per cent increase in births in Ballarat’s west  
• A 157 per cent increase in families with dependent children in Cardigan, Lucas and Bunkers Hill 
• A 36 per cent increase in families with dependent children in Alfredton  

• A 408 per cent increase in residential developments in Cardigan, Lucas and Bunkers Hill. 

It is hoped the community hub will be opened in 2024.