Planning for the future of community facilities

Published on 09 April 2024

Horsham Rural City Council is developing a Horsham Community Facilities Plan, a collaborative project involving local groups and urban planning experts.

This initiative aims to enhance the planning, provision, and management of council-owned and managed community facilities.

In the initial phase, about 50 user groups occupying a range of HRCC owned/managed facilities were contacted to gather preliminary data for the Plan.

As the project moves into the next phase of planning and engagement, consultants CoFutures will host a workshop with 15 targeted user groups in mid-April.

The Plan aims to:

• Collate data on the demand and needs of community user groups regarding council-owned and managed community buildings
• Focus on Horsham and a number of nominated localities
• Identify potential gaps in the current building portfolio and outline a way forward for the most efficient investment method with an accompanying action plan for co-location for these facilities
• Engage with key stakeholders and local community to understand needs and aspirations for the planning of community facilities
• Review and consider alignment with other Council Strategies, Plans, and Policies
• Make recommendations to improve the planning, provision management of Council owned and/or managed community facilities.

Council understands the sensitivity that exists relating to facility occupancy and ties to buildings.

HRCC wants to assure all community groups that this project is not about displacing anyone.

Instead, it’s about working together to create a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable future for all community facilities.