Moira Shire Council secures $1 million from Victorian Government for new library and community hub

Moira Shire Council will receive $1 million from the Victorian State Government towards construction of Yarrawonga’s new library and community hub.

Mayor Libro Mustica said this funding would help transform the Town Hall site into a vibrant community precinct, with not only a state of the art library, but a Customer Service Centre, meeting spaces, and a commercial kitchen to service major events at the town hall.

Mayor Mustica notes “this $1 million grant from the State’s Living Libraries Program is additional to the $3.75 million from the Community Infrastructure Loans Scheme, which offers low-interest, subsidised loans to councils for infrastructure projects.

“This funding, combined with a budgeted council contribution, will mean we are ready to move the project forward as soon as final design and planning is completed.

“We are extremely appreciative of the Victorian Government’s financial support in arranging the low interest loan and the Living Libraries grant.

“The current Yarrawonga Library, while delivering an excellent service with participation numbers second only to the Shepparton Library in the Goulburn Valley region, is limited by space which is constraining the ability to deliver various programs.

“We aim to create a vibrant and diverse community hub and have been working closely with user groups of the existing Community Hall and precinct to incorporate, where possible, the services and facilities they need into the new designs.”

Mayor Mustica said he was confident Council could achieve a wonderful civic precinct development that would reinvigorate Yarrawonga’s most prominent public building and serve the whole community for many years to come.

“We’ve been delayed by the Yarrawonga Community Action Group taking the matter to VCAT but are confident that a planning permit will be approved and the project to get underway during 2021,” he said.

“This funding will make a real difference to the Yarrawonga community by helping to deliver a high-quality community precinct.

“It is such an exciting development and I can’t wait to see it completed as one of many major projects to be delivered by the newly elected Council.”