Community members are invited to make a submission on a proposal to dispose of the former Chewton Community Centre at 205 (formerly 201) Main Road Chewton.
Please note while public submissions close on Thursday 9 April they will reopen later in the year due to the impact of coronavirus COVID-19.
The former Wesleyan Church building is in a poor state of repair with rising damp and termite damage. It has been closed to the public since 2010 due to safety risks. The cost for Council to restore and maintain the building as a public facility would be significant.
On 15 August 2017 Council resolved to sell the former Wesleyan Church at 201 Main Road Chewton and commence the process of sub-dividing the associated land to create separate allotments for the Chewton Community Centre (church) and the former Sunday school building (now the Chewton Senior Citizens Centre) to enable the sale of the church building.
The resolution was passed following public notice of Council’s intent to sell the property in accordance with Sections 189 and 223 of the Local Government Act 1989.
The subdivision process is almost complete and the building will soon be ready for sale. However, due to the passage of time, it is deemed best practice for Council to provide new public notice to notify the community of its intention to sell the building, as resolved at the Ordinary Council Meeting in December 2019. Public notice was provided in the Midland Express on Tuesday 28 January 2020. The closing date for submissions has since been extended.
The community is now invited to make a submission. Submissions should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Mount Alexander Shire Council, PO Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450, or email info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au titled Chewton Community Centre by 5.00pm on Thursday 9 April 2020.
Submitters who wish to speak in support of their submission will be heard at an Ordinary Meeting of Council to be held at a date to be determined.
Open day - cancelled
Council had planned to hold an open day from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 28 March, at the former Chewton Community Centre located at 205 Main Road in Chewton. Council cancelled the opening in response to the directive from the Victorian Premier to not support non-essential public gatherings in the short to mid-term.
For more information contact Lynne Williamson, Property Portfolio Coordinator on 5471 1700.
Key documents
• Virtual tour - see photos of the former community centre (PDF, 2.4MB)
• Virtual tour - see video footage inside and outside the former community centre
• Public notice – published in Midland Express 28 January 2020 (PDF, 0.5MB)
• Media release - Submissions open on former community centre - 31 January 2020
• Media release - Open day at former community centre in Chewton - 13 March 2020
• Media release - Update on former Chewton Community Centre - 1 April 2020
• Chewton Community Centre investigation of salt damp in the former Wesleyan Church (June 2010) (PDF, 1.24MB).