Consultation - Have Your Say

We are looking for feedback on our new plan to support the needs of children aged 8 to 12 years and their families.
Developed in partnership with the community, the draft Mount Alexander Middle Years Plan 2020-2023 provides a collective approach to developing and coordinating services, programs and activities for children and families in our shire.

The plan is structured around three priority areas:
• Happy and safe kids
• Active and adventurous kids
• Connected kids and families.

Underneath these three priority areas sits nine objectives, and 44 actions that will be taken to achieve the vision that ‘all children and families in Mount Alexander Shire are happy, safe, active and connected’.

The plan leads on from the Mount Alexander Early Years Plan 2018-2021 and is part of Council’s commitment to facilitate an accessible range of services for all, including children, young people and families.

Feedback may be submitted until 10 June to info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au or sent by post to Draft Mount Alexander Middle Years Plan Submission, Mount Alexander Shire Council, P.O. Box 185, Castlemaine VIC 3450.

Key documents
Draft Middle Years Plan (PDF, 820KB)
Draft Middle Years Plan - (WORD, 80KB)

Mount Alexander Shire Council is urging local businesses and creatives to complete a survey to help us assess the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the shire to help create a support plan.

The COVID-19 outbreak is having a significant impact on businesses and creatives, with some sectors hit harder than others. We would like to understand the economic impacts of the pandemic on our local community. The information from the survey will allow us to uncover the main challenges and identify priority areas for support to shape our recovery plan for the shire. It will also be used to advocate to government and other agencies for support initiatives.

The survey has now closed.

The information will be collected in confidence and in accordance with our Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

We are calling for community feedback on the revitalisation of Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve in Castlemaine.

The reserve is located on Maclise Street, about 1.5kms from the centre of Castlemaine. It has a well-used playground, as well as a cricket practice net, fenced courts, a barbecue, picnic setting and public toilets.

Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve is looking a bit tired, and although safe, some of the play equipment is at the end of its useful life. Council has allocated funds allocated in this year’s budget to revitalise the reserve and we are seeking community guidance.

Due to the restrictions to minimise the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 we welcome community feedback via an online survey. If you would like to talk through your ideas please contact Kim Whitehouse, Project Officer, on 5471 1700.

Children are encouraged to send through drawings or ideas of their vision for the space. Please email them to info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au with Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve as the email subject.

Community feedback will help us to begin the design process and we will report back to the community in coming months to let them know what we heard.

The survey is now closed.

Key links
Online survey - complete the survey online
Media release - Have your say on Norwood Hill Recreation Reserve - 14 April 2020
Poster - Take a look at ideas for the reserve. (PDF, 1.2MB)

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).