Dimboola Community and Civic Precinct

Published on 29 June 2020

With an anticipated completion by the end of July of the new Dimboola Library, council customer service centre and new public amenities, plans are being finalised for the next stages to complete the Dimboola Community and Civic Precinct.

The next stages of the project will include the landscaping of the former car park area and the refurbishment of the existing Dimboola Library Customer Service Centre.

The refurbishment of the circa 1860s building will include the demolition of the existing public toilets and establishment of a landscaped courtyard in that location which will be able to utilised by the public and patrons of the adjacent library.

Landscaping of the former car park area will form part of the Dimboola visitor node of the Wimmera River Discovery Trail and will incorporate the establishment of lawn open space areas, construction of pathways, planting of appropriate trees, shrubs, plants and grasses, installation of seating and picnic tables.

Interpretive signage acknowledging Dimboola’s significant indigenous history and culture, local environmental and historical assets and events will also be established.

Hindmarsh Shire Council Mayor, Cr Rob Gersch said “The combination of the new library and council customer service centre combined with the new public toilets, refurbishment of the existing building and development of the Wimmera River Discovery Trail Dimboola Visitor Node to establish the Dimboola Community and Civic Precinct is one the most exciting projects I have seen in Dimboola”.

“The landscaping that will be carried out in the former car park area will provide a very user friendly and welcoming space between Lloyd Street and the creek and river environs at the rear of the new library” added Cr Gersch. 

Cr Gersch said “As the veranda and deck of the library will have direct access to the lawn and landscaped gardens this space will become a very versatile asset that will be able to be used for library and community events such as on Australia Day”.

“We are pleased to release the final draft landscape plan for the Wimmera River Discovery Trail – Dimboola Visitor Node and once the plan is finalised we hope to go out to tender within the next month or so to have works carried out” said Cr Gersch.

The landscape plan will be placed in the window of the existing building, on Council’s website as well as published in local newspapers.

The capital works being undertaken in Dimboola has been made possible through grants from various funding programs in partnership with Hindmarsh Shire Council.

The new Dimboola Library has been funded through the Victorian Government’s Living Libraries Program while the refurbishment of the existing building to establish the Dimboola Community and Civic Hub has been funded by the Federal Government’s Community Development Grants Program.

The Wimmera River Discovery Trail is being jointly funded by the Federal Governments Building Better Regions Program and the Victorian Governments Regional Partnership Program and the Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning’s Community Climate Change Adaptation Program.

“I am really looking forward to the culmination of the Dimboola Community and Civic Precinct project as it provides an example of how a long term vision can be achieved by linking a range of projects with a number of funding sources and I am positive it will become a very popular facility for residents of and visitors to Dimboola in the future” said Cr Gersch.

For more information, please contact Monica Revell, Director Corporate and Community Services, on 03 5391 4444 or email mrevell@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.

Greg Wood
Chief Executive Officer