AFTER many years in the pipeline, the Meeniyan Community Hub was officially opened last Friday by the South Gippsland Shire Council and local MPs.

The new hub replaces the Meeniyan community meeting rooms, storage areas and public toilets, which were in a state of disrepair.

The total cost of the project was $2.35 million, with $1.6 million funded through Council grants and $750,000 funded by the Australian Government. 

The building and roofline have been designed to fit in with the surrounding streetscape and to help maintain the character of the town.

It is also one of the first buildings in Victoria to make use of innovative material Hempcrete, which has good thermal properties, is fire resistant and environmentally friendly. 

“Projects like this don’t happen overnight. They take careful planning, the preparation of detailed grant applications, and often a great deal of patience – and that’s all before the first stage of construction even begins. I think we can all agree that it’s been well worth the wait,” said Mayor Schelling at the opening. 

“Meeniyan now has a modern, accessible set of public toilets and a beautiful multi-purpose community space. A place that will no doubt be well used and well loved by 
locals and visitors alike.”

Allison Jones, CEO of SGSC, together with Mayor John Schelling, Councillors Scott Rae and Bron Beach, Mary Aldred Federal Member for Monash and Danny O’Brien Member for Gippsland South were present to help cut the ribbon, which had been specially created by Meeniyan Preschool kids and the hub was declared officially open.