News Community

Picnic in the Park to support abandoned Wonthaggi Tech School site

Another Picnic in the Park will be held in Wonthaggi to continue to advocate for the transformation of the abandoned Wonthaggi Tech School site into a vibrant community hub.

by Bruce Wardley

Published October 14, 2026

Picnic in the Park to support abandoned Wonthaggi Tech School site — Local residents are continuing their campaign to repurpose the abandoned Wonthaggi Tech School site into a creative hub with artist studios, a youth centre, and a marketplace before it is lost to commercial developers.

WONTHAGGI’s abandoned Tech School site will be the focus of another Picnic in the Park as residents continue to advocate for the transformation of the prized piece of local real estate into a vibrant cultural hub.

Organisers have organised another Picnic in the Park to draw the attention of state politicians and Bass Coast Shire Council to the transformation of Wonthaggi’s deserted Tech School ahead of the upcoming Victorian election.

The Picnic in the Park will be on Sunday, October 25 from 2pm to 4pm in the gardens located at the intersection of McBride Avenue and Watt Street. This family-friendly gathering aims to draw political attention to the site ahead of the upcoming Victorian state election.

The old Tech building has remained deserted since 2019 after being vacated by the Victorian Department of Education. Organisers described the site as the former heartbeat of Wonthaggi, where generations of locals learned art, woodwork, and drama.

Wonthaggi Old Tech Creative Hub (WOTCH) is advocating for Bass Coast Shire Council and state authorities to re-purpose the land, warning that the community risked losing the space to commercial developers if action was not taken.

According to WOTCH member Kit Fennessy people are absolutely sick of having an abandoned site in the middle of town. “Something should happen with this public land, and after seven years with an election coming, it’s time to give it some attention,” said Mr Fennessy.

A Picnic in the Park will be held in Wonthaggi on Sunday, October 25 from 2pm to 4pm in the gardens located at the intersection of McBride Avenue and Watt Street.

WOTCH has envisioned a once in a lifetime redevelopment of the precinct into a dedicated neighbourhood gathering place. Proposed concepts for the creative hub have included artist studios, a sound and media lab, a marketplace, youth centre and potentially public housing.

“It’s criminal to waste prime land, on a park, stuck right between the town hall and the new school site. It could have multiple uses. Creative arts spaces like design studios, a library, even a recording facility for bands would be great for kids, good for community health and be a drawcard for the area. Wonthaggi deserves some investment, it is booming,” Mr Fennessy said.

Picnic attendees are encouraged to bring their own food, soft drinks, and picnic rugs to the Picnic in the Park to enjoy an afternoon of live entertainment provided by the Wonthaggi Citizens Band and local musicians with their own instruments.