Rokewood Community Hub and Pavilion Upgrade Opening
Golden Plains Shire Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey met with Member for Eureka, Michaela Settle MP to officially open the Rokewood Community Hub and Pavilion Upgrade. Ms Settle attended on behalf of the Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts, The Honourable Harriet Shing MP.
Features of the upgrade include a refurbished Rokewood Recreation Reserve pavilion, meeting rooms, kitchenette, netball viewing deck, first aid room, multi-purpose community hub equipped with
meeting/function spaces, kitchen, bar, canteen and oval spectator viewing areas.
New player and umpire sports changerooms and amenities and a new public toilet facility have also been included as part of the upgrade.
This extensive $3.96 million project has been delivered with $3.5 million from the Victorian Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund, $442,000 from Golden Plains Shire Council and $18,000 from the Rokewood Football and Netball Club.
Shaping Our Future Together – Council Plan 2025-2029
Council adopted the Golden Plains Shire Council Plan 2025-2029 at its June meeting. The Council Plan incorporates the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan which has been developed in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020.
During 2024, community members and stakeholders were invited to contribute to the development of a Draft Council Plan through a range of engagement activities including: surveys, community Thinktank Sessions and community engagement activities at locations across the Shire.
Council endorsed the Draft Plan at its April 2025 Council Meeting, and the document was on public exhibition from Thursday 1 May until Wednesday 28 May 2025. The Plan was finalised after Council considered written public submissions and additional internal reviews.
A copy of the adopted Plan will be provided to the Office of the Minister for Local Government, and the Council Plan 2025-2029 and the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan are available to view at goldenplains.vic.gov.au.
Bannockburn Recreation Centre Tender Awarded
Golden Plains Shire Council awarded a tender for the management and activation of the Bannockburn Recreation Centre at its meeting on Tuesday 24 June 2025.
The Bannockburn Recreation Centre, located at 132 Milton Street, Bannockburn, is a Council owned community recreation facility. The facility is a 2-court indoor sports complex with regular programming including basketball, netball, gymnastics, karate, soft tennis and rookie sports.
For the past 9 years, YMCA Geelong has successfully managed the facility under a contract with Council that was advertised via a public tender process in 2016. Following a public tender and evaluation process, and a thorough evaluation in accordance with Council’s Procurement Policy, Council awarded the tender to YMCA Geelong for an additional 3-year term. This decision was made at the June Council meeting, with the new contract valued at $188,445.00.
Council concluded that YMCA Geelong demonstrated their experience, capability and capacity to successfully manage the Recreation Centre.
