Following a record-breaking capital works expenditure of more than $40 million by Baw Baw Shire Council (BBSC) in the 2023/24 financial year, the delivery of projects has shown no signs of slowing down. BBSC’s 2024/25 Capital Works Program boasts over 156 different projects that are either complete or currently in progress.
BBSC’s Infrastructure Delivery and Major Projects team continue to deliver record-breaking projects for the residents of Baw Baw Shire.
The Warragul Leisure Centre Stadium Expansion (at just over $12 million, making it BBSC’s largest recreational project delivered to date) and the Bellbird Park East Pavilion (at just under $5 million) were among the works completed early in the financial year.
Warragul Leisure Centre Stadium Expansion
Baw Baw Shire is one of the five fastest-growing peri-urban regions in Victoria. The Warragul Leisure Centre Stadium Expansion, which officially opened on 28 July 2024, provides a much-needed recreational facility for the rapidly growing Baw Baw Shire community.
This major project included the construction of two new indoor courts, spectator seating, a lounge viewing area, a new café and kitchen, a referee change room, a first aid room, storage facilities, changing rooms, and improved pedestrian and parking access links. These new facilities will serve Baw Baw’s local sporting clubs, particularly basketball, with more Baw Baw Shire residents participating in basketball over any other sport.
The expansion of the centre includes an upper floor that has been thoughtfully designed to support future growth. While currently unoccupied, this space provides a valuable opportunity for a future fit-out, ensuring the building is well-prepared to adapt as new needs arise.
The expansion was built by Kubale Constructions, who began early works in March 2022. Early works included earthworks, drain installation, asbestos abatement and initial civil works that were needed before major construction commenced in 2023.
Mid-way through construction, new challenges were identified with new fire rating requirements (primarily insulation and substrate) and the additional requirement of a lift to allow the site occupancy to be set at 400 people. BBSC’s Senior Project Manager, Matthew Robinson, expertly managed these new requirements to ensure that the project still opened to the public on time.
This project was delivered by Baw Baw Shire Council in conjunction with the Victorian Government, who contributed $6 million towards the project.
Bellbird Park East Pavilion
Following its official opening on 11 August 2024, the new multi-use pavilion at Bellbird Park East, Drouin provides modern facilities to soccer, hockey, and cricket players, local schools, and the wider community. The pavilion is home to the following sporting groups: the West Gippsland Hockey Association, the Drouin Cricket Club, and the Drouin Dragons Soccer Club.
The new pavilion is also well-equipped to hold a variety of community events due to the commercial kitchen facilities, flexible room configurations, audio-visual equipment, multiple change rooms, storage spaces, first aid room, office/meeting room, two canteens and drop-off zone. The building has also been designed to be female-friendly, inclusive, and fully accessible.
BBSC’s Community Hub Strategy identified a lack of community spaces fit for meetings and events, particularly in Drouin. To address this, there was a strong focus on ensuring the pavilion was designed for multi-use from the start. The pavilion was designed to deliver priority functions identified from community consultation, including bookable meeting rooms and a large space with a commercial kitchen. The pavilion is bookable by both sporting clubs and community groups through BBSC’s online booking system.
BBSC consulted with several user groups, such as educational organisations (including schools), social groups, and a local church. Through consultation, the Warragul Community House were keen to offer a range of social, lifestyle, and educational programs from the new pavilion, and the YMCA were also eager to expand their services at Bellbird Park East through school holiday programs and group fitness programs, such as pilates and yoga.
This major project was delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government under the Growing Suburbs Fund, with the Victorian Government contributing $2 million and BBSC contributing $2.97 million. The project was constructed by Gippsland-based Langden Constructions.
Rollo Street Park
There are many more exciting capital works projects currently in progress. One noteworthy project is the Rollo Street Park in Yarragon (previously the old Yarragon primary school site until 2013). This site is currently undergoing a $1.77 million redevelopment and will include the planting of more than 60 advanced trees, the creation of a walking path, seating, drinking fountain and bike racks, the establishment of a rain garden, new car parking spaces, improved drainage, and new bollards and fencing.
This project will transform the vacant land into a valuable open space catering to community events, social gatherings and informal recreation. The majority of the work was completed by Sustainable Landscaping in late 2024 and early 2025, with future works (including arbour/shelter, signage, lighting and artwork) still to be delivered later this year pending further design and consultation with the Yarragon community. The park is expected to open in mid-2025 before these final upgrades are complete.
The Rollo Street Park project has been managed by BBSC’s Senior Project Manager, Matthew Robinson, and by the contractors who encountered initial wet weather conditions, followed by a prolonged dry period that necessitated daily dust suppression.
Following public consultation and an exemption from Geographic Names Victoria, BBSC resolved to name the site ‘Angela Malacarne Park’ in recognition of the significant work of Mrs Angela Malacarne, a Yarragon Primary School teacher of almost 40 years.
This project is being delivered by Baw Baw Shire Council, with a $235,000 contribution, and the Victorian Government, who are contributing $1.5 million towards the project under the Growing Suburbs Fund.
Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct: Library and Learning Centre
With a project value of $35 million, the new Library and Learning Centre is at the heart of the Baw Baw Culture and Connection Precinct in Warragul. The new Library and Learning Centre is the crown jewel of BBSC’s capital works program over the coming years. It is the most ambitious and largest project in Council’s history, and will provide vital social, educational and artistic infrastructure for the growing Baw Baw community for generations to come.
The multi-level facility is expected to contain a new community library (including a maker’s space and video gaming, reading and study areas), community meeting rooms, creative and cultural spaces, an exhibition space, consulting rooms, co-working spaces, a public terrace, and a pedestrian connection link to the existing West Gippsland Arts Centre. With the design 90 per cent complete, the procurement process for the new building is underway, and construction is scheduled to commence in late 2025.
BBSC has created a dedicated Special Projects Team for this project due to its size and complexity. This team is made up of Marc Gore, Coordinator Special Projects, Tom Hutton, Project Manager, and Sanjaya Perera, Graduate Engineer. The team has already worked through several challenges in relation to the project’s planned scope, logistics and operations.
Council is grateful for the $4.5 million contribution to this project from the Victorian Government via a combination of its Growing Suburbs Fund and Living Libraries Fund, and for the $14.5 million contribution from the federal Growing Regions Program.
