The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra tender awarded
Published on 27 March 2024
Construction of The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra will begin later this year after Gannawarra Shire Council awarded RTM Construction Pty Ltd the tender for the $3.07 million project.
To be incorporated into Kerang’s Sir John Gorton Library, this contemporary designed, fully accessible facility will enable new and emerging community programs to connect, collaborate, create and celebrate together.
“The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra will provide flexibility and creativity for new and emerging programs, thanks to its media lab and large meeting space,” Mayor Ross Stanton said.
“This regionally unique space will allow the Gannawarra Library Service to plan and deliver youth programs including movie making, sound and music recording, whilst the flexible and scalable meeting space will have the technology necessary for modern meetings, conferences and training sessions.
“The Gannawarra Library Service’s various programs, ranging from its school holiday activities to its Author Talks sessions, attract people from throughout the Gannawarra, and The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra will be able to house larger events and people from across the region.”
Construction of The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra is supported by a $1.5 million contribution from the State Government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Program and $718,000 from the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
However, Council identified during the tender process that the current budget allocation is insufficient to enable the project to be completed, with Council to contribute $842,000 from its capital works budget to enable the project to proceed.
“It is not uncommon for councils to contribute its own funding to major capital works project. This is something we have done previously to support significant transformation works within the Gannawarra, including the Cohuna CBD and Waterfront Redevelopment and the Koondrook CBD Redevelopment,” Mayor Stanton said.
“In this instance, costs associated with building projects have increased significantly compared to when Council first announced this project in January 2022, meaning we need to contribute to the project to ensure it occurs.”
To assist with reducing the costs associated with the project, a proposed operable glass wall that would have featured in the final design will be replaced with a more affordable operable acoustic wall, whilst the landscaping works package has been reduced, with the remaining elements to be completed at a later date.
“There have been many comments made during the March 2024 Council Meeting and the Special Council Meeting held on 25 March that other projects should proceed before The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra, including major works to local swimming pools and improving drainage,” Mayor Stanton said.
“Discussions regarding these important projects are ongoing, with an update to be provided during the community engagement period for the 2024/2025 Proposed Budget, which you can have your say on in the coming weeks.”
Council will keep residents updated regarding the construction timeline of The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra via its website, Facebook page, Gannawarra News and Gannawarra Connect.
For more information regarding The Glasshouse @ The Gannawarra, please visit www.gsc.vic.gov.au/glasshouse