Drouin’s Oak Street was awash with music and art this weekend as locals came together to celebrate the launch of the newly renovated Drouin Community Hub facilities.
A free event organised by Committee for Drouin and supported with a Baw Baw Shire Council Community Grant, the Oak Street Arts Happening turned the spotlight on local artists and creatives, and featured market stalls and displays by local groups including Creative Drouin, Drouin Croquet Club, 3BBR, the Senior Citizens, Rotary Club of Drouin, Community Bank Drouin & District, Off The Leash Theatre and more.
President of the Committee for Drouin Jeannie Haughton was delighted with the community turnout for the launch and excited for the possibilities the Hub presents going forward.
“The Committee for Drouin is thrilled the hub is open, and even more thrilled with the response from the community which turned up in droves to this event which was designed for the public to explore the fantastic Community area in Oak Street,” said Ms Haughton. “It’s so central and close to public transport – so much potential to gather, have fun, meet others and do stuff!”
Speaking at the event, Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Annemarie McCabe acknowledged the work of the Committee for Drouin for putting together the free event for the community.
“It’s fantastic to see our community out and about embracing the arts and culture here in the Shire, and I thank Jeannie and the Committee for Drouin for organising today’s Arts Happening,” said Mayor McCabe. “It’s the perfect way to launch our newly renovated Community Hub.”
The works at the Drouin Community Hub follow community consultation to better understand the needs of users. The renovations include improvements to the buildings on both the north and south side of Oak Street.
1 Oak Street, Drouin (north side – Drouin Senior Citizens Hall):
- New accessible toilets
- New concrete path to meeting rooms
- New windows and doors throughout
- Fresh paint in the main hall and meeting room
- New platform lift connecting to the main backstage area
- Upgraded threshold ramps
2 Oak Street, Drouin (south side – former playgroup building):
- New entry ramp and rails
- New external concrete path
- Flooring improvements in the front waiting room
- New plasterboard and insulation in the main meeting space
- Porch cleaning and fresh paint
Across both sites, the Hub offers accessible facilities including a main hall and stage, kitchens and servery, and a selection of meeting, office and studio spaces of varying sizes.
“Council has invested over $660,000 to improve this multi-function community space, making the variety of rooms more usable and accessible for all,” said Mayor McCabe. “The Hub is perfect for meetings and all kinds of community activities for the public, and we are very pleased to officially open this space for our community and can’t wait to see it used.”
