Selby Community House has welcomed the community back for classes, programs and events following extensive building repairs over the past year.
For local residents, the reopening means returning to a familiar place to learn new skills, find support and connect with friends and neighbours.
Extensive repair work was needed after the discovery of significant termite damage within the building in December 2025, which meant the centre needed to close and services relocated while the repairs were carried out.
In addition to the investment required to address the termite damage, Council has also installed new flooring and split-system heating and cooling and addressed several temporary fixes that had been made to the building over many years.
Lyster Ward Councillor, Peter Mcilwain was pleased to welcome the community back to Selby Community House.
“We know how much the community house means to our local community here in Selby. It’s part of the fabric of this beautiful town,” he said.
“We appreciate that it’s been a disruptive time for the house and for residents accessing their services. I’d like to extend a sincere thank you on behalf of Council for everyone’s patience, understanding and flexibility while we worked through this process.
“I’m pleased to see the community house reopen ahead of schedule, which is a testament to the strong partnership between Council and the Selby Community House team.
“Danielle and her team have done an exceptional job throughout a challenging period – relocating their operations at short notice to ensure the community could continue to access support and services while we undertook these repairs and working collaboratively with us over recent months to see the building reopen and services resume.
“The end result is that the Selby Community House has a repaired and refreshed home that will continue to serve the hills community for years to come.”
Selby Community House Manager, Danielle McMinn, said the team is thrilled to be coming home and welcoming the community back to the house.
“Being forced to close our doors so suddenly was devastating, but one of the biggest things this experience has taught us is that Selby Community House is so much more than a building. It’s the people, the connections and the sense of community we’ve worked so hard to maintain, even while operating from temporary venues,” she said.
“We’re enormously grateful to Yarra Ranges Council for the work that’s gone into repairing and refreshing our much-loved house and for the incredible support we’ve received throughout this difficult time.
“We’re now looking forward to a fresh start in 2027, with a refreshed house, new branding and website, and some exciting new community projects on the horizon.”
