Montrose Town Centre Feasibility Study

Montrose Town Centre is a small community facility in Yarra Ranges next to the Montrose Library. Montrose Town Centre is operated directly by Yarra Ranges Council as a Community Cultural Facility with a concert program, activities and multiple spaces for hire. Council is undertaking a study to establish what role Montrose Town Centre, Cottage and Library plays in the community and what services could be provided.　 Further to this, the study will look at how the buildings on the site might provide these services.

Community Survey

A survey was conducted during July and August 2012 seeking community input into the current and future use for the Montrose Town Centre.

Council received 199 survey responses; the majority of respondents were aged 65-84 (40.8%) and 35 – 55 (28.5%). The top three residential postcodes for respondents were Montrose (47.3%), 17.6% from Kilsyth (17.6%) and Lilydale (12.2%).

There was strong recognition that the Town Centre and Montrose Library offer activities (93%); with the top two Town Centre activities supported in last 12 months being workshops and classes (29.1%) and private hire (22.3%). The Montrose Library was visited once a month by 51% of people and weekly by 39% with 65.5% of library activity being book borrowing.

Results from the community survey indicated that the most valued aspect of the Montrose Town Centre site is the open space and gardens (63.7%), followed by library facilities (60.4%), community atmosphere (57.7%) and meeting venue (48.9%).

For more information

Please contact Lisa Whitehouse, Strategic Projects Coordinator on 9294 6362 or l.whitehouse@yarraranges.vic.gov.au