Community Engages with MEC Concept Designs

Published on 13 February 2025

Approximately 150 community members attended Council’s Multipurpose and Evacuation Centre (MEC) Project Concept Design Presentations on Tuesday, 11 February, demonstrating strong interest in the project.

Interim General Manager Steven Pinnuck said the community was engaged and broadly supportive of the designs, with attendees offering constructive feedback to further refine the plans.

“I’d like to thank those who attended and encourage everyone to review the plans on our website and provide feedback,” he said.

Mayor Julia Ham welcomed attendees before Council’s appointed lead architect, Steven Johansson from Facility Design Group, and Council’s Project Manager presented the draft concept design.

The design was informed by community feedback gathered during a pop-up session at Richmond Park in December, as well as online feedback. Council incorporated this input to shape a concept that aims to serve the entire community while meeting the requirements for a Multipurpose Centre with the capacity to function as an Evacuation Centre in emergencies.

Community feedback focused on key areas such as parking, traffic flow, lighting, noise, cooling methods, multi-use sports facilities, and evacuation centre needs.

The concept was developed to improve accessibility and reduce impacts. The car park has been relocated to the front of the building, allowing vehicle entry from Russell Street instead of Richmond and Robertson Streets. The design is planned on a single level for better accessibility, with the structure partially sunken to reduce its visual impact.

Parking, traffic, and noise studies have been undertaken, with detailed reports to be included in the Development Application (DA).

Feedback remains open until midnight on Sunday, 16 February. A summary of community input will be presented alongside the Draft Concept Design at the Council Meeting on 20 February 2025.

Facility Design Group will then prepare the DA, incorporating community feedback. The DA will be publicly exhibited for 28 days, allowing residents to review the plans and make submissions. An independent consultant will then assess the application and provide a report to the Southern Regional Planning Panel. The Panel will hold a public meeting, offering another opportunity for community input before a final decision is made.

For more information and to view the designs, visit www.svc.nsw.gov.au/mec

Council received funding from the NSW Government and Commonwealth Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF) to build a Multipurpose Centre in Tumut which has sufficient capacity to double as an Evacuation Centre in times of emergency.