We're proposing a new way to use the beautiful, historic Westbury Town Hall. Right now, as it has been for many years, it’s mostly locked up and rarely used. We'd love to see it opened up, not just for Council meetings, but for the community as well.

In this video, Meander Valley Mayor, Wayne Johnston, explains the Council's proposal to update the Westbury Town Hall to accommodate the Council's monthly meetings. This will allow the Council to address concerns surrounding the provision of fit-for-purpose facilities for its officers to continue delivering the services you rely on.

Survey Feedback 

181 responses were received in response to Council’s community survey. All responses were provided to Councillors and Council management, along with a summary of the responses.  

Feedback on options 1 and 2

Overview of feedback to Option 1 ‘Using existing assets by opening up the Westbury Town Hall’

• Those in favour see it as cost-effective and a way to increase the Town Hall usage.
• Suggestions request maintenance of the heritage features (wooden floor, stage, foyer), keeping hire fees affordable and ensuring easy community access.
• There were some concerns expressed regarding the exact detail of potential refurbishment work, fear of permanent changes to heritage features that could not be reversed. 

Overview of feedback to Option 2 ‘Building new assets’

• This Option was favoured by those who want the Westbury Town Hall untouched.
• Was seen as future-proofing Council operations but was criticized for the higher cost of the potential project.

Other comments

Comments against renovating the Westbury Town Hall
Many respondents expressed opposition to the concept of converting the Town Hall and Supper Room to council employee offices [Note: employee offices were not proposed to be placed in the Westbury Supper Room or Westbury Town Hall], citing: 

• Heritage values, the hall is a historic community asset constructed in 1933 that should remain unchanged.
• Community ownership, the Town Hall was considered to have been built and maintained by locals; seen as belonging to the community, not council [Note: the Westbury Town Hall is owned by Meander Valley Council].
• Loss of access, there was concern that the Council use will gradually exclude community groups from being able to use the Westbury Town Hall.
   

Proposal of ‘No Change’ to the current arrangements or to produce more alternative options

A high number of comments advocate for: 

• No change at all to the current usage arrangements.
• Suggestion to establish a new volunteer Committee to govern the Westbury Town Hall and promote community use.
• Desire to exploring other options (e.g., a new purpose-built office elsewhere, refurbishing the old IGA building, further building on Council land at Valley Central industrial estate).
   

Importance of Heritage 

Strong emphasis on: 

• Preserving the historic character of the Westbury hall and Westbury Supper Room.
• Protecting features like the timber floor, foyer entry box, and stage. [Note: the timber floor has been replaced at times and is not original].
• Maintaining the hall as a venue for community events (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra concerts, flower shows, public meetings).

Concern that the Westbury Town Hall is currently underutilized 

Acknowledgment that the hall is currently underused, but reasons cited include: 

• High hire fees. [Note: the current hire fee for the Westbury Town Hall is $20.75 per hour up to $124.50 per day].
• Poor promotion by Council of the ability to hire the venue.
• Lack of upgraded facilities (e.g., contemporary kitchen, Audio Visual equipment).

Questions raised by Community Members and responses provided

Will the community be able to use the Town Hall?

Yes, we expect that an upgraded Town Hall facility will be used more often by the community for meetings and online meetings. We would also be able to accommodate community events which would require pack down of the meeting facilities such as Public Meetings. 

Why don’t you buy another property in Westbury?

This option has been discussed at Workshop however would place a large cost increase over and above the two options currently being considered by Council. 

Could Council form a new Special Committee to Govern the Town Hall?

Yes, Hall Committees can be formed as a Special Committee of Council and could occur through that legislated process.

Does having carpet in the Town Hall stop the Westbury Garden Club from being able to hold their event?

When this was asked of the Garden Club, they advised it was impractical to hold a flower show with a carpeted floor as at times their participants spill water and dirt on the floor.

Would the look of the floor in the Westbury Town Hall be changed?

If Option 1 were approved, it is very likely that the floor will have a carpet covering to improve amenity and acoustics for meetings. There have been claims that the existing timber floor is Myrtle; this is not the case as the floor has been replaced over time, and almost all the floor is hardwood (oak).

Is the Town Hall expensive to hire? 

The Westbury Town Hall can be booked at a cost of $20.75 per hour, up to a maximum $124.50 per day. Bookings can be made easily through our online booking system SpacetoCo or by phoning Council’s Offices on (03) 6393 5300. 

 

In mid-November, we invited you to share your feedback on the proposals below.

Why We’re Talking About This

Our Council is reviewing our workplace facilities, in order to continue to support our team and to ensure that our valued services to the Meander Valley community can be delivered for decades to come. To keep delivering the services you rely on, Council needs more fit-for-purpose facilities for our team and for community use with additional workspaces and a more accommodating Council Chambers. 

During 2025, we’ve been carefully exploring options to achieve this. After much consideration, we’ve narrowed these down to two practical proposals, and we want your feedback before a final decision is made. 

We would like to be clear that no decisions have been made and that we are listening to the community's thoughts. We're asking for your feedback on two options, so we can make the best decision together. 

Option 1: Using existing assets by opening up the Westbury Town Hall

We're proposing a new way to use the beautiful, historic Westbury Town Hall. Right now, as it has been for many years, it’s mostly locked up and rarely used. We'd love to see it opened up, not just for Council meetings, but for the community, too.

Under this proposal:

• The Town Hall would be refurbished to become a shared, flexible space. Council would use it as its new Council Chambers, and the community could continue to use it for a range of meetings and events. There would be no employee office space in the Hall.
• The Westbury Supper Room would be refurbished to accommodate varying uses by Council employees and the community, and
• The existing Council Chambers would be converted into office space for Council employees.

This option is estimated to take 6 months and is expected to cost around $500,000.

By having monthly Council meetings in this magnificent historical venue, we can open it to the public and breathe new life into the building, while still having it available for community use when needed. 

This option celebrates this beautiful historic building, honour its lasting legacy by opening the Town Hall’s doors to our community.

The adjoining Westbury supper room would see refurbishment and upgrades to make it a more inviting, casual meeting space for both community and Council. 

Option 2: Building new assets

Under this option:

• An old storage shed at the Council Offices would be removed and a new building would be constructed on the same site. It would provide additional office space for Council employees.
• The Westbury Town Hall would remain as it currently is.
• The Westbury Supper Room would be refurbished to accommodate varying uses by Council employees and the community.
• The existing Council Chambers would remain as they currently are.

While this approach addresses long-term space needs, it comes with a higher cost to rate payers and a longer timeline.

This option is estimated to take 18 months and is expected to cost around $1,100,000.
 

The location of the shed is situated at the back of the Council Offices. This shed would be demolished (as it no longer has the structural integrity to be retained and repurposed) and a new building constructed in its place.

The submission period is now closed. 

Submissions will be reviewed to help inform next steps. We thank everyone who has shared their thoughts with us.