Council & Politics
27 September, 2026
Setting the stage for the future
THE Stawell Entertainment Centre has been serving the community for more than 30 years – and parts of it are beginning to show their age. But there are encouraging signs the well-used venue’s future is being taken seriously, with Northern Grampians Shire Council working to determine what it will need for its next chapter.
Council has acknowledged some of the centre’s internal facilities and theatre infrastructure are reaching the end of their working life and may be limiting its usability in some cases.
Heating and cooling systems, stage rigging, lighting and audio equipment are among the areas requiring significant maintenance and annual assessment to ensure they remain in safe working order.
The building itself, however, remains in good structural condition for its age, with capital works to the structure not part of the current review.
Instead, council is asking the community what works, what does not and how the centre could be improved and used more extensively in the years ahead.
Northern Grampians Shire mayor Karen Hyslop said the process followed feedback received while council developed its 2025-29 Council Plan.
“There is a specific task in the plan that requires council to develop a future-state operational plan for Stawell Entertainment Centre and work with user groups to implement improvements,” she said.
“The feedback we received through the council plan process helped validate the need to complete a more extensive review of the facility and the type of equipment we have available.”
Whatever its age, there is little indication Stawell has outgrown the need for the centre.
Figures provided to The Stawell Times-News show it recorded 369 individual bookings during the past 12 months from 57 different users – including 44 community groups.
The venue has hosted cultural and community events, school presentations and concerts, workshops, seniors programs, committee meetings and private celebrations.
Cr Hyslop described it as a “vital community venue” for Stawell and surrounding communities.
The review could ultimately provide the groundwork for future investment in the centre, although there remains a considerable distance between identifying what is needed and delivering it.
Council has not allocated funding or developed a preliminary cost estimate for improvements.
Cr Hyslop said community feedback would be considered alongside maintenance records and council’s 2025-35 Asset Plan to identify possible improvement pathways.
She said the findings would help determine where council focused its “immediate attention, potential funding decisions and future advocacy efforts”.
Any recommendations requiring money would first need to be considered through council’s annual budget process, while State or Federal Government assistance could ultimately be sought if external funding was required.
Cr Hyslop also acknowledged future spending would have to compete against other projects across the municipality and be considered in the context of council’s “restricted financial position”.
For now, council wants to hear from the people who use the centre – and those who might use it more if the venue offered something different.
The community survey is open until 5pm on Wednesday, September 30, with feedback to help shape council’s long-term plan for the facility and the services and equipment available.
Residents can take part online by visiting the Northern Grampians Shire Council website and following the “Have Your Say – Stawell Entertainment Centre Future Planning Project” link to complete the survey.
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