Civic Centre Accessibility Improvements Design

⁠⁠⁠Warrnambool City Council (Council) is seeking quotations for the preparation of a design package to enable construction of accessibility improvements at the Warrnambool Civic Centre – 25 Liebig St Warrnambool.

The Civic Centre building was constructed in 1975 and incorporated the Council chambers, library, various public meeting rooms, staff accommodation and amenities.

Over the past 50 years there have been numerous layout changes to the building to accommodate an increase in staff numbers and patronage. Most recently the library was moved off site leaving a large vacant space at the east end of the building.

A consultant was engaged in 2023 to prepare a Warrnambool Office Accommodation Strategy (The Strategy). The completed strategy outlined three options to accommodate the requirements provided in the brief within the Civic Centre.

CSE Group Consulting Engineers were engaged in mid 2025 to review structural changes required to accommodate the design layout presented in The Strategy. The structural changes reviewed were the demolition and reconstruction of two upper floors within the eastern three-storey section (formerly occupied by the Warrnambool Library), and the addition of a new lift near the central stairwell. The review found that the alterations required for the demolition of the floors and the lift in the proposed location would be structurally impractical and likely cost prohibitive.

CSE Group were engaged again in 2026 to review the structural implications of a new lift location. This review found that the new location within the existing reception area was a structurally viable option.

Council is now looking for a suitably qualified consultant to develop a design package for selected items outlined in The Strategy. This includes new toilet/shower facilities, lunch room and breakout area on the ground floor of the Civic Centre and a lift to provide DDA compliant access from the ground floor level to the first floor level.