Council seeks partnership for Neighbourhood Collaboration Hub

Parramatta City Council has called for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to identify opportunities to establish a ‘Neighbourhood Collaboration Hub’ in Epping, Granville or Westmead Town Centres.

The Collaboration Hub would provide residents with a suburb-based point of contact with Council where they can engage with staff on issues affecting their local area, lodge a service request, pay rates, or access Council’s website and development portals.

“This is about bringing Council to the community and making it easier and more convenient for residents to interact with us. We are looking for a unique approach to a community hub by creating a retail-style ‘shop front’, such a coffee shop, located close to town centres,” Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Paul Garrard said.  

“With 2016 being the ‘Year of Our Community’ Council is committed to finding new ways to engage with residents and make doing business with us more efficient.”

Social enterprises, for-profit and not-for-profit groups are being encouraged to submit an EOI for the project, which could involve Council occupying a small area of an existing shop or Council providing shop-front space for a hub, which would be activated by a partner. 

“An essential component of the hub will be the integration of technology including free Wi-Fi and a digital kiosk, which aligns with Council’s Smart City objectives. We’re interested in discovering innovative approaches to community hubs and ‘smart’ technological initiatives,” Cr Garrard said.