(Pics by Jenny and Deb)
A Vision For The Future
With a Pathway To Success
UPDATE: For the last two months we have been collecting information to find out what you want from a community hub, or, as one person put it, a ‘not-for-profit resource node.’ Thank you to everyone who completed the survey or participated in interviews.
Now we will spend time analysing the information and preparing a report on the results. We aim for completion by the end of July. Keep an eye on site for any info drops or possible future meetings.
For example, when asked to select the three biggest challenges that your group faces, first selection was finding and managing volunteers, followed closely by promoting your group to the broader community, while finding funding and managing administration are tied at third.
Then there was the question where you were given ten options and asked to rank the top five functions you want a hub to provide. We can tell you the clear first preference is an online calendar and booking form, followed by a not-for-profits advocacy voice to council and government.
Those are clear results. Other responses are more complex and will take a bit of time to work through. Then there are developing recommendations for the way forward. Watch this space for updates.
Phillip Walker
Project Coordinator
21 July 2026
Welcome to Goldfields Connect. This site was developed to collaboratively explore the community’s interest in creating a community hub for Maryborough and surrounds.
Why a Community Roadmap? The Maryborough and Surrounds Community Roadmap was created by FRRR alongside representatives of not-for-profit (NFP) organisations, community groups, and other key stakeholders connected to the Maryborough region’s active NFP sector. Following a series of workshops the principles, vision, and goals were developed at a Community Roadmap Workshop in May 2025 . The vision for "A Community Hub [to] support shared local activities and services" arose from the roadmap process. You can find the Roadmap and the Hub Feasibility Study proposal in the Our Story section, https://www.goldfieldsconnect.net/blank.
That’s why our first step is a Feasibility Study—and we need your voice to guide it.
What is this feasibility study and when is it happening? The study has the dual goal of determining and assessing what services already exist and where improvements could be made. Alongside this information gathering, the feasibility study aims to garner an understanding of the expectations and requirements of the local Not-For-Profit community from a Community Hub/Centre. The result will be evidence-based data to guide the next steps in the process of identifying what a Community Hub/Centre will look like in Maryborough and how it will work and what that could be. The feasibility study is due to be finalised in August 2026.