Having a central place for community to gather was a vision and goal that Balcon Group shared in the initial development plan back in 2018. Balcon Group recognised that a Community Place was a necessity within a new community and were committed to delivering a state-of-the-art community facility as soon as possible within the Orana timeline.

They wanted to create a ‘home’ that would be available for the founding residents in this masterplanned development, a welcoming, warm place where people could meet, learn, discover, relax, laugh, share and create meaningful connections – the key ingredients for a healthy thriving neighbourhood.

The Community Place will also be home to the first café at Orana – Humble Merchant – set to open within the next 2 weeks.

Thoughtfully designed with Beachwood Homes

The Community Place was thoughtfully designed through the collaborative efforts of Balcon Group and Beachwood Homes, a reliable and reputable builder that Balcon approached to undertake the task of bringing their vision to life in 2019.

From the outside, the Community Place looks like a residential home, with a modern, interesting roofline. The architectural design of the roof signifies an open book, representing a place where the Orana community could gather to learn; about themselves, one another, and the wider community.

It took over 26 months and countless meetings before the design was finalised and Beachwood Homes could get to work! Balcon Group’s Director spent many hours involved in the design process with the Beachwood Homes team, ironing out the finer details and selecting the fixtures and fittings from taps to tiles to stunning bench tops, ensuring the Community Place exceeded expectations and was completed to the highest standard for the Orana community to enjoy and feel at home. The final design for the building was signed off in November 2021.

To learn more about Beachwood Homes, their build designs and current promotions visit their website.

A collaborative partnership

The Community Place has been leased to The City of Casey on a no-cost arrangement until the the permanent Orana Community facility is built. The future Community Place will be located in the north of the development and will be a bigger space – reflective of Orana’s growth and scale within the community at that time.

The purpose of this arrangement is for the local council to support our evolving community through their experience and knowledge of working within and engaging new communities.

The City of Casey’s approach is very intimately community-led, by which they seek the input and ideas that are generated from within the community to inform the shape of its future. They are eager to hear from and meet community members who wish to have a say, lead groups, introduce programmes, initiatives and more…They are a welcoming team who are looking forward to getting to know the people of Orana personally. 

Photo; Rachael Persico, Gillian Coyle, Rachel Herbert and Sasha West
 
If you wish to connect with the team: ocp@casey.vic.gov.au
Or by phone: 03 9709 9615

In the next few weeks the City of Casey team will be announcing the opening launch event for the Orana Community Place – watch this space!

The doors of the Orana Community Place are now open for you to pop in, take a tour of the house and meet with the friendly City of Casey team.
They are based at Orana from Monday – Wednesday from 9am – 4pm.
 
Drop in, have a chat and start to make the Community Place feel like home!

Early Learning Centre

The Early Learning Centre (ELC), located to the left of the Orana Community Place, is now operational and running a programme for 4 years old kinder. Next year, the facility will offer 3 and 4-year old kindergarten programmes from the start of Term 1 2024 for the young families of Orana who enrol.

The programmes are run by Kids First; an independent child and family services provider and early education specialist who have partnered with The City of Casey to manage the Orana Kindergarten.
 
For more information or to register your interest in a place for your child, visit Kids First.

Balcon Group are as committed to their vision today as they were back in 2018 and eager to hear what matters most to our residents today, welcoming their feedback and input as we continue to build and grow.

If you have ideas about how you’d like to see the Orana Community Place utilised – pop them in the ideas box here!

Your Community Manager

And remember, Charlotte is on hand to assist and support all of our residents in making Orana home.

Contact Charlotte at: oranacommunity@balcon.net.au

Don’t forget to join our Facebook community page; exclusive for Orana residents and purchasers to share ideas with your neighbours and keep up to date on all the latest news, events and happenings!