Golden Plains businesses to receive free access to shire's first co-working space

The new digital hub at The Well in Smythesdale is scheduled to open in the middle of the year and will be free to Golden Plains Shire businesses and residents for the first 12 months of its operation.

The new hub, which will be constructed in one of the existing meeting rooms, is targeted towards home businesses, those still working from home, and employees with long commutes.

Even larger businesses have been able to use the existing facilities at The Well to their advantage, with the new digital hub potentially opening up those possibilities further.

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While Minitube Australia, the Smythesdale-based arm of a German international agricultural company, has an office space for 10 employees, it has often used the facilities at The Well to host meetings, seminars and training with employees and clients from overseas and interstate.

Office and customer service manager Terri Pryse-Smith said the new space had the potential to bring Smythesdale's business community together.

"There'll be a lot of people in home offices who need to get out of their home office and have some space and I think it's an opportunity for small business people to network, swap ideas and get the mentorship through The Well, especially when kids are home like during COVID," she said.

"You can't run a business nowadays if you don't have fast internet - good speeds - and good communication.

"I think there are just a lot of opportunities out there and people also are moving out of Ballarat so a lot of tree changers, people coming from Melbourne, they're starting up businesses, even if you have a home business, you might still need an office to do some of your office work."

As part of the final stages of planning, Golden Plains Shire Council is asking businesses for feedback to ensure the fit-out matches the needs of the community with options including private office spaces, group meeting spaces and soundproof booths for Zoom meetings and confidential phone calls.

Golden Plains Shire Mayor Helena Kirby said the new digital hub would be a modern and accessible co-working space for local people who work in the shire and local businesses who need an extra helping hand as they work hard to recover and rebuild following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Well is the perfect place to bring people together, with digital upgrades and new technology that will make the shire's first co-working space a great success," she said.

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