Old Beaufort Primary School 60 Committee member Murray Walker said there had been a swell of support for the petition and a real need for a community precinct.

"The community's future as Beaufort grows, the need for such a facility will only increase, not diminish," he said.

"In these small communities there's a lot of loneliness, alienation and so on, we want to make it a place where people can come down even if they're not in a program - a nice lounge room where they have a cake and a coffee or a chat."

In addition $3.5 million in funding to update and develop the buildings for use, the petition requested ownership of the school oval and green areas be transferred to Pyrenees Shire Council, and buildings be gifted to the community for use overseen by the council.

Mr Walker said the hub could be a central meeting place for anyone within the community who needed it.

"We'd be running programs whether it be yoga, welding for young people, whatever for the young to the old," he said.

"It's natural to me, why wouldn't you want the site to continue what it has always done, which is to educate and to share knowledge."

The main tenant would be Neighbourhood House, with the Beaufort Municipal Band and local photographic club among other groups expressing interest in calling the refurbished space home.

The school was constructed in 1869 and last occupied by Beaufort Primary School in 2014.

Since then, the site has been the subject of vandalism and has fallen into disrepair.

Petitioner Philippa Hedges said it was sad to see, but surface damage would be easy to repair and bring the site back to life.

"That's why we've got this huge push now, because it can't go on deteriorating, our community won't accept that - because then it will get to the point of no return," she said.

Three buildings and the memorial gateway at the historic site were awarded heritage overlay protection last year in a major win to preserve the site for future community use.

Heritage protection was further ensured in the November rezoning of the site to a 'General Residential Zone - Schedule 1'.

Ms Hedges said the legacy of the place extends beyond the heritage facade.

"What we have is really a vision for the future. I mean, it's a vision for now, but that's the thing that's really exciting, it's for the community of both," she said.

"If we are able to invest money in the site now, then that is a legacy that we can leave for future generations and the children of Beaufort today."

The site is also the subject of a native title claim between the state government and the Eastern Aboriginal Maar Corporation.

A Victorian Government spokesperson said they are in talks with Pyrenees Shire Council.

"We're in positive discussions with the local council on the future use of this site", the spokesperson said.

The petition has been sponsored by member for Ripon Louise Staley, and has amassed about 500 signatures across online and paper so far, including federal trade and tourism minister Dan Tehan.

Ms Hedges said she was confident that the petition would achieve bi-partisan support.

"There's so much buzz around it and everyone wants it," she said.

"That in itself is what's going to drive it - without that community support the political side of things wouldn't fall into place."

The Former Beaufort Primary School site petition will close on March 4, 2022.

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.