Huon Valley Council is making it easier than ever for community groups to use their local hall, with a new Community Activation Rate taking effect from 1 July 2026 – offering free hire to groups running activities that provide wider community value and enable neighbourhood activations.
Mayor Sally Doyle said the change was about backing the kind of grassroots activities that make the Huon Valley a great place to live.
“When people come together in their local hall – to connect, to share knowledge, to work on something that matters to them – that’s where community connection and resilience is built. We want to make it as easy as possible for that to happen.”
Whether it’s a neighbourhood welcome morning, a free skill-sharing workshop, or an emergency preparedness session, activities that bring people together and are genuinely open to anyone in the community may now be able to access Council’s 15 halls at no cost.
Eligibility is assessed on the activity rather than the organisation. Bookings need to be free and open to the public, actively promoted, locally focused, and non-commercial or political in nature. Existing hall users have been advised of the change and new hirers can apply when booking a hall through Council’s SpacetoCo. A Community Activation Program information sheet is available on Council’s website to help event organisers understand whether they qualify.
A three-month transitional arrangement is in place for existing regular hirers, Council reserves its right to determine the suitability of the bookings, and the framework will be formally reviewed after 12 months.
For more information, including the Community Activation Program information sheet, visit Council’s website: www.huonvalley.tas.gov.au/community/halls-and-venues/
To make a booking, visit www.spacetoco.com/org/huon-valley-council/venues or call Council on 03 6264 0300.