In Upper Murray there are 16 neighbourhood houses located in 12 very different communities, ranging from small rural villages to large regional cities, in the Local Government Areas of Alpine, Towong, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Indigo and Moira.

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Neighbourhood houses (also known as neighbourhood centres, community centres, community houses, learning centres and community learning centres) are increasingly recognised as playing an important role in building vibrant and resilient communities through their unique structure and community development approach.

These significant community assets are places of inclusion, providing valuable social, recreational, educational and training opportunities. They are welcoming and non-threatening, where anyone can come to meet new people, contribute to their community, get helpful information and learn new skills. They connect people through their diverse volunteering roles, and through their programs, services, information, support and community activities.

In recent years, as our communities have experienced massive disruption through natural disasters and the COVID pandemic, neighbourhood houses in the Upper Murray have really stepped up. They've found ways to keep people connected during COVID, and supported their communities through fire and flood. 

In 2022, the total income of our neighbourhood houses was over $5.5M, bringing much needed money into rural and regional communities. You will see below data from the 2022 Neighbourhood House Annual Survey that clearly shows why you might want to think about working with the neighbourhood house in your community!

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