What is this new booking system that Council is implementing?
Wyndham City is introducing a new online booking system that will make it easier to book indoor and outdoor community spaces at Council owned and managed facilities.
The system will streamline the booking process for both customers and Council staff by providing real-time availability of Council bookable indoor and outdoor spaces in one place. Users can filter the search results based on their preferences and requirements, rather than the current system of contacting community spaces individually to determine availability and pricing. Additionally, users will have a log of previous bookings which they can use to assist future bookings.
The system is being rolled out over three stages.
Stage 1 of the new online booking system went live on 2 July 2024 and included all council-managed community centres and halls, including:
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Stage 2 will go live on 15 January 2025 and will include bookings for Youth Services, open spaces, sport and recreation spaces (including pavilions), and placemaking spaces (e.g. Station Place)
The final stage of the roll-out, which will include Encore Events Centre, Wyndham Cultural Centre, Civic Centre and Civic Centre catering, is expected to go live in March 2025. Please note, real-time availability for Encore and Wyndham Cultural Centre won’t be visible on the portal - customers for these two facilities will be required to submit an enquiry form via the portal and will be contacted directly by staff.
Facilities owned by Council, but not managed by Council, will not be included in the new booking system. These venues will continue to be booked by contacting the facility directly. This includes Eagle Stadium, Chirnsides by the River, and community centres that are managed by a third party (The Grange, Iramoo, Quantin Binnah, Jamieson Way, Central Park, and Wyndham Park Community Centres).
What are the benefits of the new system?
Currently, customers have no overview of the availability of Council's bookable spaces, and booking requests are managed separately across various Council areas with no integrated systems.
An integrated booking system that enables the seamless booking of Council facilities and events is critical for our community and staff. This makes it easier for our community to book community spaces and events and means Council staff can spend less time on process and more time building relationships and connecting with the community.
This new system will provide real-time availability of all Council bookable spaces in one place, and users will be able to filter search results based on their preferences and requirements.
The implementation of an Organisational Facility Booking System strategically aligns with our Council Plan to “Deliver Public Value and Excellence”, including improving customer service and leveraging technology.
NEW HIRERS
Information for NEW regular and casual hirers
For casual bookings for NEW hirers, enquiries can be submitted via the new online booking portal. The booking system will prompt you to create a new Client Profile to submit the booking request.
For regular bookings for NEW hirers - please contact the venue directly. Council staff will assess your request and if approved will grant you access to the regular booking portal where you can submit enquiries for regular / recurring bookings.
For regular hirers with existing bookings – our Council staff will create your Client Profile and add your existing bookings. Additional information about this is below.
If you require additional information or assistance, please contact the venue directly.
EXISTING HIRERS
I’m an existing regular venue hirer. What does this mean for my regular bookings?
If you have existing bookings, our Council staff will create your Client Profile and add your existing bookings.
The new system still can apply relevant subsidies or other types of discount to your bookings.
As an existing hirer do I need to create a Client Profile?
No. In the first quarter of 2025, the Council staff that usually manage your bookings will be creating Client Profiles for all existing hirers in the new booking system, and will contact you with the login details for your Client Profile.
Once your Client Profile has been set up, you will be able to view any space hire bookings that have been made for 2025.
You will also be able to upload any information that is relevant to your booking, such as Public Liability Certificate, Certificate of Incorporation (if applicable), and other documents as required.
What if I want to make a new booking or make changes to an existing booking, prior to receiving my Client Profile login details?
If you wish to make any booking enquiries or changes prior to receiving your Client Profile login details, please contact the team who manages your booking for assistance.
How will I make changes to my regular bookings or enquire about new bookings in the future?
After you have received your Client Profile login details, you will be able to log in to submit changes to existing booking schedules or enquiries for new bookings. In your Client Profile, you will be able to view any bookings and invoices that occur from 1 January onwards.
You will also still be able to contact the team who manages your bookings directly via email, phone, or in person.
CASUAL & REGULAR HIRERS
How will I receive my room hire invoices?
For regular hirers: At the end of each month (from January 2025 onwards), room hire invoices will be available to view and pay in your Client Profile in the new booking system, and will also continue to be emailed to you. Additional and one-off bookings or changes can also be added to your monthly invoice.
For casual hirers: Prior to your booking, the room hire invoice will be available to view and pay in your Client Profile in the new booking system, and will also be emailed to you.
There are two ways to pay your invoices:
- Payment can be made directly via a link on the invoice that you receive by email. You do not need to be logged into your Client Profile to pay your invoice in this way.
- Payment can be made by logging into your Client Profile, selecting the invoice, and following the prompts to pay by credit or debit card via BPoint or BPay
Please note that we will no longer be accepting cash or cheque payments for hire of these spaces at the Civic Centre Customer Service Desk. If you require assistance with paying online, please see one of our friendly staff that manage your booking or Civic Centre.
But I’ve always paid by cash or cheque. Why can’t this be accommodated?
Currently, the Civic Centre is the only place where venue hirers can make cash or cheque payments. Our data indicates only a very small number currently use cash or cheque when booking community centre spaces.
Processing these payments requires additional staff resources to meet multiple end of day balancing requirements and has knock-on effects for other teams. Due to the very low number of people that use cash or cheque when making a booking, it is not financially viable to continue with cash or cheque payments. This is also in line with the Australian Government phasing out the use of cheques.
Where can I find additional information about how to navigate and use the new online booking system?
Information and resources about how to navigate and use the new online booking system can be found on Council’s website at www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/hire-a-space
On this page you will find instructions on topics such as:
- How to submit a booking enquiry
- How to login into the client portal to access your Client Profile
- How to reset your Client Profile password
If you require additional information or assistance, please contact Council directly on 1300 023 411.
Will other hirers or community members be able to see my booking details in the new booking system?
No. When community members / hirers are searching for space availability on the portal to submit a request, they will only be able to see if the space is ‘available’ or ‘not available’. If the space is ‘not available’ due to already being booked out, they will not be able to see any details of who has booked it. Only Council staff and the person making the booking will be able to see the booking details.