The shire will keep its depot in Macarthur and continue to base a construction and maintenance manager there, but is asking for submissions about the potential closure of the office due to a lack of use by the public.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, the councillors voted unanimously in favour of getting feedback on the idea from the Macarthur community.

In his report to council, director of physical Trev Greenberger said the office was opening five days a week and employed one full time receptionist and an administrative assistant to the works department. 

However, the administrative assistant had recently resigned, he said.

“Face to face customer service at the Macarthur office is minimal,” Mr Greenberger said in his report.

The Macarthur office accounts for just three per cent of all service requests in the shire, and only 4.6 per cent of all calls come through the office.

“Consultation with a previous administrative officer that was based at the office for 23 years estimates face-to-face contact ... to be 3-6 (customers) per day,” the report said.

“Reasons for visits were generally to pick up pet registration forms, building forms and other forms that could be made available at another facility in town such as the post office. These forms are also available on the council’s website.”

It is expected some elements of the Macarthur office could be amalgamated into the Koroit office, which is in line for extension works that would create a new office area “to accommodate the manager of engineering and works, two administrative staff, the supervising engineer, technical officers and the surveyor”.

Cr Ralph Leutton said these factors meant it was an “opportune time” to review the necessity and value of the Macarthur office to its community.

“Let’s see how we go with submissions,” Cr Leutton said.

Cr Jim Doukas said it was important to stress the council was only looking at the potential closure of the customer service area and not “the workshops and everything”.

The submission process will be advertised in The Standard at a future date.