Council deferred decision on Gumeracha Op Shop
The Gumeracha Opportunity Shop is owned and operated by Adelaide Hills Council and has served the local community for many years with the support of dedicated volunteers.
A recent service review has identified several strategic, operational, and financial challenges in operating the service and as a result, the administration prepared a report for Council’s consideration at the 26 August Council meeting.
The service review considered factors such as the presence of other opportunity shops in the region, the cost of providing the service, and the need for increased staff resources to manage essential tasks of running the service including rostering, banking, procedures, site maintenance and safety, and support of volunteers. A core consideration was how best to allocate Council resources to deliver maximum community benefit.
The report provided a number of options for Council consideration including ceasing the service, continuing the service and increasing resourcing. At the meeting a decision on the report was deferred and Council resolved to engage with volunteers and key stakeholders and report back to Council in late October 2025.
In addition, the report acknowledged and sincerely thanked the volunteers and broader community for their valuable contribution to the Op Shop over many years.
The administration will commence stakeholder engagement in the coming weeks.
Acting Mayor Nathan Daniell said service reviews play an important role in ensuring Council activities are aligned with the priorities in our guiding document, Council’s Strategic Plan 2024 Your Place Your Space, and make the best use of council resources.
Our Strategic Plan includes a commitment to delivering effective and efficient services that meet the current and future needs of our community.
In addition to this, we recognise the human face of the service and we acknowledge the dedicated group of volunteers who have been at the heart of the Gumeracha Op Shop for so many years.