Public Art Project – Expression of Interest (EOI) Churchill Monash Way Underpass Mural

Overview Latrobe City Council is seeking an experienced outdoor mural artist to reimagine an existing design and colour palette and deliver a painted mural on the surfaces of the Churchill Monash Way underpass tunnel and the side abutment walls. About Latrobe City is located approximately 150km east of Melbourne and is one of Victoria's major regional centres. The region comprises four central towns, Churchill, Moe/Newborough, Morwell and Traralgon, along with smaller rural townships including Boolarra, Glengarry, Toongabbie, Tyers, Traralgon South, Yallourn North and Yinnar. The area is less than two hours' drive from Melbourne Airport along the Princes Freeway (M1) and around an hour and a half from central Melbourne, with V/Line running hourly rail services between Melbourne and Traralgon. Latrobe City has traditionally been recognised as the centre of Victoria's electricity industry, derived from one of the largest brown coal reserves in the world, and is also at the centre of a large forestry industry servicing Australian Paper's pulp and paper mill and other sawmills. Other industries in the area include food processing (Lion, Morwell), engineering, post-secondary education with Federation University Australia, and the service sector. As the largest population centre in the Gippsland region, Latrobe City acts as the regional headquarters for government agencies and private operators including banks and insurance companies. Scope The scope includes: Delivery of a painted mural on the surfaces of the Churchill Monash Way underpass tunnel and the side abutment walls, reimagining an existing design and colour palette Preparation of the base coating of the structure prior to installation Facilitation of a community painting day Installation of anti-graffiti coating following completion of the mural Contractor Requirements Applications will be assessed against the following criteria: Residency within the Latrobe City municipal boundary: 5 points Residency outside Latrobe City but within the Gippsland region: 4 points Proven ability to deliver public art projects: 1 to 5 points Artistic standard of the work: 1 to 5 points How well the work addresses the design brief: 1 to 5 points Innovation and creativity of the work: 1 to 5 points Ability to deliver the project on time and within budget: 1 to 5 points Appropriateness of the proposed concept: 1 to 5 points The potential total score is 45 points. Contract Terms and Conditions Project budget total: $50,000 (exclusive of GST), inclusive of all deliverables and associated costs Shortlist concept design fee: $1,320 concept design fee plus $180 superannuation per artist or artist team (up to two artists or artist teams will be shortlisted) Artist fee (inclusive of project budget): $25,000 artist fee plus $3,000 superannuation, not inclusive of materials and in line with NAVA rates Paint and materials: $15,000 Contingency inclusive of 12 months maintenance fee: $4,000, paid to the artist as a contingency for the first 12 months of the work Instructions to Respondents The commission will proceed via a staged process: Stage 1, Expression of Interest: Respond to this EOI via email. Due date Tuesday, 20 October 2026. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by Friday, 6 November. Stage 2, Concept Design Development: Up to two artists or artist teams will be shortlisted and invited to develop a concept design proposal, each receiving a concept design development fee. Shortlisted artists must complete and send in their concept designs via email by Tuesday, 17 November 2026. Applicants will be notified by Friday, 27 November 2026. Stage 3, Contract: Once the final design is selected, Council will work with the selected artist to finalise the design and project delivery plan. Contract signing is due by 8 December 2026. The signed contract will outline the expected date for work to start. Stage 4, Installation and Project Completion: Delivery of the mural, including preparation of the base coating prior to installation, facilitation of a community painting day, and installation of anti-graffiti coating after installation. This is due in early 2027, with the final work completed and handed over to Council. No fees will be paid for the submission of an EOI. EOI submissions must be a PDF file lodged via email to BuildingProjects@latrobe.vic.gov.au. No late submissions will be accepted. Further information and available documentation relating to this opportunity can be found at: Public Art Project – Expression of Interest (EOI)