HEPBURN Shire Council has assured Creswick residents their council office won't be closed.

The council wants to build a new $5 million office to bring all of its services under one roof in 2009/2010.

But ratepayers, particularly from Creswick, have contacted The Advocate concerned with the plan.

Chief executive Victor Szwed said a decision was yet to be made on where the office would be built.

"If the office is to be located in either Daylesford or Creswick then it is expected that a service centre would be maintained in the other town," Mr Szwed said.

"It is also intended to maintain the agency facilities in Clunes and Trentham," he said.

Mayor David Smith said the council was a 21st century organisation trying to operate out of a 19th century town hall.

He said continued use of the town hall as head office would require major works and costs including building a lift to meet disability access criteria.

"If the new office proceeds council intends that it will be designed to reduce running costs, energy useage and water useage through careful environmental and solar design," Cr Smith said.

Mr Szwed said if the plan went ahead, Daylesford Town Hall could be available for wider community use and the library possibly brought back to the town hall.

"Any other building that might become surplus could be considered for sale to help off-set the costs of building a new office," he said.

If the plan goes ahead local government rates would increase significantly during the building process.

Creswick's Earl Ingleby, who said he worked with computers every day, believed council should prioritise keeping its current buildings open.

"In this day and age, anyone can use technology to operate out of separate offices," Mr Ingleby said.

"The days when organisations erect buildings just for the glory are over. We don't need the project."

Daylesford's Bill Longley said he was opposed to the plan.

"There is no need to spend that amount of money on a controversial project," he said.

"The money needs to be spent on smaller infrastructure like roads and swimming pools because they benefit the ratepayers."