The $1.9 million Wellington Reserve Community Centre on Mackie Road will house Mulgrave Neighbourhood House, the Mulgrave Girl Guides and 3rd Scout Group, replacing an undersized Mulgrave Community Centre.

The new centre, designed by Williams Ross Architects, combines a spacious hall, classrooms and state-of-the-art computer lab, child-care centre and internet cafe.

The building has energy- and water-saving features, including natural ventilation and rainwater tanks.

Mulgrave Neighbourhood House chief executive Margaret Harris said better aspects of the house included the fact of vacancies at the 16-place occasional child-care centre, despite a huge demand for child care. Another boon was the disabled change facilities, a sophisticated set-up including a hoist, shower, change table and toilet.

"We want to encourage more people with disabilities to come in,'' Ms Harris said.

"Particularly when there's a bus going out on a trip and someone's had an accident; they know the facility is here.''

She said the centre was the best thing to happen to Mulgrave. "We've never had anything like this before.''

For her, "the icing on the cake'' was a donation of 19 new computers by Mulgrave-based corporate supporter NEC. For the past five years, NEC had provided the Neighbourhood House with upgraded computers.

NEC executive adviser Brendan McManus said the computers were equipped for "the higher end of multimedia''.

"Many of our employees live here locally and the benefits flow to their families and children.''

For the Guides and Scouts, who had their old halls bulldozed to make way for the centre, the end result is worth it.

Scouts Victoria Monash district president Alf Gibson said there was little wrong with the old halls but there was a push to create something better for Mulgrave.

"It's brought the Scouts and Guides closer together.''

The centre, opened by mayor Paul Klisaris and Mulgrave MP Daniel Andrews, was funded by Monash Council and a $400,000 grant from the State Government's community support fund.