May 8, 2019

Letter to the Editor - It Could Have Been Better


Council received a deputation from Coleraine seeking action on preventing the over trimming of Whyte St trees by Powercor contractors. Making the affected area a Declared Zone with Southern Grampians Shire council in charge of and funding the pruning was one immediate action, but the main ask was for Council to place the power lines underground.
 
I look forward to seeing a current costing of both options for consideration in the next budget and if any other Southern Grampians communities want similar steps taken. 
 
Letter to Editor. 
 
Spec May 8th 2019
 
It could have been better
 
Council received a deputation from Coleraine seeking action on preventing the over trimming of Whyte St trees by Powercor contractors. Making the affected area a Declared Zone with Southern Grampians Shire council in charge of and funding the pruning was one immediate action, but the main ask was for Council to place the power lines underground.
 
I look forward to seeing a current costing of both options for consideration in the next budget and if any other Southern Grampians communities want similar steps taken. Investigating including a median strip planting in the wide open Whyte St to add to trees into the Coleraine Streetscape seemed to have little support from deputation members.
 
Adopting the Recreation and Leisure Strategy and Masterplans for Lake Hamilton and Pedrina Park was a major agenda item.  My attempt by amendment to send the Pedrina Park Masterplan back out for community and user group consultation was not supported.  I could not vote in favour of adopting the recommendations and plans in their current form as the officers' recommendation, which became the councillors motion, was to in, code all four points as one motion including a major inaccuracy.
 
The 'Freudian Slip" included in part four of the adopted motion to "disband the Pedrina Park Working Group (when the description, name and intent of the working group established by my successful motion in November 2017 was a Pedrina Park Hockey Clubroom Working Group ....to develop plans and implement the 2017/18 budget commitment of $ 100,000 for a Pedrina Park Hockey Pavilion (matching the $100,000 funding from Glenelg Regional Hockey Association).
 
One outcome of this group was this 1.3 million dollar proposed pavilion alongside soccer, so it did live up to its new name as the priority was never a pitch side hockey pavilion.
 
The second outcome of that working group was the erection of a shelter shed, now listed as an impediment to placing the Hockey Clubroom in the ideal viewing location alongside the centreline of the synthetic hockey field.  Go figure.
 
Placing a very expensive State of the Art synthetic field for all sports including athletics way out the back away from current power, sewerage, roads, parking and existing infrastructure does seem like a very expensive and impractical option, even if there is such a synthetic surface that so many sports can be played safely on.
 
If such technology exists then you would think a more central accessible location would be more appropriate. The proposed Pavilion on the top east side of the existing soccer field is still in the plan, but with the hockey facilities now worked into an extension of the Netball Ansetts building,  club contribution for this northern pavilion will depend on other funding partners. I can only hope the design is less compromised and more optimal for all co users and reflects the budget and needs of those sports at the time.
 
Whilst the location and type of development of this third football and second soccer multipurpose synthetic field may change, listing it as the second hockey pitch puts the brakes on the preferred site for a second hockey pitch adjacent to the first hockey field, whether it be grass or synthetic.
 
From the feedback I heard at the presentation of this Masterplan to the user groups on April 29th, cricket don't want to lose their third grass field to a synthetic surface and hockey wanted their second field grass or synthetic filed to be close to the current field, There is still room for another hockey field running north from the synthetic filed which was part of the previous Strategic plan, but not to draw it into this new Masterplan is of concern and another reason I did not support this Masterplan.
 
The best part of the Pedrina Park Masterplan was the realignment and high priority of at least six new netball courts. Essential to the continued functioning of netball at Pedrina Park and one can only hope they are as good as the new flood recovery funded Coleraine netball courts.
 
Whilst there are many excellent components and useful information in these reports, there are improvements to be made. The extension of the Park Run track  ( now underway) and the building of a dog park at Lake Hamilton are good. Both fully funded by council. it appears we can move quickly on some projects, even prior to the adoption of the strategic plans that drive them but hold up other community driven projects.
 
It is what it is, but it could have been better.
 
Finally I supported the councillor motion to provide a report into provision of RV friendly facilities across the Shire. I look forward to the community involvement in this investigation.
 
Cr Katrina Rainsford
Letter to Editor.  Spec May 8th 2019

It could have been better

Council received a deputation from Coleraine seeking action on preventing the over trimming of Whyte St trees by Powercor contractors. Making the affected area a Declared Zone with Southern Grampians Shire council in charge of and funding the pruning was one immediate action, but the main ask was  for Council to place the power lines underground.
I look forward to seeing a current costing of both options for consideration in the next budget and if any other Southern Grampians communities want similar steps taken. Investigating including a median strip planting in the wide open Whyte St to add to trees into the Coleraine Streetscape  seemed to have little support from deputation members.

Adopting the Recreation and Leisure Strategy and Masterplans  for Lake Hamilton and Pedrina Park was a major agenda item. My attempt by amendment to send the Pedrina Park Masterplan back out for community and user group consultation was not supported.  I could not vote in favour of adopting the recommendations and plans in their current form as the officers recommendation,which became the councillors motion, was to in,code all four points as one motion including a major inaccuracy.

The 'Freudian Slip" included in part four of the adopted motion to  "disband the Pedrina Park Working Group ( when the description, name and intent of the working group established by my successful motion in November 2017 was a Pedrina Park Hockey Clubroom Working Grouo ....to develop plans and implement the 2017/18 budget commitment of $ 100,000 for a Pedrina Park Hockey Pavilion. ( matching the $100,000 funding from Glenelg Regional Hockey Association).

One outcome of this group was this 1.3 million dollar proposed pavilion alongside soccer,so it did live up to its new name as the priority was never a pitch side hockey pavilion.

The second outcome of that working group was the erection of a shelter shed, now listed as an impediment to placing the Hockey Clubroom in the ideal viewing location alongside the centreline of the synthetic hockey field. Go figure.

Placing a very expensive State of the Art synthetic field for all sports including athletics way out the back away from current power, sewerage, roads, parking and existing infrastructure does seem like a very expensive and impractical option, even if there is such a synthetic surface that so many sports can be played safely on.

If such technology exists then you would think a more central accessible location would be more appropriate. The proposed Pavilion on the top east side of the existing soccer field is still in the plan, but with the hockey facilities now worked into an extension of the Netball Ansetts building ,  club contribution for this northern pavilion will depend on other funding partners. I can only hope the design is less compromised and more optimal for all co users and reflects the budget and needs of those sports at the time.

Whilst the location and type of development of this third football and second soccer multipurpose synthetic field may change, listing it as the second hockey pitch puts the brakes on the preferred site for a second hockey pitch adjacent to the first hockey field, wether it be grass or synthetic.

From the feedback I heard at the presentation of this Masterplan to the user groups on April 29th, cricket don't want to lose their third grass field to a synthetic surface and hockey wanted their second field grass or synthetic filed to be close to the current field, There is still room for another hockey field running north from the synthetic filed which was part of the previous Strategic plan, but not to draw it into this new Masterplan is of concern and another reason I did not support this Masterplan.

The best part of the Pedrina Park Masterplan was the realignment and high priority of at least six new netball courts. Essential to the continued functioning of netball at Pedrina Park and one can only hope they are as good as the new flood recovery funded Coleraine netball courts.

Whilst there are many excellent components and useful information in these reports, there are improvements to be made. The extension of the Park Run track  ( now underway) and the building of a dog park at Lake Hamilton are good. Both fully funded by council. it appears we can move quickly on some projects, even prior to the adoption of the strategic plans that drive them but hold up other community driven projects.

It is what it is, but it could have been better.

Finally I supported the councillor motion to provide a report into provision of RV friendly facilities across the Shire. I look forward to the community involvement in this investigation.

Cr Katrina Rainsford