General News
8 June, 2022
Community volunteers plea for support
MEMBERS of Mortlake-based community groups have pleaded with Moyne Shire Council to provide to alternative arrangement ahead of its plans adapt the community meeting room at the Mortlake Community Centre in to a library management hub.
MEMBERS of Mortlake-based community groups have pleaded with Moyne Shire Council to provide to alternative arrangement ahead of its plans adapt the community meeting room at the Mortlake Community Centre in to a library management hub.
Mortlake Garden Club representative Dianne Robertson and Mortlake Community Development Committee (MCDC) president Kelvin Goodall spoke against the proposal during the public participation section of this week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
Ms Robertson said the Garden Club was concerned about the loss of the community meeting room as the club uses the space for its monthly meetings.
She called on the shire to support local community groups in finding a suitable alternative location for its meetings if the community meeting room would no longerbe available.
“What we would like is an alternative room for us to hold our meetings with easy access, toilets, heating and cooling, table and chairs for a U-shaped formation, tables to allow us to display our plants and competitions, tea making facilities and a TV with DVD outlets for during the winter,” she said.
“We have quite a few elderly people, which we would like easy access for.”
Ms Robertson said the club played a healthy role in supporting the Mortlake community.
“We do a lot of maintenance in the rose garden, we water the roses in the summer and deadhead them, and we maintain the name plaques and all the trees at our cost,” she said.
“We make stage themes throughout the Mortlake community, we donate trophies to rose shows, we also plant and donate trees for the local schools."
“We’ve designed atriums at Aberlea, we’ve participated in all the Christmas parades that have been here and we do window displays for community events.”
Cr Karen Foster asked Ms Robertson if the library itself would be a suitable location for the club to meet if audio visual equipment was made available.
“During COVID we were not allowed in the (community meeting room) and we did have one meeting inside the library window, but it wasn’t very successful,” Ms Robertson said.
“There was no seating for our group, there was high tables and chairs our members can’t climb up on and we were aware the library was open to the public, so we had to keep our meeting very quiet.”
Ms Robertson said the Mortlake Garden Club currently has 17 financial members, which had declined with the onset of the pandemic as members protected their health.
Cr Jim Doukas asked Ms Robertson if the group would be happy to meet in the library if council could accommodate the needs of the club, which she confirmed.
“That would make it easier for others to meet there as well, as long as we could provide all the necessary requirements,” he said.
MCDC president Kelvin Goodall also spoke before council.
He said the MCDC has around 18 members with a committee of nine people, who used the meeting room space at a minimum of onceper month.
“MCDC has canvassed the community for their opinion, and there is considerable support within the Mortlake community for the (community meeting room) to be retained as a community facility,” he said.
Mr Goodall said the MCDC has since sought legal advice regarding the termination of the current lease agreement, which allows for use and bookings of the room, and said the preliminary advice had been “encouraging”.
He also raised concerns surrounding the shire’s lack of consultation process when making the decision to establish the management hub.
“MCDC is appalled by the way the consultation was handled by the shire,” Mr Goodall said.
“The MCDC has acted in good faith representing the community, however the actions of the council and administration has damaged trust the community has in the council, and has sullied its reputation as an honest broker."
“Mortlake has lost much during the last two years, with businesses closing, and proposed changes to the community centre comes as a blow to the people of Mortlake who believe the council was at their back.”
Cr Damian Gleeson questioned if there were other facilities community groups could use for meetings.
“There are no other facilities in Mortlake,” Mr Goodall said.
“That’s why this was built, as it was in the beginning, because there were no other facilities like that in Mortlake or even in the district.
“It was purpose built as a community meeting and activities room.”