By MELISSA MEEHAN
IT’S been a long time coming.
Work on the new Olinda Reserve Community Facility is about to start – and will provide a community hub to the township as well as facilities for local sporting clubs.
It’s a project that was envisioned many years ago after a quarter of a million dollars was made available to the Hilltop Recreation Association by the Dandenong Ranges Community Bank Group.
Community bank president Peter said the bank had set aside $1 million for a major project but couldn’t gain the permits needed so it decided to split the money between four major projects in the area.
“We had a meeting at Olinda, Belgrave, Upwey and Emerald,” he said.
“And this project was overwhelmingly the most popular one to come out of the meeting in Olinda.”
President of the Hilltop Recreation Association Stephen Scott said demolition of the current building would start early this week.
“We’re really excited about it, the sporting clubs here have outgrown the facilities many years ago and the opportunity to provide a space which will be available to the whole community is something we are very excited about,” he said.
Olinda resident John Faull said that the current building was built more than 60 years ago by volunteers and it was sad to see an old building in town go but he said the new building was exactly what the town needed.
The new building is expected to be completed by the middle of August.
Sporting clubs are currently using the old golf course change rooms while the works are continuing.
