Monbulk’s Community Centre was reduced to rubble last week after the Shire of Yarra Ranges was given the green light to go ahead with its demolition. 29158
By Tania Martin
CONSTRUCTION on Monbulk’s long-awaited $6 million community hub is set to start after appeals to the Supreme Court and VCAT were thrown out.
Just days after the latest appeal was thrown out, demolition of the old community centre on the corner of Moores and Monbulk roads began.
All that’s left of the former centre is a pile of rubble.
Council spokesman James Martin said litigation for the project had cost the shire more than $40,000.
He said although the demolition had already started, another injunction had been lodged with the Supreme Court to appeal the judge’s previous decision.
On 20 March an injunction to stop the demolition was thrown out of the Supreme Court and a further VCAT action was dismissed on 27 March.
In both cases the court ruled in favour of the shire.
The council unanimously approved the application for the hub project last September after receiving just three objections.
Plans for the one-stop-shop community hub were first born more than 30 years ago, but it wasn’t until recently that the dream started to become a reality.
In 2003, Monbulk Primary School received $200,000 from the State Government for a library, but decided the cash would be better spent on a community centre.
The school, local community groups and the shire then joined together to develop a plan for a hub.
The project has also received support from both State and Federal governments worth more than $3 million.
The long-awaited project is expected to start a revolution in ‘hubs’ across the state. It’s the first of its kind for the shire, bringing together services for young and old.
The centre will house a children’s library, community reading room, day care, maternal and child health services, and a community link.
Spaces for the heritage society, seniors and other community groups have also been made available.
Chandler Ward councillor Graham Warren said it was fantastic to see the project finally moving forward.
He said every time the proposal was taken to court the costs of the project kept escalating.
“It’s frustrating that a few individuals can hold the community to ransom each time,” he said.
Cr Warren said the hub would be a model not just for the shire but across Australia.
“People will be able to see how different parts of the community can come together,” he said.
“There can only be positive outcomes from that.”
However it’s still unclear when construction will start with yet another appeal pending.
