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Federal Funding Announced for Vibrant Community Space in Melville

Published Date: 07 May 2009, 12:00 AM

The City of Melville’s redevelopment of the old Melville Primary School site into a vibrant community hub has been given a boost with the announcement of $2.686m in Federal Government funding today (7 May 2009). The funding comes under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program – Strategic Projects.

Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia Gary Gray announced the funding this morning at a meeting held on-site. Mayor Russell Aubrey, Acting Chief Executive Officer John Christie, Acting Director Technical Services John Cameron and Manager Parks and Environment Ian Davis attended, along with other key proponents of the project.

Mayor Russell Aubrey said these types of partnerships between different tiers of government were essential in helping to realise the aspirations of local communities. “The City of Melville greatly appreciates the Federal Government's contribution to this significant project, which we expect to be an attractive, safe and accessible open space for the whole of the City and the region. We are now looking at ways to make best use of this funding opportunity and expedite this project,” he said.

“Recognition must also be given to the MORE Community Group Inc, which was instrumental in saving the old Melville Primary School site from residential development. This partnership has also contributed to bringing about a positive outcome for the whole of the City of Melville, as the park will encourage physical activity, ecological awareness and community involvement,” he said.

Acting Chief Executive Officer John Christie said this funding would help progress the project, which would include an iconic public open space, with landscaped gardens, a playground and natural bushland areas. “We are extremely grateful for this commitment from the Federal Government and keen to progress the various phases of the project – which will take approximately 18 to 24 months to complete. This project is essential for the City to achieve its vision of providing the community with public open space; which has been identified as lacking in this area,” he said.

“With demolition of old buildings having already occurred, a majority of the Federal funding is to be spent on major site preparation, earth works and construction of the playground and parkland. The completion of these stages will give the community full use of the playground, picnic facilities, toilets, car park, bushland and parkland. The latter stages of the project will include mass planting and construction of purpose-built buildings like an amphitheatre, and a community building,” he said.

Federal Funding Announcement for Development of Melville Primary School Park

Posted by Louise Wilson at 08 May 2009, 01:20 PM
Congratulations to City of Melville on their successful securing of federal funding for the park's development.

Thanks and gratitude to More Community Group for unswerving commitment to see the site preserved and developed for community use.

Concerned Local Resident

Posted by Danny Warren at 18 May 2009, 09:57 AM
I do hope the park planners take into account the concerns of local residents when building the amphitheatre (noise control) and community buildings. We have already seen the impact of having buildings on the site with increased vandalism and graffiti. The rise in graffiti in the streets surrounding the park has increased in the last year and this needs to be considered. I'm for the park but it must not have a negative impact on residents in the immediate area.

Amphitheatre Melville Primary School site

Posted by Ian Davis at 22 May 2009, 11:32 AM
The plans for the amphitheatre on the Old Melville Primary School site were raised by the community as a possible inclusion during the consultaion phase of the project. Once the concept plan was finalised it was presented to Council and adopted. The purpose of the amphitheatre is to create a place that takes advantage of the topography of the area and provides an opportunity for low key public events in a setting that is peaceful and conducive to enhancing the experience. We have made every effort to take into account the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles so that we don't experience the anti-social behaviour that the limited visual surveilance of the site has previously experienced. We believe that the much improved design layout and the quality construction materials that we intend to use throughout the park, will result in an area that the local community will take pride in and hopefully will result in a use raher than abuse of the area.

Amphitheatre

Posted by Carey Warren at 18 May 2009, 02:59 PM
I went to original community planning meetings.
The final plans we saw did not have an amphitheatre.
When did the amphitheatre get added to the park design?
Why were the residents surrounding the park notified that this had been added?
We are all concerned with the noise factor because we all have the right to peaceful safe surroundings.
There are several amphitheatres around Melville i.e.: Point Walter that doesn’t have homes surrounding it. Why not utilize these if the community feels an amphitheatre is needed.
We were assured that any activities in the park would have little impact on the homes surrounding the park. I feel that the inclusion of an amphitheatre will have a huge impact on the surrounding homes because of the noise and also provide a place for anti social behavior that happens late at night. I think that we have been let down by the council.