We have two articles this month - the first from Margaret Jenkins, the other from David Palmer, our Publicity Officer:
"Tom Arnold from Benalla Rural City Council was the guest speaker at our July Meet and Mingle. Tom gave a detailed description of the current state of the Fawckner Drive Precinct plan, which we had heard about at our AGM in March 2023.
Since March 2023 the plan has been upgraded by Playce, the landscape architects employed by Benalla Council. It has also recently been discussed at a Council meeting, and is now open again for public comment.
We had over 40 U3A members as well as Val Burke, President of the Benalla Senior Citizens and a few members of the public attend. There were many questions at the end of Tom’s talk, which was great to see. These questions included queries about the space designated for the market stalls, how market holders were going to access their stalls by car, how long the project was going to take to come to fruition, and where another toilet block was going to be in the park for the public.
If you would like to make a comment about the Fawckner Drive Precinct plan, you can access a form on the Benalla Rural City Council website, or take a letter to the Council office in Bridge Street Benalla.
The guest speaker at our August Meet and Mingle will be Alex McKenna, CEO Cooinda, who will speak on the building project underway at Cooinda in 2023.
Margaret Jenkins
Meet and Mingle Convenor and U3A Benalla President
We had over 40 U3A members as well as Val Burke, President of the Benalla Senior Citizens and a few members of the public attend. There were many questions at the end of Tom’s talk, which was great to see. These questions included queries about the space designated for the market stalls, how market holders were going to access their stalls by car, how long the project was going to take to come to fruition, and where another toilet block was going to be in the park for the public.
If you would like to make a comment about the Fawckner Drive Precinct plan, you can access a form on the Benalla Rural City Council website, or take a letter to the Council office in Bridge Street Benalla.
The guest speaker at our August Meet and Mingle will be Alex McKenna, CEO Cooinda, who will speak on the building project underway at Cooinda in 2023.
Margaret Jenkins
Meet and Mingle Convenor and U3A Benalla President
"Benalla Council's Tom Arnold explained the latest developments for the Council’s Fawckner Drive Precinct master plan on July 19.
He previously spoke about the basic masterplan at U3A's AGM. But after quite extensive landscape architect consultations and public input, the changed plan was officially launched on July 3. Further public submissions can be made until August 11.
At the AGM some concern was expressed for retaining the trees on the site. Now all existing trees will be retained and something like 30 new ones will be planted.
Another part of the new plan could see nearly half of the library car park replaced with a lawn. As well, the Saturday market area would likely expand from 55 to about 84 potential sites in a new area.
There was a well expressed need at the meeting, for a new toilet block, which Mr Arnold acknowledged. It appears a likely site might be just to the south of the senior Citizens building. But he emphasised that building one was so set about with Victorian government regulations, that it was no easy or inexpensive building operation.
He said the previously proposed north east extension of the Senior Citizen’s building, to better accomodate U3A, would not now proceed because of the steepness of the site and the need to retain existing trees.
Overall though, the master plan has been developed through a team of expensive consultants, so that if and when external funds became available, the plan could be implemented expeditiously.
But Mr Arnold emphasised there would be significant competition from say Wangaratta and Shepparton and other councils for similar funding."
He previously spoke about the basic masterplan at U3A's AGM. But after quite extensive landscape architect consultations and public input, the changed plan was officially launched on July 3. Further public submissions can be made until August 11.
At the AGM some concern was expressed for retaining the trees on the site. Now all existing trees will be retained and something like 30 new ones will be planted.
Another part of the new plan could see nearly half of the library car park replaced with a lawn. As well, the Saturday market area would likely expand from 55 to about 84 potential sites in a new area.
There was a well expressed need at the meeting, for a new toilet block, which Mr Arnold acknowledged. It appears a likely site might be just to the south of the senior Citizens building. But he emphasised that building one was so set about with Victorian government regulations, that it was no easy or inexpensive building operation.
He said the previously proposed north east extension of the Senior Citizen’s building, to better accomodate U3A, would not now proceed because of the steepness of the site and the need to retain existing trees.
Overall though, the master plan has been developed through a team of expensive consultants, so that if and when external funds became available, the plan could be implemented expeditiously.
But Mr Arnold emphasised there would be significant competition from say Wangaratta and Shepparton and other councils for similar funding."
"It was good to have a follow up chat with Tom at the Saturday market later in the week!"
David Palmer
Publicity Officer
