Facilities: your say

By Kath Gannaway
SEVILLE district residents will soon have an opportunity to have their say on the Shire of Yarra Ranges’ proposal for recreation facilities.
A water play facility will feature in a display that will go on show at the Seville Public Hall on Saturday 7 February from 10.30am. The display will also cover plans for a future aquatic centre. Chandler Ward councillor Graham Warren said the display would give local residents a detailed look at the plans for the water play facility as well as the master plan for Seville’s sporting precinct.
“Comprehensive display boards will give the community an idea of this exciting and unique water play facility as well as showing it in the context of an overall master plan for the sporting precinct. The central exhibit will be a screen showing computer animations of the proposal,” Cr Warren said.
Seville Pool Township Group president Bill Dobson and member Rosemary Varty will run the display with assistance from the shire.
Mr Dobson welcomed the opportunity to present a plan to address the recreation needs of the community.
“The plan is for a water play/aquatic centre,” he said. “Part of our push is to accept the water play facility, but stage two of that is another pool,” he said touching on the contentious closure of the existing pool.
Mr Dobson said a number of different ideas were identified in a survey which broadly identified a need for more family-orientated facilities.
“Everyone seemed to acknowledge that the pool is run down, no good in its current condition, but too expensive to replace.”
While not wanting to pre-empt any community feedback on the proposal, Mr Dobson said the water play facility proposed would be second to none in the eastern suburbs.
“Realistically, this might be a backwards step initially, but the second and third stages are very exciting,” he said.
Both Cr Warren and Mr Dobson urged people to take advantage of this opportunity to have their say.
“I would encourage people of all ages to come along,” Cr Warren said.
“This is an important decision for the town so I’d say to everyone who has an interest in the future facilities in the town to get along, see what it’s all about, and have a say.”