New lookbrightens future

By Melissa Meehan
PLANS to rebuild Marysville are hoped to entice former residents to come back and help others with their decision to stay.
Marysville and Triangle Community Recovery Committee chairman Tony Thompson said the announcement of plans to rebuild Marysville along with the presentation at the main marquee in the Main Street had caused a feeling of excitement in the town.
“It looked fantastic,” Mr Thompson said.
“If we could get the town to look like the artists impression it would be wonderful.”
He said that after Premier John Brumby unveiled the vision for the future, residents who were unsure whether to stay in town or move away were thinking more positively.
“People who weren’t sure what they were going to do are now talking about staying, and those who have moved away and are homesick will now have an idea of what to expect,” Mr Thompson said.
“It (the presentation) will really bring the community back together; it already has to some extent.”
He said a major concern for residents before the plans were announced was Gallipoli Park.
“A lot of people were worried that with all the trees gone, how it was going to look,” he said.
“But it’s really come together.”
An important part of the planning was that some of the “old” Marysville was included in the feel and character of the new town, he said.
The artists’ impressions of the town will be on show in the marquee for the next month, and people are encouraged to have their say on the plans until October 10.
During his visit Mr Brumby also announced that Marysville Primary School was expected to be opened by the second term next year.
The plans unveiled by Mr Brumby for the Marysville and Triangle Region include a new town centre, a community hub and several tourist facilities.
The draft Urban Design Framework (UDF) for the region includes core building, service and community infrastructures as well as opportunities to create a distinct character for the town and the surrounding environment.
It comes after months of community consultation and builds on the clean-up of hundreds of properties, the construction of Marysville’s temporary village and $2.3 million investment to develop the motor museum into a small business hub.
“Tragically on Black Saturday 34 people died in Marysville, more than 350 properties were destroyed, including 50 businesses, iconic landmarks and vital infrastructure razed and the whole town virtually destroyed,” Mr Brumby said.
“The release of a framework provides a long-term vision for how the town can be rebuilt and what Marysville will look and feel like when it is rebuilt and is a magnificent milestone for the community.”
The urban design framework includes plans to:
• Revitalise the town by attracting investment in tourism accommodation and rebuilding business in and around the main street;
•Rebuild the police station, petrol station and general store in the town centre;
•Build a co-located community hub including a primary school, children’s centre, community health and recreation facilities;
•Reinstate and expand the oak tree landscape;
•Protect large sites for future tourism, accommodation and conference centre facilities;
•Extend Steavenson River open space and enhance Gallipoli Park with new gardens, play and cultural spaces;
•Link communities and diversify the tourism experience in the Marysville and Triangle region with a new bike and walking path;
•Create a new iconic heart of Marysville.