Village finds new purpose

MARYSVILLE’s temporary village will be turned into a place to teach young minds, engage with the community, bring new jobs to the area and encourage tourism.
The temporary village was a place many people called home after they were burnt out in the Black Saturday bushfires 2009.
It gave a roof over the heads of 176 people from 91 households who had lost their homes in the fire. The property now set for a new life to as an outdoor education centre.
Housing Minister Wendy Lovell was in Marysville last Thursday 27 September to announce the moveable units would be turned into an outdoor education centre.
She said the value of enabling residents to remain in their communities while their homes were rebuilt was immeasurable.
“While the life of this village has come to an end, the sense of community it created lives on in its residents who have all since returned to their rebuilt homes or relocated to new homes,” she said.
“The new use of the site, as a place for outdoor recreation and wellbeing programs by the Outdoor Education Group is ideal.”
Outdoor Education Group camp director Pete Griffiths said the site would be used as a facility to run school camps, weekend and holiday accommodation.
“We see it as a way of working with a whole of people – the public, school camps, conferences,’ he said.
“The facility will be managed as very much part of the town – to engage local people with the kids, land care, use the town swimming pool and have local people working on the camps.
“It won’t just be normal camp activities like high ropes and flying fox, but activities like boys’ mechanics sheds, local service projects and organic gardens.”
Mr Griffiths said with a goal to open for business in January 2013, they would soon be recruiting at least half a dozen hospitality, maintenance and activity staff.
Camp Marysville will be one of the biggest school camps around with the ability to accomodate 240 people.
He said it was important to recognise the site is part of the cultural history of Marysville, “and we want to retain that”.
“Even the chairs and tables in the dining room are made from reclaimed timber from the fires,” Mr Griffiths said.
Minister Lovell said the units, owned by the Victorian Government, were sold to the Outdoor Education Group with the proceeds being reinvested into social housing.
“The sale of these units ensures the temporary village continues to benefit the community,” she said.
“The new facility, Camp Marysville, will be a great resource for locals and for the broader Victorian community.”