Healesville Hospital
DISCUSSIONS about Healesville’s Hospital’s future intensified during 2014, particularly in the lead-up to the state election in November.
The Save Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) held a successful fundraiser at White Rabbit Brewery earlier in the year, finishing off its fundraising efforts to run an independent business case study into the hospital that began in 2013.
The case study is aiming to ask one critical question of the hospital – would it be better run by Eastern Health or independently as a small rural health service?
However, the issue became more intensely heated after the group was seemingly stonewalled – despite making initial requests for data to the Health Department in May and throughout the year, followed by a formal request in September, the group did not receive the data needed for the study until November.
Both the Health Department and Eastern Health denied any wrongdoing on the matter and representatives from both groups cited intensive work to collect and refine the data before it was released.
Nonetheless, the issue quickly became divisive between political groups and saw heated exchanges right throughout the year.
The hospital is also undertaking a comprehensive $7.8 million redevelopment this year, following consultation during 2014 – the plans for the hospital’s future are now public, and the redevelopment is expected to finish in early 2016.
The business case study is now progressing, and the Mail will cover the results and the impacts it may have.
Healesville 150th birthday
HEALESVILLE’S long-awaited 150th birthday bash was celebrated in November after more than a year of preparation.
More than 800 members of the Healesville community came together to mark the milestone with a march down the main street on Saturday 8 November.
Several other events were held across the weekend to mark the occasion.
The Liberty Family Church organised the Party in the Park and the Healesville Heritage Festival saw 15 steam engines make the trip from Yarra Glen to Healesville.
The contributions of the Wurundjeri people to the town were honoured with a community event at the Healesville Belonging Place.
Then mayor of Yarra Ranges Council Fiona McAllister was delighted with the celebrations as the town showcased the best it had to offer.
“The 150th is a great opportunity for the community to come together, and literally hundreds have been involved in planning the activities,” she said.
As part of the celebrations, the Mail printed a special edition featuring the portraits of 150 residents who explained what they like about living in Healesville.
About 20,000 people were estimated to have attended the celebrations during the day across the town.
Ice
THE fight against the drug ice has been a major issue for not just the outer eastern suburbs but for the whole state of Victoria.
The drug – which can turn normal law-abiding citizens into violent and desperate criminals – has been the focus of a war waged by police, politicians and the community.
“We’re seeing otherwise stable people – married, a job, young children, a mortgage – the whole deal and both are addicted to ice and falling apart at the seams,” Yarra Junction police officer Kevin Largue said.
The increase in use of ice has led to campaigns to warn the public of the dangers of the drug, which is highly addictive.
Police have reported high levels of drug-related crime, such as theft, assault and family violence, as a result of increased usage.
Kevin Largue from Yarra Junction Police highlighted the increase in the use of the drug as a serious concern for all members of the community.
“Ice is an increasing problem and it’s in every part of society, not just down in the suburbs,” he told the Mail in May.
The war against ice will continue into 2015.
Healesville Tip
HEALESVILLE’S tip was dumped this year after the Yarra Ranges Council voted a plan to lock the gates for the last time in February 2015.
The decision in June was made despite huge opposition to the tip’s closing, including a petition of more than 500 signatures to keep it open.
In March the council advertised the intention to close the tip, pending 28 days of consultation.
It was after this announcement that the community rallied to fight against the planned closure.
Healesville Action Group (HAG) member John Anwin spoke against the closure and said he was disappointed at the council’s decision.
He believed the council ignored the community consultation.
“Over 600 people said that the tip needs to remain – but they made up their mind,” he told the Mail in June.
Councillor Terry Avery voted in favour of the tip closure and said that low visitation and the proximity of the Coldstream Tip influenced his vote.
He also said the need to curb spending made the decision necessary.
Meanwhile, the town’s ANZ bank branch also decided to leave town, citing unworkable visitation numbers, and White Rabbit Brewery was also slated for closure.
The brewery will cease operations by the end of May, before it is relocated to its owner company’s central brewery in Geelong.
Coldstream’s future
YARRA Ranges Council and Coldstream community members have been rallying support to improve the town, to increase tourist visitation and population numbers.
Meetings were held all through 2014 to discuss different facets of the town and how they could be improved, with ideas from beautification projects through to an ambitious push to re-draw green wedge boundaries to allow development.
Coldstream’s main housing and shopping districts are hemmed in by the Urban Growth Boundary and green wedge sites, severely limiting the amount of new developments that can occur, and residents often debated whether expanding would be beneficial.
However, the idea was put on hold after the 29 November state election, when both the Labor and Liberal parties announced they would be against changing any green wedge boundaries.
Then-Shadow Planning Minister Brian Tee announced prior to the election that an elected Labor government would preserve all green wedge boundaries for the life of the government.
The council is currently working on a draft structure plan for the town, and community groups have been formed to advocate for improvements and events in the area.
Great Forest National Park
THE debate over whether to create the Great Forest National Park (GFNP) in Toolangi was hotly contested in 2014.
The proposal to create the park would link the Yarra Ranges National Park and the Kinglake National Park.
It is a huge issue in an area with strong historical and current ties to logging, at a time when the world is facing pressure to act on climate change and the environment.
The GFNP became a central issue in November’s state election, with the Liberal, National, ALP and Australian Country Alliance opposing the proposal, while the Greens supported it.
Renowned natural historian and filmmaker David Attenborough weighed into the debate in November, advocating for the creation of the park.
He said the park’s creation was vital to protect the environment for future generations and ensure the survival of the Leadbeater’s possum.
Narconon
THE Upper Yarra community became up-in-arms about the possibility of a drug rehabilitation facility moving to Warburton, with debate raging and the proposal put to council early last year.
The SayNoNarcononWarburton group was formed in response to the proposal, which would see the rehabilitation centre relocated next to Warburton Primary School from its current place at the O’Shannassy Lodge in East Warburton.
Narconon spokesperson Dr Nerida James was vocal through the year in responding to some of the community’s concerns, such as shutting down rumours that the facility would have needle exchanges and methadone programs.
Numerous discussions were had through 2014, and the Mail covered different arguments and facets of the case, along with a unanimous decision by Yarra Ranges councillors to refuse a permit for the centre’s relocation in March.
The decision has since been appealed through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
A decision from the tribunal is expected in coming weeks.
