By JESSE GRAHAM
WHEN it came to organising a memorial to pay tribute to those killed in the Black Saturday bushfires, Murrindindi Shire Council CEO Margaret Abbey said it was about getting it right, no matter how long it took.
“We’ve been driven not by timelines, but rather from feedback from the community,” Ms Abbey said.
“For some, the process has been too slow – for others, it’s been too quick.
“We’ve tried to accommodate the different points of view and the different opportunities for when people feel comfortable to participate in the consultation.”
Six years on from the fires, the discussions about the memorials have progressed to a point where council has decided on three potential sites for the Marysville memorial.
The sites, all within Gallipoli Park, include one next to the river, near the water-wheel; another near the entrance to the Tree Fern Gully trail; or a site next to the swimming pool.
Residents are being encouraged by the council to visit their online discussion site about the memorials and vote for their favourite Marysville spot.
Feedback can be given on the memorial sites until Monday, 15 June, before an Expressions of Interest process opens in July for the design of the memorial.
Ms Abbey said that, by November or December this year, the council will have potential designs mapped out that will go back to the community for consultation, before construction next year.
The Marysville memorial will be one of the two major Black Saturday memorial sites – the other will be located in Kinglake, representing the two fires – with four smaller memorials to be placed in Narbethong, Castella/Toolangi, Kinglake West and Flowerdale.
Ms Abbey said one of the paramount concerns for the council was ensuring the process was sensitive to those who were affected by the fires and gave everyone a chance to have a say.
“The important thing, for us, was that, because of the significant impact of the bushfires on people, we know that people have been at different stages in their opportunity to engage,” Ms Abbey said.
“We had feedback from the community while we did consultation in 2012 and 2013, but people are now ready to provide further input.”
Ms Abbey said the council would contribute a total of $400,000 for the memorials, but that the council might be able to receive philanthropic support to boost the total funding to $600,000.
“If that’s not the case, the designs need to accommodate the budget that is available,” she said.
She said the town’s memorials could be the site of future anniversary events, but that it would be left in the hands of the community – not dictated by council.
“We’ve been very clear that whatever anniversary recognition is held, it’s driven by the desire of the community,” she said.
For more information, to see a map of the proposed Marysville sites and to provide feedback, visit murrindindibushfirememorials.wordpress.com or www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au
Those without internet connections or computers can vote at the mobile libraries on Tuesday afternoons at the Visitor Information Centre, or contact the council on 1800 633 792 toll free (within shire boundaries).
