‘Missing step’ must involve wider Meander community in decision
Flyer distributed by MV Council prior to the Meander community information session in August. Printed material supplied. Click image for close-up.
Sharon Webb
Members of the Meander Area Residents and Ratepayers Association believe a step is missing from the council’s published time line for deciding use of the former Meander School site.
MARRA secretary Kerin Booth said members believe that before Meander Valley Council calls for expressions of interest in October, there should be a community forum or search conference that includes a wider community presence than just Meander.
‘We’re urging the council strenuously to add that step,’ she said.
‘The council owes it to the community to facilitate a forum where we can hear each other’s suggestions and cross pollinate ideas, with an independent facilitator.’
In August, Meander Valley Council held a drop-in session from 4–6pm at the school so that local residents could tell councillors and council staff their ideas for the building’s use.
The mayor Wayne Johnston told ABC Radio, ‘We had a really good drop-in session where 60 or 70 people put their views forward.
‘Next we’ll have an expressions of interest process and we encourage anyone to put their ideas forward and we’ll come up with a good use for the school.’
But some Meander residents believe Cllr Johnston should play a minimal role in the decision making process because he lives in Meander and as a councillor should not influence the decision making process. There is also discontent that the flyer advertising the drop-in session did not go to all households and that the process is flawed because people expressing an interest in using the building cannot be on the shortlisting committee even if they live in Meander.
Some residents also believe that a single use proposal for the buildings would be the wrong decision because it precludes one-off events such as music festivals and other arts events.
Kevin Knowles from Western Creek, whose children attended Meander School, said the session was positive but believes the community feedback period is too short.
He believes the council is ‘softening up’ the community for the Beacon Foundation, currently running a course at the site, to have the building permanently.
‘I also thought it was pretty poor the council chose a time of day when the majority of councillors couldn’t attend,’ Mr Knowles said.
‘Of nine councillors only four were there: the mayor, who was late; Deb White; John Temple and Frank Nott.
‘This discussion about the school’s use has been going on since 2016. It’s about time they sorted it.’
Kerin Booth said MARRA would like to see groups such as Arts Deloraine and Tasmanian Craft Fair operators Deloraine Rotary also involved in a community forum on the use of the school.
‘The council owes it to this community to look after this community by holding a wider forum chaired by an independent person, not the mayor or the general manager John Jordan.’
