Sharing ideas to help Sebastopol shine

STATE Member for Buninyong, Michaela Settle, has doorknocked across Sebastopol, collecting ideas to inform revitalisation of the suburb.

The state government has allocated $5 million to revitalising Sebastopol, and Ms Settle said locals were “delighted” to give feedback on how it should be spent.

“People are interested to see a politician, not in an election cycle, knocking on their door,” she said.

Responses varied with areas and demographics.

“There are certainly a few key roads. Cromwell Street, Spencer Street and Rowlands Street, you get a lot of feedback about. People are very keen to see those finished to the edges,” Ms Settle said.

“I’ve talked to some elderly people who feel that there needs to be a bit more furniture, if you like, around the shop areas… there’s not a lot of places to sit and rest on the way home.”

Feedback from young families pinpointed a desire for more play areas in outer parts of the suburb.

“There’s the wonderful water park in Vickers Street, but there’s these big growth areas up the back of Sebastopol,” Ms Settle said. “So some more [is needed] work around there.”

Ms Settle also said there is a sense that the area is “a bit bare” when it comes to trees and overall canopy coverage.

“It’s much more than pretty green leaves, we need it to keep temperatures down,” she said.

As part of the feedback process Ms Settle will be hosting a casual ‘drop-in, speak-out’ session this Saturday, 13 April, at the Sebastopol Library.

Anyone wishing to provide further ideas regarding revitalisation of Sebastopol can come along for a chat and a sausage cooked by the Sebastopol Men’s Shed, between 12pm and 4pm.