ST Leonards Beautification Committee members have estimated it would cost about $1.7 million to carry out all their requested improvements to the town.<\/p>\n
Committee convenor Denis O\u2019Bryan, along with three other members, recently took the City of Greater Geelong\u2019s Bellarine councillors Stephanie Asher, Jim Mason and Trent Sullivan on a tour of 12 stops that were of concern to community\u00a0members.<\/p>\n
The tour came after the committee inspected the town area and documented infrastructure and appearance, and then put their findings in a questionnaire to test community feeling.<\/p>\n
The group received 90 completed questionnaires and have now progressed the questionnaire results to a rough costing stage.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Bryan said the improvements for the town\u00a0centre came to $367,000, upgrade of Bluff Road to $400,000, and new facilities for Harvey Park and pier area to $910,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are doable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can be done over two or three years and the costs can be shared between council, state government and federal government.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is how it all works \u2013 put up the plans as proposals and money appear when the time is right from different sources.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Bryan said Bellarine Bayside also had plans for upgrading beach access on their side of the pier, so the beach should receive some long overdue investment soon, they hoped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis all coincides with Cr Mason asking us to put forward projects for St Leonards for the council budget process.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we will put these forward as a long overdue works in our neglected St Leonards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Bryan said after the tour on October 17, council staff said they would get back to them quickly, but they had heard nothing yet.<\/p>\n
He said in addition to the beautification work backlog, the committee was still trying to identify the key council people and other government people who make and shape St Leonards\u2019 future.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim is to have regular get-togethers with them so we can get some coordinated planning going,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018We\u2019 means traders and residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, the council has just pulled down a toilet block in Harvey Park near the tennis courts to be replaced with portables and nobody knows what is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The St Leonards Beautification Committee is a\u00a0specialist group under Geelong Ratepayers Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ST Leonards Beautification Committee members have estimated it would cost about $1.7 million to carry out all their requested improvements to the town. Committee convenor Denis O\u2019Bryan, along with three other members, recently took the City of Greater Geelong\u2019s Bellarine councillors Stephanie Asher, Jim Mason and Trent Sullivan on a tour of 12 stops that […]<\/p>\n