Phoenix hopes to rise at a new home

ONE of Bendigo’s leading community radio stations, Phoenix FM, needs a new home.

The volunteer-run and award-winning station, based in Reservoir Road in Kennington, has been told that the lease on the property will not be renewed, meaning a new base must be found.

Phoenix FM president Samual Harrison said the station committee was now scrambling to come up with options.

“Obviously we don’t have the funding to have a commercial lease or a residential lease that we can commit to [in] a commercial building,” he said.

“We’re 100 per cent volunteer-run, so we’re putting our heads together to come up with some ideas.”

Mr Harrison said the committee would contact local federal MPs and possibly even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the hope of securing help.

“But we don’t have any viable options on the table at the moment,” he said.

Mr Harrison said the site had long been earmarked for a return to parkland and the committee considered itself lucky to have been able to operate there since about 2008.

It has paid a peppercorn rent to the City of Greater Bendigo for much of that time, but the issue of a relocation came to a head when a parking accident damaged the front wall before Christmas.

Mr Harrison said the City carried out some minor repairs but had ultimately decided that more extensive work was not warranted given the ultimate plans for the site.

“And they’ve notified us that they won’t be able to renew that lease because they won’t be able to complete the necessary repairs,” he said.

“Regardless of where we go there will be a cost to relocate our current equipment.”

In a statement, the City of Greater Bendigo said the station’s occupancy was originally intended as a short-term arrangement and the lease had been extended multiple times.

It said the rear of the building has also been home to a cast iron collection, which will be removed next month after several months of working with the National Trust on that issue.

“With the cast iron collection to be returned to the National Trust, officers advised Phoenix FM that the City would be seeking to vacate the building, and will collaborate to identify alternative accommodation,” the statement said.

It said a bus reversing into the Kennington shed building caused significant structural damage and, given the plan for its ultimate demolition, the City deemed further repairs not financially viable.

“The City will continue to support Phoenix FM through the relocation process, including exploring suitable alternative facilities,” the statement said.

A digital studio was installed last year, with Victorian Premier and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan launching the new facilities in late January.

The State Government contributed $50,000 to help pay for the upgrade from analogue broadcasting on the 106.7FM frequency.

More recently, the station was involved in broadcasting emergency information when the ABC’s transmission equipment was damaged during the bushfires in early January.

Anyone who can help the station find a new home can get in touch via email at [email protected].