WHAT to do with the old Linton shire offices?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a question now being put to eight community members who have formed part of a committee set up by Golden Plains Shire to focus on the issue.<\/p>\n
Ideas include a neighbourhood house, pop up shops, visiting traders like hairdressers or beauty consultants ,or an arts precinct.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d love to see it become a community resource to keep people in the town and provide opportunities,\u201d said committee member Karen Ronan.<\/p>\n
Located on Sussex Street, the offices were first used as the Shire of Grenville headquarters until amalgamation in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
Since then the building was a Golden Plains Shire customer service centre, although that closed in 2020, and the main chamber also hosted council meetings every second month.<\/p>\n
For Ms Ronan, the building\u2019s link to the past is an important reason for preservation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to see that history disappear,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve got one of my relations on one of the boards in there, he was a shire secretary for many years. We just don\u2019t want to see it closed up, sold, pulled down, or any of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
A self-described \u201cdiversity pick\u201d, Kirk McDonald is on the committee for his focus on youth activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember when they used to run the Freezer stuff in the shire and I wouldn\u2019t mind trying to get something for the kids here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if it\u2019s just a holiday program or a one night a month sort of thing, like a move or games. Just to have something else in the town for kids to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
While they all have ideas about the space could be used for, Eugene Grigg said ultimately the purpose of the group is to work in tandem with the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll this gets back to what the community might want,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless people put their hand up and say \u2018we would like this to happen\u2019 then what\u2019s the point in us eight people butting our heads against a brick wall.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WHAT to do with the old Linton shire offices? That\u2019s a question now being put to eight community members who have formed part of a committee set up by Golden Plains Shire to focus on the issue. Ideas include a neighbourhood house, pop up shops, visiting traders like hairdressers or beauty consultants ,or an arts […]<\/p>\n