Council has admitted that the wording of a draft plan for gateway signage in Moorabool didn\u2019t reflect its true intentions, and it plans to keep the signs.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Draft Moorabool Shire Gateways Strategy\u2019, which closed for feedback on 31 October, and drew concern from many locals who feared their signs would be removed.<\/p>\n
The signs referenced within the document include Ballan\u2019s autumn leaves sign, Bacchus Marsh\u2019s wine and strawberries sign, and Gordon\u2019s wedge-tailed eagle sign.<\/p>\n
Last month in Blackwood, close to 100 residents gathered at the town\u2019s wombat sign, affectionately known as \u2018Wombie\u2019, to protest its potential removal.<\/p>\n
But in Public Question Time at Council\u2019s Ordinary Meeting on Wednesday 7 December, Council\u2019s General Manager of Community Assets and Infrastructure, Phil Jeffrey, said Council intended to keep the signs.<\/p>\n
The statement came in response to a question from John Kowarsky.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Council plan to retain the iconic artworks, for example the wine glass, autumn leaves, and wedge-tailed eagle, presently gracing the entrance of some of our townships?\u201d Mr Kowarsky asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Draft Gateways Strategy was recently placed on public exhibition, which generated a lot of feedback that we\u2019re currently working through. Some of the feedback received highlighted the desire to retain the existing gateway signs,\u201d Mr Jeffrey responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe intent of the Draft Strategy was to retain these signs, and it\u2019s acknowledged that the Draft Strategy didn\u2019t necessarily reflect this accurately. I can confirm that the final version will recommend retention of these signs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Opposition to the signs\u2019 potential replacement concerned not only the removal of existing signs, but the alternative design options proposed in the Draft Strategy, which Blackwood resident Sue Donnelly told the Moorabool News in November \u201care so generic\u2026they say nothing about the region or the attributes of our towns\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Council has admitted that the wording of a draft plan for gateway signage in Moorabool didn\u2019t reflect its true intentions, and it plans to keep the signs. The \u2018Draft Moorabool Shire Gateways Strategy\u2019, which closed for feedback on 31 October, and drew concern from many locals who feared their signs would be removed. The signs […]<\/p>\n