NEWS DESK
Church considers church sale Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au ONGOING maintenance costs at ageing buildings could force the Uniting Church to sell a place of worship in Kingston. The church has three places of worship in Kingston – at Edithvale, Chelsea and Carrum – and when Reverend Claire Dawe was contacted by The News she said parishioners will be consulted before any church is sold. “We’ve got major building problems with the maintenance and a congregation across three churches that really want to do mission and outreach and spend their time with local people in the community
doing some projects rather than building maintenance,” she said. “We’re all one parish anyway so it’s just different buildings. We’re not sure which one will close, we’re not sure which one we’re going to go with. “That’s the point of having a whole consultative process that’s been going on for about two years already.” Synod representative David Southall confirmed the Uniting Church is in “the very early stages of what they’re doing with their property” in Kingston. “The church is looking at what they want to do in terms of the mission and how they serve the community and they’re looking at how property can con-
tribute to that but there have certainly been no decisions made on sales or anything like that.” The News understands the church’s Edithvale premises, a former Methodist Church established in 1912, in particular, are becoming increasingly dilapidated. The church faced a backlash from some parishioners elsewhere in Victoria in 2013 when it sold more than 30 properties to pay off about $36 million in debts following the collapse of the Uniting Church’s co-educational school Acacia College in Mernda. Mr Southall said any church sales in the Kingston area are unrelated to that situation.
Run down: Uniting Church’s place of worship in Edithvale could be under the hammer soon due to maintenance costs. Picture: Gary Sissons
Cash boosts arts creativity
Advertising limits for sports grounds BOUNDARIES will be put in place to limit advertising around sports field boundaries at Kingston reserves. Under new guidelines adopted by Kingston Council advertising signs are allowed on scoreboards, coaches’ boxes and fences but not on toilet blocks. Club identification signs are allowed on pavilions and a limited number of free-standing signs will be allowed to promote club membership drives and events. Kingston mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said the Guidelines for Advertising and Promotional Signs on Council Sporting Reserves “struck a fine balance between meeting the needs of local sports clubs and responding to resident concerns over the growing amount of advertising at local reserves”. “By introducing common-sense boundaries we can keep our parks looking pristine while still allowing local sports clubs to seek financial support from the community,” Cr Bearsley said. The policy covers all Kingston sporting reserves, except Moorabbin Reserve and Kingston Heath Regional Soccer Centre where separate signage and sponsorship arrangements already exist. “Sports clubs will have two years to make any required changes to allow them plenty of time to adjust,” Cr Bearsley said. The mayor noted some councils elsewhere had banned all advertising but Kingston Council “believes our local sports clubs play a huge role in helping create a healthier, more connected community and want to support them in this role.”
SIX artists and organisations will share in $22,000 to help develop a range of original works including a community art day, a new mural for Clarinda Community Centre, and a photography book documenting local industrial estates thanks to the annual Kingston Arts Grants. Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said the grants helped support community artists and arts organisations display innovative and creative arts. “We’re proud to support such an interesting and diverse group of grassroots community artists and I’m looking forward to seeing their projects in action.” Grants are provided in four categories: community grants (up to $3000), youth arts internship (up to $3000), arts and cultural tourism (up to $5000) and sharing cultures (up to $5000). Chelsea Heights Community Centre will run a community art day with art therapist Anne Riggs and artist Carla Dix ($3000), Tomislav Mikulic will create an animation project for The Bridge at Kingston City Hall ($4500), Arts Access Victoria will work with participants at Art Day South to create a public, interactive artwork ($3000) and Tatiana Biryukova will run workshops in partnership with the New Hope Foundation to create a mural for Clarinda Community Centre ($5000). Michael Kluge will publish a photography book documenting Kingston’s industrial estates ($3800) and playwright Kieran Carroll will present the play The Truth is longer than a Lie at Chelsea Activity Hub and Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre followed by a question and answer session ($2979). See kingstonarts.com.au for further information on Kingston’s Arts Grants program. The play’s the thing: Edithvale playwright Kieran Carroll’s The Truth is longer than a Lie will be staged at Chelsea Activity Hub and Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre. Picture: Yanni
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 17 August 2016
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