Ferntree Gully
Belgrave
Mail Covering the Dandenongs nongs in the Ya Yarr Yarra rra a Ra Rang Ranges ng ges e & Cardinia Shires
YEAR IN REVIEW What made news in 2014 AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR PAGES 2-5 Tuesday, 13 January, Tuesday January 2015
A Mail Newspaper Group publication
Phone: 5957 3700 700 Trades T d and d Cl Classifieds: C 1300 666 808
Supporters of the Olinda Pool’s re-opening rejoice after learning the pool would be saved. 130641 Picture: ROB CAREW
Pool of winners THE community-wide involvement and eventual triumph of the Olinda Pool and its supporters have seen the issue named the Mail’s 2014 Issue of the Year. A number of community meetings, propositions to council and protests from locals culminated in the pool being saved from closure at a council meeting held in November. The issue drew emotion from the entire Olinda community, with the pool built many
years ago as a fire-fighting resource. When asked what the pool meant to them, some locals broke down in tears, while others slammed the council for its lack of consultation and communication on the issue. Leader of the push to save the pool, John Faull, said the pool was important to locals and Olinda as a whole. “It is an important part of our community. “The community built it
Ferntree Gully
Belgrave
Mail 2014
ISSUE OF THE YEAR back then, and we are fighting to save it now.” Many members of the community became involved in he fight, including 16-year-old Faith Everard and 10-year-old Sofia Mikulcic, who made a public submission for councillors to consider the pool’s future at a Yarra Ranges Council meeting.
“We’re fighting really hard to open it because it means so much to us. “I’m hoping I can help them (the council) to understand why we want the pool open and that there are so many people behind this.” The issue came to a head
in November when the Yarra Ranges Council voted six to two to allocate a budget of $770,000 to repair the pool and upgrade facilities in front of a packed and emotional gallery. There was some opposition from two councillors, but it was evident that nine months of campaigning and lobbying had paid off. Councillor Jason Callanan said that although the future of the pool was now safe, it would not re-open for some time. “We need to make sure the
pool meets all relevant safety standards, including building and public health, before it is re-opened to the community, so this is going to take a little time.” Residents rejoiced in the news that this much-loved community facility would stay. Olinda resident John Abrahamsen was among many who labelled the decision a win for hills communities. “It would have been a travesty to get rid of it,” he said.
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