Mountain Views
Mail Covering the foothills of the Yarra Ranges & Murrindindi Shires
5 Tuesday, 19 December, 2017
10
Hoon gate
A Mail News Group publication
26
Seth’s best
Best in local sport
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A special sparkle The Mail thought we should finish the year and bring a little joy to our readers with something a little lighter for Christmas and Healesville grandmother Faye Donkin’s Christmas Lights display is about as ‘lit up’ as you can get. With the help of 11 little elves (AKA grandchildren) including Jayden, Kalyn, Dylan, Bryce, Tyra, Ebony, Liam, Abby and Maya (pictured) Faye’s Don Road house is a Christmas spectacle that delights young and old alike. Read all about Fay’s 30-year Christmas gift to the community on page 3 and don’t miss our Q&A with Santa (yes, that’s right SANTA) on page 4. 175939 Picture: ROB CAREW
$28m shire base By Kath Gannaway Yarra Ranges Council has approved a $28 million redevelopment of the shire administrative offices and civic space in Lilydale. With just one councillor voting against the redevelopment, and two absent, the redevelopment of what will be a multiple-storey Lilydale Civic Centre was approved at the 12 December Council meeting. Under the proposal, council’s administrative offices would be consolidated into a single fit for purpose building, with a building extension and upgrade to facilities. With extensive consultation on the proposed project, there were no objections registered, and no member of the public spoke against the proposal on the night. Mayor Len Cox said the redevelopment
would result in a modern and functional civic centre which would meet the office accommodation needs of council employees, the community and strengthen Lilydale’s regional role. Currently, council staff are working out of four separate buildings in Lilydale and six temporary portables. “Once complete, this project will bring high quality development and activity to the area and will broaden the mix of uses within the Civic Centre Hub,” Cr Cox said. A report prepared by council’s social and economic development department said the project would improve office accommodation, ensure the building meets relevant building regulations, improve vehicle access within the site, upgrade landscaping, improve pedestrian movement and increase car parking availabil-
ity. The civic spaces have been redesigned to allow for a more flexible open area to suit a variety of functions within the space. The “village green” area has been enhanced to provide an outdoor space suitable for functions with indigenous plants and interpretive signage. Speaking against the proposal, Cr Heenan said while he acknowledged that substantial modifications were needed there had been the opportunity to choose from a range of options costed from $6 million through to the $28 million. He said he had concerns about the cost, and about potential blowouts and queried whether, with more people working from home in the future, and sharing office space, it was the
best spend of ratepayers’ money. “I just hope it will be value for money and the community space and office space will serve its purpose well into the future,” he told the Mail. A council spokesperson said the application had been advertised widely including to neighbouring properties and through local newspapers with the public invited to make written submissions throughout October and November. She said a six-week community consultation process for the public space component was held with council engaging with community groups and more than 1600 people giving face-to-face feedback. One letter of support was received, with no objections.
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