Upper Yarra
2 Tuesday, 3 April, 2018
Women connected
7
A Mail News Group publication
Mail Covering the Upper Yarra Region of the Yarra Ranges Shire
Offices spend
19-20
Sports of all sorts
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Hope for Cerini By Kath Gannaway
An historic photo of the Cerini Centre in its prime. 179346
Ivor Wolstencroft with portraits of Father Cerini. 179346 trees, power poles and fences as a 'flash mob' exhibition in the hope of igniting community support for the building to be retained. Last week he again called on the community to come together in what could be a last ditch opportunity to see Fr. Cerini's legacy retained in community use. "My thought is that the Cerini Centre would make an ideal permanent exhibition space for a local art group, or other community group, but you need two or three committee members willing to fight for it," he said. "I agree with Council, that it needs some-
one who wants to take responsibility for generating rent to at least look after the maintenance of the building, and there are significant restoration costs involved. "I think people are interested (in keeping it) and people don't want to see it falling down. There's and emotional connection there, especially for longer-term residents who went to school there, attended dinners and other community events there, but it needs a community group to need a home," Mr Wolstencroft said. "It needs a community group to put their hand up and say we want a permanent space."
YARRA RANGES
Thinking of selling your home?
LILYDALE 9735 0188 32 Main Street
FERNTREE GULLY 9758 9288 1158 Burwood Hwy
(over railway line Melb. side)
(towards Belgrave)
•SplitSystems •DuctedHeating andCooling •GasApplianceSales andInstallation
AU36010
Approved Dealer for 201557-SS40-5 1086543-JL33-13
12377525-DJ05-18
SPECIALISTS IN
12339093-LB07-17
GAS HEAT & COOL
Now’s the time!
Call 5964 4900 Lachlan Mitchell 0417 532 386 Phil Kyatt 0418 532 635 652 Warburton Highway, Seville
12383805-LB14-18
issues, Mr Wolstencroft concluded that without construction of Glen Avenue, a number of titles are landlocked. "In its current state, with no confirmed access and the cost of connecting services the Cerini Centre is probably of no monetary value," Mr Wolstencroft concluded. He added that Yarra Ranges Council has confirmed it currently has no interest in purchasing the site. Last year Mr Wolstencroft mounted an awareness campaign placing many of the 100 or so portraits he has done of Fr Cerini on
Picture: Rob Carew.
Ph: 5966 9999 1216759-KK8-16
Warburton resident Ivor Wolstencroft says he has not lost hope that Warburton's Cerini Centre could remain in community ownership. Following approaches to the Minister for Education, James Merlino, the Victorian School Building Authority has put the disposal of the building on hold as they investigate options for its future. The unique circular building was built by Father Charles Cerini in 1952 to provide a Catholic school for Upper Yarra Students. Following its closure in 1992 it was used as a community centre and by Upper Yarra Community House for its VCAL and Step Ahead programs but with the building no longer being used for community education and in the face of mounting maintenance costs, in July 2015 the Cerini Committee of Management, reluctantly handed the building back to the Education Department. While the property which abuts the Warburton Primary School is part of the school land there are a number of complicated road and subdivision issues that have plagued early attempts to obtain titles to the land, and address issues such as sewerage and road access. In a letter dated 12 February this year, the Chief Executive Officer of the VSBA, Chris Keating responded on behalf of the Minister. "A key element of any decision regarding the future of the building will be whether an organisation or community group can commit to take responsibility for the building," he advised. "Since the building is not an education facility, its ongoing management does not fall within the remit of the Department of Education and Training. "In the meantime, I can confirm that the possible disposal of the building will be placed on hold while these matters are investigated." Last year, in a list of 16 issues that impact on the future sale/ownership of the centre, Mr Wolstencroft identified that the centre does not sit on a separate distinct title and any sale process would require title boundaries to be redrawn. Detailing a complicated series of ownership