JrĂš'i i t y
April, 1988
College newsletter
no. 35
Photograph by Angus Smallwood
COLLEGE FACES PARTIAL CLOSURE IF FIRE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET In 1987 the College was advised by the Melbourne City Council and by the Board of the Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade that should certain fire protection requirements not be met within a reasonable period the College could face partial closure above ground floor level. Trinity College, along with many other colleges of the University of Melbourne, was visited by the Fire Board, who, after negotiations, presented the College with a list of minimum requirements which were to be implemented over a 3 to 5 year period. These requirements include: Smoke curtains in the hollow roof space of Behan, Clarkes, and Bishops' Automatic sprinkler system in the Dining Hall, kitchen, Bishops', Clarke, Behan and Cowan Smoke lobbies and automatically closing doors with magnetic holders Fire rated solid core doors with steel jambs and lintels on every room in the College, and Abolition of all fanlights above doors. The cost of implementing the above will be approximately $800,000.
2. Levy on Student Fees In 1987 the fees stood at $163 per week. If the fees were raised by $25 to $188 per week, enough funds would be raised to implement the fire protection programme, but many students would be unable to remain in residence and the socio-economic mix of the College population would be greatly restricted. 3. Funding by Parents Through the Foundation If every parent were to become a Member of the Foundation at $2,000, the cost to them over a three-year period would actually be less than if they were to pay a levy of $25 per week, given that all donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. There is no tax-deduction for fees. The third option has been chosen with the Foundation undertaking to raise the $800,000 required by launching an appeal to the Parent Body. This appeal was begun at the end of 1987 and the parents have responded generously. If the College were to be closed above ground floor level, the number of places available would be reduced to a quarter of the present number and Trintity would no longer be viable. At the time of going to press $145,000 in pledges had been raised.
The Leeper Building is to be used only for the Library and offices, and not for residential purposes. As a result the Sub-Dean has moved to the Vatican taking over the offices previously used by the Foundation. These offices have been converted into a self-contained apartment. The Foundation is now located on the first floor of the Leeper Building. The university colleges are not the only institutions to be faced with such a daunting proposition. Many buildings in the inner city area are closed above the ground floor because their owners are unable to fulfil the requirements of the Fire Board.
UNION OF THE FLEUR-DE-LYS
Recently the Melbourne Club has undertaken fire protection work on its premises. The funds required were raised largely from the profit made through the sale of several of its paintings. The College does not own any paintings which would be appropriate to sell.
ANNUAL DINNER
Various options for raising the $800,000 required were considered:
COLLEGE DINING HALL
1. Government Grant The Government has gradually withdrawn all support for university colleges over the past few years. Investigations were made and it was clear that no grant for fire protection would be made by either the State or the Federal Government.
INVITATION ENCLOSED WITH THIS NEWSLETTER
FRIDAY, 17th JUNE, 1988
A PUBLICATION OF TRINITY COLLEGE WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Registered by Australia Post—Publication No. VBG 4336.