69 McLachlan St Update - The Tiny Towns Fund application has been submitted to Regional Development Victoria for a $50,000 grant for minor works to the building to facilitate its use by the community. We will know the outcome in May and are feeling hopeful. Council is now inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from entities that wish to take ownership of the property to ensure its future and ongoing community use. As you know, ABCV will be making a submission on your behalf. Originally it was intended to apply on behalf of the community for a Trust to be created as the owner and an incorporated association to be formed to manage it.We are thrilled that Great Ocean Road Health (GORH) has proposed to be the Manager of the property which saves the formation of another incorporated body and removes the problem of finding new people to be on yet another committee. GORH will look after bookings at no charge for community use; maintenance; cleaning; will have better access to grants to build a new facility in time; they have DGR status, so no rates/taxes will apply, etc. They will ensure it is accessible to the community and community groups, similar to Marrar Woorn Having liaised with various stakeholder groups and the GORH Board, the ABCV committee is now seeking the community’s support to submit an EOI to the Council, on the community’s behalf, suggesting that the ownership of the property be transferred to a Charitable Trust, of 5 Trustees, to protect the property from being sold and to ensure its ongoing community use. The Trust will then hold a Management Contract with GORH, who will take charge of the facility’s operation. This proposal must be submitted to Council by the 22nd of March. Please let us know your thoughts as we are most excited about this structure, having given it a lot of thought, having received legal advice and feel confident that it will achieve the best outcomes for the community now and into the future.
Meetings with Colac Otway Shire - The first meeting for this year between ABCV and the Shire is now scheduled for mid- March and dates for a further 3 meetings in June, September and December have been confirmed.
Meetings with GORCAPA Similarly, ABCV will meet with GORCAPA in March as the first for the year and will schedule dates for the remainder of 2024.
Bass Strait Freight (BSF) Information Session an initiative of BSF was held on Monday to provide information about their proposal to truck up to 25,000 head of cattle per year through Apollo Bay harbour from King Island. Briefly, the intention is to bring a shipload of 450 head of cattle to be loaded into 10 semi-trailers to be transported to Colac, at least 43 times per year. BSF provided assurances that smell, and effluent will not be problematic. Meeting attendees voiced concerns regarding traffic management, noise in residential streets, impact on roads, the fishing industry and tourism. Information packs were provided regarding the proposal which currently cannot proceed as Colac Otway Shire has not granted permission for BSF’s vessel to enter the harbour. There is too much detail to provide here but the following documents are available below
BSF Information Pack
BSF Draft Environmental Management Plan
Draft Transport Management Plan
Please email us at any time with any general concerns, queries, or comments to apllobayvoice@gmail.com or via our facebook page or our website www.abcvoice.com.au
Jane Gross
President
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