Voice News
Public Meeting re sale of 69 McLachlan St Report
17th November
Dear Supporters
The following is a summary from last night's Public Meeting :
The community wants to ensure the maximum possible benefit is achieved from the decision that is reached for the future of the McLachlan St property.
The community is concerned that before selling any Council-owned land, Council has a clear plan of how the future needs of our growing community can be met now and into the future.
The community agrees that the two main issues Apollo Bay faces for its sustainability are social/affordable housing and child-care.
Initially, the community was campaigning for McLachlan Street to provide housing, however, the site’s size, zoning, and a lack of interest from Homes Victoria limits its suitability for housing. Also, Council is considering Nelson Street for that purpose and seems to share some confidence that housing will be achieved for Apollo Bay but cannot announce details at this stage.
Apollo Bay Community Voice (ABCV) has met with representatives from Great Ocean Road Health (GORH), Apollo Bay & District Health Foundation, AB P-12 College, AB Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, AB Arts Inc and has liaised with community members, and submits the following 3 options regarding the future of 69 McLachlan Street:
Option 1 – Guaranteed Child-Care at the Early Years Hub (EYH)
- If the Council receives assurance from the State government that the Council’s commitment of the proceeds from the sale of 69 McLachlan Street will leverage sufficient funds from the State government to build an appropriately sized Child-care Centre at the EYH then the community supports the sale. Until that assurance is established, the community feels strongly that the site should not be sold.
Option 2 – Community Flexi-Hub
- The community believes that it is Council’s responsibility to provide space for community activities and services. To that end, if Child-Care at the EYH can be achieved by the State government without a Council contribution, the community requests that the Council retains the site and seeks State infrastructure funds, to build an innovative ‘Flexi-Hub’ for the McLachlan St site. This would include 4 rooms of 80 sq m per room to be used for the community’s immediate and changing needs such as meeting rooms, arts space, GORH consulting rooms with provision for 8 car parking spaces.
Option 3 – Gift to the Community
- Community leaders have discussed whether the community could raise the finances required to purchase the site but cannot foresee how this could be achievable and certainly couldn’t come up with a proposal in the 30 days that were provided. Therefore, the community requests the Council gifts the site back to the community for community benefit and community use. We request that Council considers this option to address the imbalance of its investment in Apollo Bay.
The following motion was passed unanimously at the Community Meeting:
“That as community members, we support the ABCV’s proposed 3 options regarding the sale of 69 McLachlan Street and authorize ABCV to submit this proposal to Council on
our behalf. “
If you did not attend the Community Meeting and want to support this motion, please email ABCV at
Jane Gross
President, Apollo Bay Community Voice
PO Box 155, Apollo Bay VIC 3233
For more information please email apollobayvoice(at)gmail.com.