5 million funding boost for
the development of a new learning and community facility
Recently the State Government announced a $5 million funding boost for the
development of a new learning and community facility on the current
Grevillea Park PS site. This comes on top of $1 million received from the
Community Support Fund and $1.06 from the Community Facilities Fund. The
facility will be the first of it’s kind in Victoria, possibly Australia
and is creating a fair amount of excitement in the community.
The new state of the art centre will dedicate itself to life-long
learning, providing opportunities for residents aged 0 - 100. Grevillea
Park and Yuille Primary Schools will amalgamate to form a new school, with
a new name, new uniform and learning environments that will deliver
education in a very modern and different way. The school component will
cater for children from Prep to Year 8.
There will be a Children Service’s Centre, which will house a
kindergarten, child-care, occasional child-care and other services such as
Maternal & Child Health.
The Community House will relocate to the facility and provide an endless
number of exciting programs, courses and classes in a fresh, bright, more
spacious environment.
The centre will provide joint facilities such as a commercial kitchen,
function rooms, technology rooms, a gym, a library and an art area
complete with a kiln room for the potters among you and a multi-function
hall that can be hired for weddings, birthdays and other special events.
This is an exciting time for Wendouree West and the new complex will draw
interest from across Australia and put Wendouree West on the map as one of
the leaders in modern education, with state of the art facilities.
Additional
funding for development of Educational Precinct in Wendouree West
A significant feature of the
Wendouree West Community Renewal Project has involved plans for the
development of a community HUB and Educational Precinct in Wendouree West.
Additional funding of $1,061,358.00 for the
development of stage 2 of the Wendouree West Educational Precinct from the
Community Facilities Fund was announced to the Wendouree West Community by
Karen Overington MLA Member for Ballarat West on Friday, 7th October,
2005.
This grant will support the completion of a Multipurpose Facility,
Information Technology Centre, Visual Arts/Music Centre and Playgrounds on
the Grevillea Park Primary School site and will be available for all
members of the community, including the local schools.
Stage 1 of the project was supported with a grant of approximately
$1,000,000.00 from the Community Support Fund and included the
redevelopment of the shopfront in Wendouree West as an integral part of
the Community Hub. Some of the funding from this initial grant will
also be used towards development of stage 2 of the project.
This is an exciting project which will provide significant support for the
community in Wendouree West. This project has been the direct outcome of
extensive community consultation, including a community education forum
and the Community Education Precinct is based on the principle of meeting
the life long learning needs of the Wendouree West community.
Prior & Cheney Architects have been engaged to design and implement the
project which when completed next year will provide joint use facilities
for school and community purposes.
Wendouree West History Display
The Wendouree West Community
Renewal received an invitation, late last year, from Roger Trudgeon,
Manager of the Ballarat Gold Museum. The invitation was for members of the
Wendouree West Community to research the History of Wendouree West and
then to display the history in the Ballarat Gold Museum.
A group of 8 residents from Wendouree West formed the 'Wendouree
West History Group' and took up the challenge. Members of the group were:
Fiona Beaumont (convenor), Lynette Metz, Margaret Fry, Beryl Gladman,
Frances Bilston, Sherrin Caird, Rebecca Beaumont (student) and Ian Miller.
The History Group has had numerous visits, over the past nine months, to
the Australiana Reference Room at the Central Highlands Regional Library,
the Public Records Office, local schools, pre schools, workplaces etc. as
well as interviewing many former residents, current long-time residents
and other individuals that have had an association with Wendouree West.
The 'History of Wendouree West' display was launched on Thursday, 1st
September, 2005 by Karen Overington, MA, Member for Ballarat, and will be
available for viewing until 20th November, 2005.
Although the display has been launched, the History Group will still be
following leads and further researching the history of Wendouree West.
If you can help the History Group with their research, please leave your
contact details either at the Wendouree West Community Renewal Office at
1223 Grevillea Road, Wendouree
or email:
fionabeaumont71@hotmail.com so the History Group can contact you in
due course.
Malthouse returns to
old stomping grounds
Malthouse, who grew up in Wendouree
West, was happy to be home mixing with more than 1000 Ballarat students as
part of the Education Foundation's fourth annual Back To School Day.
He visited BSC Wendouree Campus and Our Lady Help of Christians, on
Tuesday, 17th May, where he spoke to pupils from Grevillea Park, Yuille
and St Augustine's Creswick primary schools.
As part of the visit, Malthouse was reunited with his junior football
coach, Clarrie Schulz and wife Betty, who showed him old photographs taken
during his playing days in Ballarat.
Malthouse started his football journey with Wendouree West Junior Football
Club, which was started by Mr Schulz in the early 1960s.
Malthouse also had a serious message to send to the students from his old
town. He urged them to make a decision with life and to chase their
dreams.
Mick Malthouse speaks to students from
OLHC, Grevillea Park,
Yuille, and St Augustine's Primary Schools.
Renewal program boost
BALLARAT'S
thriving Wendouree West Neighbourhood Renewal program will be expanded as
part of an $84.6 million initiative.
Aboriginal Affairs and Aged Care Minister Gavin Jennings, in Ballarat last
week, announced the extension of the program to another four areas on top
of the existing 15, as part of the State Government's four-year $788
million
A Fairer Victoria package, part of tomorrow's State Budget.
"Wendouree West has been a fantastic success in terms of communities who
take control of their own destiny," Mr Jennings said.
"We are going to expand that program, to actually develop more aspects of
Neighbourhood Renewal in Wendouree West.
"Our government recognises it's a model for neighbourhood renewal right
throughout Victoria.
"We're talking about the way the community comes together in Wendouree
West."
Mayor David Vendy said he was delighted by the Wendouree West Renewal
Project.
"It really is a great project and it has helped in the revitalisation of
that area of Ballarat," Cr Vendy said.
Ballarat East MLA Geoff Howard said the money would help reduce
disadvantage and improve opportunities for residents and families in the
region. We want to make Victoria the best place, and the fairest state, to
bring up a family."
The A Fairer Victoria package, which focuses on disadvantaged groups and
communities, also details a range of initiatives for the Ballarat and
Grampians areas.
It includes an Aboriginal land and economic development program to involve
more indigenous people in land and resource management, sustainable
tourism and business opportunities.
It also outlines new supported playgroups in Ballarat, the extension of
the community-based Family Support Initiative Program.
The package will also work with Indigenous families through a
Ballarat-based Aboriginal Family Support Initiative program.
Mr Jennings said another highlight would be the linking of the Ballarat
Aboriginal museum to a new 250km tourism trail.
He said the Kirrit Barreet Museum would form part of the Bunjil trail and
would begin at the Bunjil's Shelter in the Gariwerd/Grampians National
Park and finish at Lady Julia Percy Island.
Across Victoria the social policy package will deliver $101.8 million for
children, $180.3 million to support Victorians with mental illness and
$119.5 million for Victorians with disabilities.
Jaycees Park receives new
name and $320,000 facelift
On Wednesday,
2nd February, 2005, The former Jaycees Park, at the corner of Norman and
Gillies streets in Wendouree, was re-opened and renamed Weeramar
Park, which means `play' in the language of
the Dja Dja Wurung/Wathaurong people.
Premier Steve Bracks, whose father was one of the inaugural members of
Jaycees, reopened the revamped park which has undergone a $320,000
facelift.
The park received its former name after the Wendouree Jaycees group which
helped develop the park and planted hundreds of trees.
$1 Million Ministerial HUB Announcement
On July 13, 2004, The Wendouree West Community
welcomed Victorian
Communities Minister John Thwaites and Housing Minister Candy Broad
together with Ballarat West MLA Karen Overington,
Catherine King, UnitingCare's chief
executive officer Cliff Barclay and other distinguished
guests. Wendouree West Neighborhood Renewal Project manager
Gerardine Christou,
Convenor of the Residents Group, Kevin Waugh and many friends, lead the
Ministers on a tour
of Wendouree West, the Ministers announced that
Wendouree West had received funding of $1M to help build the first
stage of the Community Hub, adjacent to the
Grevillea Park Primary School., The hub will house learning, health-care,
childcare, employment and recreation facilities for the area, which will
link into the primary school. An enjoyable day was had
by all.
Jaycees Park.
Works have been underway on the
park for some months and are now nearing completion. A Community working bee was
held on Saturday May 22nd. The weather was lovely for what turned out to be very
productive day. Around 70 people turned up to help with the construction of the
playground, planting trees and spreading mulch. The park has been transformed
into a beautiful area where families can spend time together enjoying a
barbeque, relaxing and playing. Other features of the park include around 80 new
trees, a shelter, tables and benches.
The Ballarat City Council played a major role in the redesign and construction of the area. The Wendouree West community would like to acknowledge and thank the Council for their dedication and hard work on this project. There are many other organisations that contributed to the working bee and again the community is grateful to these organisations.
Thanks also to the wonderful residents who turned up and helped out. You showed much enthusiasm and worked hard, it was greatly appreciated.
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BMX Track update
The youth in the area have
something to smile and celebrate about…the BMX track is open and ready for use.
The youth have had plenty of input into the design of the new track and have
created something very exciting. The
track has been moved from the back of the oval to the front of the oval. This
provides the site with much more security and natural surveillance.
People can be seen
at all hours of the day enjoying the facility and there is a smaller track for
the younger children in the area.
There will be a
grand opening in the coming months, but the track is open for use now.
Created: 20th July, 2004
BMX Track... The community consultation has
finally taken place and the works are due to begin after Easter. There has been
some wonderful input into the design by the young people of the area and they
have worked really hard to ensure a track that is safe and suitable for all to
use. The old BMX Track will stay in place will stay in place until the new one
is opened. For security reasons, the track will be relocated the front of the
reserve. It is hoped the track will be operational by the end of May.
Community Gym... The community are in the
process of setting up a gym in one of the Violet Gve shops. The Gym will be
available for everyone to use...
Created: 23rd March, 2004
Wendouree
West Community Gateway
www.wendoureewest.com is Launched...
Wednesday December 10, 2003, saw Wendouree West take a step forward in the
technology age with the launch of the Wendouree West Community Gateway. The
Honourable Minister for ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) Marsha
Thompson officially launched the website at Central Highlands Regional Library
Corporation.
The launch was a result of many months of hard
work for all who help put together and manage the Gateway and all should be
congratulated on quality of the website.
The website is now online and can be accessed at
www.wendoureewest.com.
A First for Victoria & A First
For Wendouree West...
Wendouree
West has a new voice - an informative interactive website that not only
shows the world what is happening in Wendouree West, but also enables the
residents to access up-to-date information, and share in community information
and events.
The Wendouree West Community Gateway will provide
access for residents on a wide range of topics. It is a valuable tool for
residents enabling the Wendouree West community to showcase the community
renewal process and provide relevant and timely information online.
The Bee logo has been chosen to relate the botanical theme (streets being named
after flowers) and will represent the Community of Wendouree West becoming
connected through the Community Renewal and our Gateway.
Our team of volunteers (all residents of
Wendouree West) have been working with the Gateway Coordinator and spent the
recent months researching and gathering content from the Internet and designing
and developing the many pages that will be a part of the completed Wendouree
West Community Gateway.
Created: 27th November, 2003
Community Renewal
Renewal
Committees Restructure...
As the Renewal entered a new phase in its
process, so too did the structure and formation of committees and working
parties. For us to have long term, sustainable programs we needed to focus
on involving more residents.
After much discussion and
planning, we decided the only way forward is by involving more residents. We
gave every member of the community the opportunity to become involved. It’s
important we all have a say in determining our future and that of the community.
As of the 21st July, 2003 all
Resident positions within the Renewal were vacated. Residents nominated for as
many committees or groups they liked. Prospective recruits were given
information on this process, along with a booklet outlining possible areas of
involvement. All residents were successful in obtaining positions within the
Renewal.
Residents expressing an
interest, or willingness to be involved were
invited to attend a meeting on Monday 25th August at Grevillea Park Primary
School. At the meeting we talked through the restructure, explained roles
of resident representatives and called for nominations for these positions in
each committee. Voting was done by a secret ballot. Newly formed committees met
in early September.
Created: 27th November, 2003
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