As the upgraded visitor information centre, cinema and cafe complex edges closer to breaking ground a section of the community is opposing its design.
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Many took the opportunity to submit questions to Wednesday's Benalla Rural City Planning and Development committee meeting, after images of the complex were published in The Ensign last week.
Many were requesting the opportunity to provide more community feedback into the design, and project.
Benalla Mayor Danny Claridge was keen to assure local residents the design was not finalised and there was an opportunity to offer some feedback.
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“Those pictures are from a 3D computer-generated model, which you can actually walk around virtually,” Cr Claridge said.
“Things like the colours, for example, haven’t been finalised.
“I know some people are concerned about the black finish.
“I can reassure the community that is just a computer-generated image to show what the building will look like.”
Some in town have questioned the colour of the bottom section of the design, which will be built from concrete blocks.
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Asked if this might be a good canvas for future Wall to Wall festivals Cr Claridge said "definitely".
“In fact that is something the architect was asking about, with regards to the mural which is currently on the rear of the Visitor Information Centre,” he said.
Cr Claridge also confirmed the design of the lower section was made with the area's potential to flood in mind.
“Downstairs will be the splash park toilets and changing rooms,” he said.
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Cr Claridge said it had a similar design concept to Benalla Library, whereby the bottom section, which was prone to flooding, could simply be mopped out and cleaned easily after a flooding event.
“And we haven’t decided if it will just be the cement blocks, or if there will be a waterproof membrane that could be painted,” he said.
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“But those types of details haven't been sorted out yet and the community will have input into those decisions.
“I think people will enjoy the (complex) when it's completed, with the comfortable leather seating in the cinema, for example.
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“And the cafe will allow people to go to the splash park and have a bite to eat before heading home.
“The cinema will also be available for things like seminars, and council presentations, for example.
“And in the summer we might be able to put on free movies for the kids every now and again.”
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Questions put to council at the meeting included:
● What is the environmental rating of the proposed building?
● Is there a business plan for the proposal?
● What is council's understanding of community engagement?
● When will the project go out to tender?
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To summarise, the build goes over and above legal environmental ratings.
Council chief executive officer Dom Testoni confirmed there was a business plan, which would be elaborated on at the council's meeting on Wednesday, September 1.
Mr Testoni also went into details on the various methods of community engagement used by the council regarding this project.
He also confirmed the project would go out to tender in September.
● To read Mr Testoni's full response to questions asked at Wednesday's council meeting, there is an extended version of this article at www.benallaensign.com.au
Environmental rating:
“I will read a quick email from the architects,” Mr Testoni told the meeting.
“The building has been designed to… satisfy provisions under section J of the building code of Australia.
“In addition to these minimum standards, additional materials have been chosen over and above, such as double-glazed glass windows and doors (and) an increase in the R rating for insulation.
“We’re installing water tanks and the council is looking to install a solar system to offset a lot of the council buildings.”
Business plan:
The simple answer is yes,” Mr Testoni told the meeting.
“Council has put a great deal of consideration into this particular development. The concept of the Visitor Information Centre development goes back to about 2010.
“It first appeared in the council plan about 2013, and has remained so even in the current plan.
“We have modelled the financials on moving the cinema across to the new development.
“What the council is doing is not running two cinemas. It is looking to relocate the cinema from the current BPACC building into a new purpose built facility across the road (from the council civic centre).
“BPACC as an entity was continuing to increase its losses each year, and it reached a loss of around $275,000 about two years ago.
“One of the decisions council looked at while undertaking this particular strategy was that we lost access to all government grants about three years ago.
“By exiting BPACC… a lot of the costs associated with operating BPACC as an entity, not just the cinema component, won't remain.
“So when we operate the cinema in the new facility it will just be the cinema only.
“And the modelling indicates that we can actually run it at a significant return to the community over and above the current model of the BPACC building.”
Community engagement:
“Our understanding is the community engagement principals, or the policy, allows the council to consider varied levels of consultation with the community,” Mr Testoni told the meeting.
“From just to inform, right up to where we’d like the community to make the decision.
“It has been widely bandied around town that we had no consultation on this particular project.
“I’d like to report that the council has actually taken on board and has communicated on many times, this particular project to the community.
“Since it became widely publicised in May last year, some 15 months ago, we have spoken about this project on many occasions.
“We’ve had many meetings with the Benalla Historical Society. It’s appeared on the front page of the Benalla Ensign on June 17 last year.
“It was listed for discussion at the Planning and Development Committee meeting in June last year.
“It has also appeared in the June edition of the council news. It also appeared in the July edition of the council news.
“It is also a project that was up for community consultation for the adoption of the 2020-21 budget.
“We’ve also had several meetings with key user groups including the Benalla Historical Society, but we’ve also had several meetings with the Benalla Theatre Company and BPACC user groups.
“I’ve also presented and discussed the project at the Rotary club.
“And I’ve also met with many other individuals and actually visited their houses when they have reached out to us to discuss the project more broadly...
“I am also acutely aware that councillors have been engaging with many community members over the past 15 months about this particular project.
“So I would think that we have actually stuck by the rules of what our community engagement policy is.”