Hepburn Shire Council has resolved to pause its Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Pavilion construction project while it addresses the location of the pavilion at the Reserve.
Council CEO, Bradley Thomas said the first step in designing the renovation or pavilion replacement was to assess the suitability of the site in case of bushfire.
Council adopted the Glenlyon Recreation Reserve Masterplan at the April meeting, which included the need for a new pavilion. While it endorsed the renovation or replacement of the existing pavilion, works were undertaken to determine the best location for a new building, given the requirements of emergency overlays.
“We have found that unfortunately, even if we heavily managed vegetation around the building, it would still not satisfy bushfire regulations,” said Mr Thomas.
“These regulations are even more stringent with a public building as it may be used as an informal public refuge during an emergency event.”
Works to renovate the old pavilion to significantly improve the functionality, while complying with bushfire, flood and heritage overlays, also appear to not be viable and if the building is retained, any works would be limited to minor works, said Mr Thomas.
“Concept plans will be paused while all options are considered. Council will establish a Project Advisory Group to assist with the investigation of alternate location options, whether a pavilion should be built at an alternate site or the potential for minor renovations to the existing pavilion that considers the heritage values and key uses of the reserve.”
“We will proceed to analyse issues around fire and flood impact, as well as access, with the assistance of the Project Control Group, and we would expect to call for members of the PCG in late 2024 or early 2025,” he said.
More information on the Masterplan is available at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/glenlyon-recreation-reserve-masterplan.
