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Campaspe Shire Council knocks back $3 million to revamp Aquatic Reserve
TUESDAY night’s Campaspe Shire Council meeting descended into chaos as councillors rejected $3 million in Victorian Government funding to overhaul Echuca’s Aquatic Reserve.
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Five councillors voted against accepting Regional Development Victoria’s cash, claiming they did not have all the information needed to make a decision.
Instead they proposed to discontinue plans and a business case for “the so-called Echuca Entertainment Precinct”.
The $3 million was committed last month as part of the government’s $2.7 billion building works package for projects deemed ‘shovel ready’ to drive new economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But that funding was knocked back at the ordinary council meeting after Deputy Mayor Vicki Neele said there were other projects “worthy of investment” in the shire.
She said council had spent $25 million in the Port of Echuca area in the past decade.
“We have a number of projects better for tourism. I worry we are spending $3 million on something that doesn’t need improving,” Cr Neele said.
“We have a number of other areas where events could take place, I don’t think it is necessary to change the ambiance of Aquatic Reserve to add more electricity points and spaces for marquees.
“We have a fabulous wharf we could just open up and people would enjoy what we have.
“Three million dollars is a bonus if it is spent in the right way. But no money is considered a bonus if we don’t reap the rewards of that development.”
It was a move seconded by Cr Annie Vickers but dubbed as “bullsh#t” by Cr Daniel Mackrell and criticised by councillors Leanne Pentreath, Neil Pankhurst and Leigh Wilson.
“If this was the Fauna Park it would get the tick. How will Kathryn Mackenzie and the Echuca Moama Tourism board sell this on TV?” Cr Mackrell said.
“I feel affronted … I have no idea why Cr Neele wants to bugger up the Aquatic Reserve.”
“It is criminal, as councillors, to give this up. It is not about personal views, it’s about what the ratepayer wants,” Cr Pentreath said.
Cr Vickers said she believed the plans lacked detail.
“I am yet to see a business plan to come to me on this, I have seen five pages at a briefing session,” she said.
“I don’t think this is the time to start putting ourselves out by agreeing to this (and contributing a significant amount of ratepayer funds) during COVID-19, we may need to spend that money on our community to keep them surviving.”
A plan for the Onion Patch and Aquatic Reserve was drawn up in 2015 before a previous council voted in favour of it a year later.
In 2017 Cr Neele and Cr Vickers endorsed the Echuca-Moama community 2017/18 implementation plan, which included $102,000 to review and upgrade the Aquatic Reserve Master Plan to include the Onion Patch and riverside area.
A plan for Aquatic Reserve was also listed in council’s advocacy priorities for 2018-2021 alongside Victoria Park, Echuca East Recreation Reserve, the Echuca Station Precinct, major road works, The Murray River Adventure Trail, The Murchison to Heathcote Trail, Gargarro gardens and a number of education priorities — including the new Echuca Specialist School.
These projects were presented by Campaspe Shire as being ‘shovel ready’ plans that were researched and planned with communities but requiring financial support from government.
“It staggers me that council would try to stop this project,” Cr Pankhurst said.
“(The other projects in the shire) have been raised in the conversations with RDV and it is them who decided the funding should be committed to see this project through.
“We are attracting funding from other levels of government — if we don’t, it will be the ratepayers paying.”
Council officers recommended noting a business case will be progressed and the project will be completed with a $1.5 million top up by ratepayers.
But councillors voted five to four against accepting the state cash.
“To refuse $3 million in funding, to put the mayor and other councillors in the position to look an MP in the eye when we have this great plan — it’s a breakdown in trust,” Cr Wilson said.
“This is a great multiplier of funds in the region. I would be embarrassed as a councillor to walk down the street and say, ‘I turned down the state funding’.”
Speaking to the motion before it went to a vote, Cr Neele said she knew the decision would be a divisive one.
“I love Echuca, despite what has been said, but I think it is better to run the risk of refusing this option that will diminish one of our natural attractions,” she said.
Cr Mackrell said he intended to submit a rescission motion, meaning the decision was likely to come back to council.
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