CONFLICT COST

10 March 2010

CATHY HARBISON

ALL health services in Merino could cease if the VCAT appeal launched by Merino resident, Chris Riches against demolishing two buildings covered by a heritage overlay is upheld.

Mr Riches lodged his appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last Friday against the Glenelg Shire Council’s decision at their February 23 meeting to approve a permit to demolish and remove the former scout hall and RSL buildings at 19 and 21 High St and replace them with a purpose built community health centre.

The appeal states that ‘council acted contrary to the advice of two heritage advisors, found contrary to the state policy for heritage, council’s own municipal strategic statement, council’s own strategic futures plan and the purpose of heritage overlay provisions in approving the demolition of these two buildings’.

Mr Riches, who spoke to his objections at the council meeting, had argued that the community health centre could easily be built on several other vacant sites in High St outside the heritage overlay area.

He said he had already offered WDHS some vacant land of a similar size, at 16 Burke St that he owned but his offer had been rejected.

Mr Riches said the problem was of WDHS’ own making because chief executive James Fletcher had given an ultimatum to Glenelg Shire that health services in Merino would be relocated to Coleraine if the current site could not be developed for a new community health centre.

On Friday Mr Fletcher confirmed his position to the Casterton News and pointed out that the Merino project was only one of several for WDHS.

He said the High St site was the only suitable area in Merino for the new centre but if the issue dragged on too long and the federal funds were lost WDHS would reallocate the money set aside for Merino elsewhere.

“If this threat is allowed to carry weight it places this committee between a rock and a hard place,” Mr Riches told the councillors on February 23.

“Which is the lesser of the evils? Lose heritage values or a local health facility,” he asked.

Mr Riches lives in Maud St behind the site for the new community health centre and is also disturbed by the plans for the new community health centre building submitted by WDHS to Glenelg Shire.

He told the Casterton News that he was prepared to purchase the former scout hall from WDHS, return it to a useable condition and offer it rent free as a space for local artists to display and sell their work, which would increase tourism opportunities and contribute to the local economy.

On February 15 Mr Riches lodged a written objection to Glenelg Shire objecting on a number of grounds (increased traffic flow and noise, water and effluent disposal and possible damage to a 100 year old oak tree on his property) to the plans.

This objection also enables another appeal by Mr Riches to VCAT which would further delay WDHS’ plans as the current permit to demolish cannot begin until the plans for the new centre are approved and endorsed by Glenelg Shire.

“I think I’m fighting a principled case,” Mr Riches said.

He added that the whole planning process had been badly managed and people forced to make rearguard decisions.

He said he did not know how long it would take for his appeal to be heard by VCAT and acknowledged that the delay would place further pressure on WDHS.

Mr Fletcher has told the Casterton News the $500,000 granted through the National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program for the new Merino community health centre must be spent by January 2011 or the money returned to the Federal Government.

Now that an appeal has been lodged with VCAT, hotel owner Ian Whalley, who is also a town planner of 35 years, has urged WDHS to rethink their plans.

Mr Whalley said, in his professional opinion Mr Riches’ appeal against demolishing the old scout hall would not be upheld, but he would win the appeal against demolishing the former RSL building.

Mr Whalley pointed out that the old RSL building, if retained and restored to a safe condition would only be reducing the proposed grassed area around the new health centre by 10 per cent.

“I only want to retain the RSL building footprint and am happy to clear away the extraneous structure around the building. What is the problem with that?”

He said he was still prepared to purchase the building from WDHS, restore it and open it as a Visitor Information Centre.

He has also offered to work with WDHS through his pro bono SW-55 planning advisory service to help them run their case for the demolition of the old scout hall at the VCAT hearing.

Mr Whalley said he wanted the new community health centre in High St as planned, to retain the heritage RSL building and convert it into an information centre and resurrect the plans for an amphitheatre in Merino’s main street.

Other Merino residents, however, remain committed to the current WDHS proposal.

Locals Carmen Bryant and Dani Telley said they, and their families, had all used the bush nursing centre many times and desperately wanted the new centre to be built in Merino.

Another resident, Jan Lier, said she was unable to comment due to work conflicts of interest.

Whatever the final outcome is, the community of Merino is deeply divided and in real danger of losing all health services unless some kind of compromise can be reached.