Council confirm Drouin pavilion demolition

A community pavilion within the Bellbird Park precinct in Drouin will be demolished.
Despite community opposition, Baw Baw Shire Council has reaffirmed its intention to demolish the Rumble Pavilion as part of the contract for construction of a new $4 million multi-use pavilion on the Lampard Rd site.
A report presenting a cost analysis of the options for maintaining the pavilion was considered by council last week before councillors decided to reaffirm its previous decision to demolish the pavilion.
In December last year, council signed a contract for construction of a new multi-purpose pavilion on the site. The project brief included demolition of the Rumble Pavilion and the current Drouin Dragons soccer club pavilion.
Demolition of the pavilion was initially signed off by council, with support of a community and user groups based project reference group, in August 2020 as part of a landscape plan adopted for Bellbird Park.
A report to council said the proposed community uses for the pavilion were aligned to a community hub.
Officers presented five options for the pavilion, ranging from demolition at a cost of $40,000, minor works to ensure the building was all abilities compliant $up to $80,000) to a $500,000 internal refurbishment to create a multi-purpose space with a kitchen.
Officers recommended council proceed with demolition, saying the pavilion did not meet modern day building stands and had inadequate all abilities access.
"To improve the quality of the facility to maximise the community use of the facility, a substantial investment would be required by council," the report said.
Crs Tricia Jones and Annemarie McCabe moved an alternative recommendation to retain the pavilion for community use and allocate $55,000 for minor improvements and upgrades to the pavilion amenities.
Cr Jones said the pavilion was currently satisfying a need in the community that council would not meet elsewhere.
"The artistic world is not well catered for. If it was not for the railway buildings at Trafalgar and Yarragon they would have nowhere - thank goodness they were not demolished.
She said the new multi-purpose building would cater for a broad mix of sporting and recreation uses but "the voices of our creative arts community have been neglected."
Cr Jones said there was a missed opportunity to use the Old Drouin Butter Factory for art activities so retaining the Rumble Pavilion was an "opportunity to right the wrong."
"The Rumble Pavilion is unique and offers flexibility for indoor and undercover activities for not only artists but the wider community.
"We are the people who say we listened to the community and we act on what they say. Well that is clearly not true from what I've heard so far on this matter," she said.
Cr McCabe said the "rustic and quirky" nature of the pavilion were part of what creative people could embrace in the building.
She said the pavilion only needed a "little TLC to be brought back to life."
"For less than $60,000 it's a small amount of funds to be spent in the short term. We are spending more money on dog parks in the shire," she said.
But Crs Jones and McCabe were the only two that voted to retain the pavilion.
Cr Darren Wallace said the proposed $55,000 would only achieve a six metre by six metre space for what is "obviously a thriving arts community."Cr Wallace said he understood the community's reluctance to give up a community building but the proposed $55,000 renovation would really only deliver a toilets upgrade - "I don't believe that would deliver a fit for purpose space."
He said after listening to community submissions about art activities already operating at Trafalgar and Yarragon railway stations, it appeared "it's difficult to travel to Trafalgar or Yarragon but it's never too difficult to travel to Drouin."
Cr Peter Kostos said council went through a very robust community consultation period which included the project reference group. "And through that process we didn't hear from these people.""Spending a small amount of money on the Rumble Pavilion to retain it is not value for money," he said.
Cr Danny Goss said the user groups were on the PRG "who unanimously supported demolition of Rumble Pavilion."
He said he was not convinced there was a use for the pavilion.
Cr Michael Leaney said there was clearly a need for a messy arts space but council needed to work with those community groups to develop a space that was appropriate.
"In this case we are trying to put a square peg into a round hole. An outdoor space is required and that's something we can look at immediately," he said.Crs Joe Gauci, Kostos, Goss, Wallace and Leaney voted to demolish the pavilion. Crs Keith Cook and Jazmin Tauru were absent.