The Hilltops Council's plans for an education precinct in Young took a giant leap forward last week, but two major community groups are at loggerheads over the initiative.
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Young Community Arts Centre Trust Secretary/Treasurer Nonette Brown said they object to the proposal and that there was no consultation regarding this matter with the Board of Trustees of the Community Arts Centre.
"There was a meeting on the July 24 where we were told that the decision had already been made and Council were going ahead with obtaining the land and buildings from the Lands Department and would be building a new Library and Education Precinct on part of the site," she said.
"Local residents would know the amount and type of traffic along Campbell Street. This would be a dangerous place to build a library.
"The Council is not providing any additional parking and in fact, will be taking away the bottom car park for the new library."
Mrs Brown said the Council already has a more suitable site for the education precinct to be built.
"They already have land – the land behind the Council chambers, they could retain the parking and build a library above the existing parking," she said.
But Hilltops Country University Centre Committee Member Kaliegh Smerdon has asked those in opposition to the precinct to work with the Council rather than against them.
"It was disappointing to see that this fantastic investment in our community was met with such opposition," she said.
"We have been working for the last two years to establish a facility in the region that will support students wishing to gain a tertiary education.
"We have fantastic childcare, primary and secondary schools and a recently upgraded TAFE and adding the university centre to the mix would ensure we could support learners at all levels. We could truly establish the Hilltops region as a centre of educational excellence."
Mrs Smerdon said she understood the concerns for this site were around accessibility, parking, safety and the potential for increased rent.
"Council has confirmed that rents will not increase and the other concerns will be addressed in the planning and design of the facility," she said.
"The Campbell street site is the most suitable for a variety of reasons and was selected after careful consideration. It is good that stakeholders have raised their concerns but now let’s invest our time and energy in collaborating to find a mutually beneficial solution and assist in the planning and design of the precinct. Let's work together and not miss out on another opportunity for our region to be progressive."
Craig Thomson
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
