Last week Lakes Entrance Action and Development Association (LEADA) members Boyd McPhee, Bruce Hurley, Sharen Cameron, Michelle Whelan and Sandi Kate Hutchins sat down with East Gippsland Shire chief executive officer Fiona Weigall, general manager assets and environment Stuart McConnell and mayor John White to discuss successes over the past 12 months and to work together on strategies to progress Lakes Entrance going forward.
Ms Weigall highlighted the achievements in Lakes Entrance including Bullock Island, The Footbridge Precinct and Marine Parade improvements. She was also keen to focus on the recently documented Council Plan where more than 4000 community members were engaged in providing public feedback. This included budget and strategic documents which will guide the Shire over the past five years. These can be viewed on the council website.
Cr White took the opportunity to talk about the new EGSC Community Directory, which is up and running online, launched last week.
“Updates to the directory are instantaneous” Cr White said.
Both LEADA and council agreed the new Sports Stadium Precinct to be constructed near the Aquadome is the number one priority. Now the State Government has signed off on the $800,000 design phase the Community Reference Group will be formed over coming weeks and the real planning can begin.
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LEADA has been keen for the shire to
have an overall plan for the Palmers Road site which includes sizable land and the old shire offices.
“A Master Plan for this site is some time away as the building is currently used as office space,” Mr McConnell said.
“We are, however, focused on providing the foundation works so that CFA and
Emergency Services can relocate in the foreseeable future.”
Sharen Cameron, who has been chair of Business Tourism and Events (BTE) for the past seven months, was canvasing support from East Gippsland Shire for business owners. The BTE committee has been working hard to provide marketing and leadership information to businesses and become active members of LEADA BTE.
Mr McConnell pointed out this is an opportunity to work with businesses to improve CBD facilities.
“It was important to speak to businesses face to face to address issues and support opportunities,” Sharen said.
Two other issues were discussed at some length – The Surf Club Master Plan and Walking Track improvements. Bruce Hurley has been passionate about getting the walking tracks around Lakes well maintained with appropriate signage and documents to walkers made available.
LEADA sees that while EGSC has made some inroads in this regard there is still a lot of work to be done. The strategy will be to form a community working party with shire support to move forward in this regard.
LEADA also reported there was good news on the Krauatungalung Walk. The next stage of the work will start in the near future. Community members who are interested in having input into walks are asked to contact Bruce Hurley or Boyd McPhee of LEADA.
On the Surf Club front, the shire, Surf Life Saving Lakes Entrance and LEADA are keen to get the ball rolling on providing a Master Plan of works needed on the south end
of the footbridge.
Members of LEADA were appreciative of the opportunity to talk constructively with EGSC and thanked Cr White for making the time to discuss issues.
“It was a very positive forum,” chair of LEADA Boyd McPhee said.
The town has just been nominated in
the Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s (VTIC) Top Tourist Town population
over 5000 category. You can vote via the the VTIC website.
