Community key to river plan
Horsham municipal leaders will work closely with the community to complete designs for a major development on the city’s riverfront before the end of 2020.
Horsham Rural City Council’s ‘City to River Riverfront Activation Plan’ will involve the formation of a community reference group to help determine infrastructure in the first of seven precincts of the council’s City to River master plan.
The council is selecting community groups and individuals with direct interest in the project to help shape a schematic design of plans to build facilities worth millions of dollars on the northern bank of the Wimmera River, west of the Stawell Road bridge.
The council and the reference group will analyse comments from 740 submissions residents made in response to the City to River master plan to help develop the schematic design.
Mayor Mark Radford said while COVID-19 restrictions affected Horsham’s services, the council would still continue to strive to complete schematic plans for the riverfront.
“Our priority at the moment is managing COVID-19, however, the planning will proceed,” he said.
“We want to get a schematic design agreed upon by late this year – now things are going to start happening it is important we keep the ball rolling.”
Cr Radford said current restrictions would prevent the council hosting public consultations regarding the project.
“Some of the things which involve public consultation might not be possible,” he said.
“When things have quietened down a little bit the reference group and council can come together.
“If we get a concept plan by the end of the year that would be good, but we will see what happens.
“What’s happening now with COVID-19 is uncharted territory, it’s unknown, but the council will keep moving forward.”
Cr Radford said including community groups with direct interest in the project was a crucial step forward in the design phase.
“Community input said.
“Council has advertised for community members who want to be part of the reference group – this will be formed by, for example, Wimmera River Improvement Committee, Barengi Gadjin Land Council, Aboriginal advisory committee, Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Horsham Angling Club and Horsham Rural Ratepayers and Residents Association – they’ll start work over the next weeks and months to come up with their schematic design.”
Cr Radford said the reference group would work with the Horsham community and take on a key role in drafting the designs.
“The reference group’s task will be working out a design for the precinct,
“We want to get a schematic design agreed upon by late this year – now things are going to start happening it is important we keep the ball rolling” – Mark Radford
is critical,” he presenting it to the community, and then it will come to the council,” he said.
“The council takes a bit of a step back here to let this work happen and we’ll be more involved further down the track.”
Cr Radford said the council had applied for a further $500,000 in funding from the State Government.
He said the project would be unfeasible without federal and state government support.
“We have the full support of federal and state governments in doing this – we’ve applied for funding from the State Government,” he said.
“There’s no way this can happen purely out of the council’s budget.”
The council has committed $850,000 and the Federal Government $1.65-million for the $3-million project.
The State Government has yet confirm a funding commitment. to