401 people oppose rehab centre
A petition signed by 401 people has called on Baw Baw Shire to refuse a permit allowing the Ice Meltdown Project to utilise the former Athlone Primary School.
The petition was tabled by Cr Peter Kostos at last week’s council meeting as part of an objection to a planning permit application seeking to use the former Athlone school for addiction recovery programs.
Petitioners said the Athlone community “do not want this application to proceed due to ongoing concerns relating to the predations of the project, lack of community consultation and inability of the Ice Meltdown Project to submit a full application to the shire planning department to allow transparency of the proposal.”
Cr Keith Cook said the community had raised concerns about the proposal in February.
He said community members had requested to meet with the applicants on a number of occasions but it had not occurred.
“It has left the community to fear the worst and now we have a petition signed by 401 people,” he said.
Council agreed to receive the petition and will consider it as an objection to the planning permit process.
The Education Department has granted permission to not-for-profit group Ice Meltdown Project to use the now closed school site in Drouin-Korumburra Rd for a “community support facility”.
Project volunteers lodged a planning application on December 15 last year and it was advertised on April 3.
The Athlone community has held several public meetings to discuss the matter and Baw Baw Shire has received many objections.
In its application, Ice Meltdown Project advised it proposed to use the school for counselling programs (group and one-on-one sessions); educational activities focusing on life skills such as cooking; therapy sessions (including family therapy); physical activities; motivational speakers; provision of meals; and art classes and activities.
It is also aimed to be a base for the group’s office and administration.
Shire planners have sought additional information for the application. The application will be considered at a future council meeting.