MADRA November News
Affordable housing for Mallacoota?
Co-operative housing is an alternative to rental or private ownership. It provides a secure, long-term tenancy with affordable rent. As part of a Co-op you are also part of a community – a Co-op is run by members for the common benefit of members.
In Mallacoota and district, affordable rental housing is scarce. Many people, singles, couples and families – older people or young people wishing to find their first home – would meet the income requirements to be eligible for Co-op housing, allowing them to have secure long-term accommodation.
Common Equity Housing Ltd is a registered Housing Association and works with Homes Vic to build and service Co-ops across Victoria. There is more information on the CEHL website: https://www.cehl.com.au/
Are you interested? MADRA has arranged with CEHL to present an information session (no obligation!) on Co-op housing. The session will be held on Tuesday 6 December, time and venue to be confirmed.
If you are interested, please email MADRA to help us estimate numbers and choose a suitable venue: madra.3892@gmail.com. Once the details are confirmed, MADRA will let the community know. The meeting will be open to all.
Mallacoota Airport update – new certification status
MADRA would like to share the following information from the East Gippsland Shire Council released on 11 November:
We are pleased to let you know that the Terminal Instrument Flight Procedures have now been reinstated at Mallacoota Airport – going live for pilots to use on 3 November 2022 in association with the Airport’s new certification status.
We would like to acknowledge CASA and Airservices Australia for their efforts in achieving this important milestone.
EGCF grant success
MADRA recently provided letters of support for three local initiatives putting applications into the latest round of East Gippsland Community Foundation grants, and we are delighted to see they have all been successful! Congratulations to the Mallacoota Pony Club, Wilderness Collective and Mallacoota Events ‘Bastion Beats’, and well done to everyone involved.
IGEM meeting
Save the date – Inspector-General for Emergency Management Tony Pearce is planning a meeting in Mallacoota for the community to feedback on government’s progress with implementing recommendations from the Inquiry into the 2019-20 Victorian Fire Season. The meeting is planned for Monday 12 December; more details to follow.
New committee member
We have recently welcomed Ashley Turner as a new member of the MADRA committee. Thanks for offering your time, energy and skills, Ash.
CFA sessions
For the rest of November, the Mallacoota CFA Fire Station will be open on Monday mornings between 10.00 and 11.00am and Wednesday afternoons from 4.30 to 5.30pm for community members and organisations wishing to to receive safety information or assistance with fire plans. The CFA can also tailor a specific fire safety session to specific needs or requirements.
Demolition of old Mallacoota Kindergarten scheduled
MADRA would like to share the following information we have just received from the Shire:
With the new kindergarten in Mallacoota now operational, the time has come for East Gippsland Shire Council to decommission and demolish the old building it replaced. As previously discussed with the community, the building’s age and condition make ongoing use of the facility unviable.
The old kindergarten building is not suitable for re-use or redevelopment for a number of reasons. They include corrosion of the structural steel mesh in the floor slab and blockwork ties; ground movement caused by the roots of two significant trees, which poses a structural risk; and the lightweight construction of the decades-old building. The building’s age and condition make restoration uneconomical.
Recent investment in community facilities, including the new sports pavilion and community clubrooms, Mallacoota Hall, and planned $493,000 upgrade of the Mudbrick Pavilion has ensured that Mallacoota has a broad range of new and upgraded facilities to cater for a range of community uses, making retention of this structurally unsound building unnecessary.
The decommissioned was delayed while power was re-routed to other facilities but is now scheduled to be undertaken next Monday and Tuesday. This will ensure the site is not looking unsightly over summer.
Council has worked with some community groups to support the re-use of some components from the building that are still in a usable and safe condition. This salvage will occur once the building is down.