MRRA Letter Re Kyneton Bowling Club

March 31, 2005

Re:  Kyneton Bowling Club and Use of Public Land

Chief Executive Officer, Macedon Ranges Shire Council

PO Box 151,

Kyneton,

Vic 3444

Dear Mr. Morris,

I write on behalf of the MRRA. We are perturbed at the decision of the Macedon Ranges Shire to support the Kyneton Bowling Club to build on and acquire more land adjacent to the Mechanics Institute.  We wish to lodge a strong protest.

This is Crown Land and is reserved for public use and enjoyment and not for the restricted use and private occupation by a private and commercial enterprise.

That the Council should apply to Heritage Victoria for the permit to build a significant and large addition of Club facilities, without public consultation or consent, is most disturbing.

We know by definition of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act of 1978, that this land belongs to the citizens of the Macedon Ranges in general, and the residents of Kyneton and their families and guests in particular.

As such, the Council has no right to lease this land; only the Victorian State Government can by special act legally do this.

This lease of public land for a Club building imposes on the children’s playground area, the Kyneton Library and would cause the public toilets to be demolished and relocated.

The proposed lease would ‘lock up’ public land for 21 years for the Club’s exclusive use, and the Tatura Primary School, when it needs in future to extend its already small students’ play and leisure area to cater for more students, would be land locked.

If more facilities for the Club’s social activities and poker machine players (in reality they are not for the Bowling Club as such), and more poker machine users and diners and drinkers are encouraged (the real purpose of this application), the more cars will arrive and park in the already crowded streets surrounding this venue.  Thus, residents, shoppers, and shopkeepers will be inconvenienced.

The commercial car park (known as Safeway’s car park) will of necessity be invaded by ‘social’ visitors, and shoppers and shopkeepers will have less car space for themselves and their customers.

Why isn’t the Kyneton Bowling Club enterprise required to provide parking when Safeway and the other commercial premises were required by the Council to provide parking and compelled to financially contribute for their patrons’ parking?

If (as expected) parking restrictions are introduced, shoppers will be disadvantaged and penalized.

The Shire seems to forget that all businesses will be adversely affected and the commercial hub of the town endangered; certainly not thriving and progressive.  Why is the township being sold out to one greedy commercial organization which represents less than 3% of the Shire’s population when the welfare of the whole community should be considered; the aged, the elderly, young, handicapped and visitors should be provided for.

We believe the Shire should rethink its decision before it turns the town of Kyneton upside down and locks away Public Park Land for 21 years.

Sincerely,