A community actively involved in developing resources for themselves and others to enjoy, friendships formed, environmental enhancement, improved communication between Council and the community, and above all, fun; are just some of the benefits to flow from a Latrobe City community development project at Glendonald Park in Churchill.
Armed with the knowledge that local police were concerned that too few youth activities encouraged boredom and potential for destruction of public property; and identifying from experience that local adults and youth have been keen to actively participate in the construction of other facilities, Council pursued a policy of intimately involving the community in the redevelopment of a high quality facility in Churchill which responded to community needs.
Ward Councillor, Darrell White, said the Glendonald Park Project focused on an expansion of the current playground area, several active recreational facilities, the planting of trees and shrubs, and construction of new pathways, but above all it was a project that the community had a hands on role in pursuing.
“The park redevelopment project commenced as part of the Churchill Community Development project, which relies on Latrobe City Council and community support,” Cr White said. “Two public meetings were held to progress the Churchill project and to ascertain the type of activities that residents wanted to see developed in the park. On each occasion, these meetings were well attended by residents from the estate and across Churchill.
“Following the public meetings, at our first working bee in November, and under the supervision of Latrobe City Council Parks Officer, John Ruyg, approximately 85 volunteers wielding spades brought from home pitched in to make a start.
“Young children, teenagers, adults and elderly citizens, planted 203 native trees and shrubs in five different newly created garden beds around the BMX track. As the weather turned hot, and the trees needed attention, and in spite of it being only a week before Christmas, 50 eager citizens from Churchill’s Glendonald Estate and surrounding areas, turned out to give their time and talents to weed and mulch the gardens and ensure the trees they had planted survived the summer.
“This is a very committed community who want to see improvements in their local neighbourhood. One way they can do this is to work together on a community project such as developing and improving the park. To date the community has benefited through this project by the establishment of a BMX track, installation of cricket nets and pitch, the placement of football goal posts and the commencement of landscaping works.”
The next stage in the park development project is the installation of new playground equipment to complement the few pieces of equipment already in the playground area of the park.
“I am really impressed by the fact that the local community has not just been consulted about the project and advised Council of its needs, but the community has committed itself to undertaking much of the work such as the tree planting,” Cr White concluded.
