Liam McNally
Moorabool council will begin consulting with the Dales Creek community to inform the design of new facilities in the area, in response to a report on the population growth in the area.
In 2021, the council began work on a report into the population growth and needs of the Dales Creek community.
The report would consider community need for facilities including an active recreation space to cater for children of the area, a picnic area and seating to encourage community relationships, a gathering point during high bushfire danger periods, a central location for residents to walk or bike ride to, installation of climbing frames and appropriate play equipment to promote active play and consideration and respect for the native character.
When it was handed down at a recent community meeting, the report found that the population of Dales Creek hasn’t increased enough to require a large amount of infrastructure, with population increasing from 345 in 2006 to 403 in 2021, with a peak of 410 in 2011.
There are no plans for medium or large-scale residential development in Dales Creek , so the report found that assumes increased growth is unlikely.
According to council’s community infrastructure framework, 1000s of people need to be living in an area before it triggers the requirement for any community infrastructure. For example, one community room requires 1400 people, a tennis court requires 2000 people and a cricket oval requires 3500 people.
The report also said a lack of council owned land, and high levels of vegetation on that land provide low opportunities for a great deal of infrastructure.
Despite this, council plans to assess what can be co-located within the trees in the area, such as a rotunda, seating and other facilities as there is currently no infrastructure.
Moorabool council community assets and infrastructure general manager Phill Jeffrey said council will begin co-designing what infrastructure can be provided for the community within the next 12 months.
Deputy mayor Ally Munari moved the recommendation and added a request for it to be expedited as quickly as possible.
“I’m interested in speeding up that process as the Dales Creek community has waited two years,” she said.
