Bilpin Hall is an essential community infrastructure as it:
- a) is a district hall servicing the needs of not only Bilpin but surrounding communities of Mt Lagoon, Mt Tootie, Mt Tomah, Berambing and Kurrajong Heights
- b) the hall is in use daily by a wide variety of community groups, play groups preschool, exercise classes for the elderly and many others
- c) the hall has a busy Saturday market where the existing car park overflows in to degraded and eroded land.
- d) the hall is a disaster management staging area, which currently means that volunteer disaster management workers do so in the dirt and dust or wet and mud. During the Black Summer fires the Hall was the staging area for over 100 fire trucks twice a day for weeks.
- e) the only way to get to the Hall is by private vehicle so a car park is essential
This was the motion put to Hawkesbury Council’s May General Meeting by Bells Line Road Business to have the car park extended.
Hawkesbury Council received funding under the Black Summer Bushfires Recovery grants program to extend the Hall car park which is used as a Disaster Staging Area in bushfires. The Council now want to give back the money as they say it is insufficient to build the car park.
The day before Council was to vote on returning the money BLOR Business became aware of Councils’ intention to do this during a meeting with the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and General Manager to discuss other issues.
“I couldn’t believe it and wouldn’t have if the General Manager hadn’t told us” Says Lionel Buckett a member of BLOR Business and Chairman of the Kurrajong Heights Bowling Club which is also used as a disaster staging area.
“The Club has just finished building a car park three times bigger than the one proposed for the Hall, using money from the same Black Summer Bushfire grant – it’s ridiculous to say there isn’t enough money to do it.”
“I was president of the Bilpin Hall Committee when we built the current carpark about 25 years ago. It was a different time then; the General Manager and all Council Senior executive officers lived in the Hawkesbury and knew and trusted the residents. We used material from Councils Wilberforce Depot and local contractors donated their time and machinery and the car park was built.”
Things haven’t changed that much according to Fiona Germaine Council still cuts through red tape and acts in the community’s best interest when its demanded.
“Look at the flood response, Council dumped sand in Windsor Park, and everyone pitched in, filled bags to help stop floodwaters entering private homes. And with bushfires Council sent up a Bulk Water Carrier to Bilpin and residents overloaded their utes carrying plastic cubes of water home to use for drinking washing and firefighting. Council can be useful to the community when the Councillors take charge.
BLOR Business decided to put a motion to the Hawkesbury Council General meeting to forestall the handing back of the grant money. Two representatives Germaine and Buckett, the new and old, well dressed and under dressed businesspeople and residents of Bilpin district spoke eloquently and passionately about not returning the money and upgrading essential disaster infrastructure.
Council decided to direct its Administration to hold a meeting with stakeholders and report back to their June meeting.
Concern about car park design
Council design for an extension of the proposed car park caused concern as they included removing existing gardens, and large trees. The proposed plan did not address the issue of soil degradation caused by the current parking arrangements which occur on National Park land.
These are matters of design and involve a lot of talking with people to get it right including with bureaucrats from government departments. We had the same thing when we did the existing car park at Bilpin Hall. It’s a lot of effort but it’s worth it.
We went over the same things with the new Club carpark and finally got consensus. The car park doubles as a basketball court when not used for parking and everyone is now happy with it. Says Buckett.
Council consultation with stakeholders
Fiona Germaine on behalf of BLOR Business requested Hawkesbury Council uphold it’s commitment to convene a review meeting with relevant stakeholder groups including and not limited to:
- Bell’s Line of Road Business Council
- Bilpin Regional Action Group
- Bilpin Hall Committee
- The Kurrajong Heights Bowling Club
“Our request was heard and actioned by the Mayor Councillor Sarah McMahon, and I can report the Mayor has confirmed directly to me a meeting will be convened with these listed and other relevant groups. I look forward to hearing from Cr McMahon on the next steps.”
The funding grant is due for completion in December 2023 and if not returned.