Mayoral Column 7th May 2020
Published on 07 May 2020
Hockey Future assured
Goulburn Mulwaree Council will purchase the Goulburn Hockey Complex in the city’s south off the Workers Club after ongoing positive negotiations.
Council will take ownership of 3.3 hectares of land off Finlay Road, and is now preparing a development application for subdivision that we hope to lodge during May. Our intention is to work closely with Goulburn and District Hockey Association to now upgrade both fields to high quality water based fields.
The future of hockey in Goulburn and the region is now secure, and Council is very proud of that achievement.
We can now set our sights on a long overdue upgrade of the complex, with the goal being to upgrade both fields to water based turfs, and to also undertake some significant amenities upgrades. An additional $3.5 million is needed for the redevelopment of the complex, and Council will now work closely with both State and Federal Government in an effort to gain grant funding for the project.
St Clair Villa Restoration
$1.1 million will be spent on conservation works at St Clair Villa Museum & Archives as part of stage one of the project. On Tuesday night we awarded the tender to Longstone Pty Ltd, who are a local company.
A priority list of works for stage one has been developed which includes new roof, guttering and downpipes for the entire villa, sub floor ventilation, new kitchenette and bathroom in the Couch House and wall, floor, ceiling, window and door repairs as necessary.
This historic building is an icon of our region, and it’s important we address the issues facing it such as water penetration and mould to bring it up to standard. The project also includes some new ramps and elements to address disability access and building code requirements and repairs to the heritage fabric throughout the site.”
The intention of the works is to get the villa to the stage where it can be re-opened. St Clair Villa Museum & Archives was built between 1843 and 1849 and is a unique example of an early provincial villa of the late Georgian period of a classical design.
$717,000 is being utilised from the St Clair Restoration Reserve, and a further $297,000 has been obtained through grant funding being:
- $200,000 through NSW Government Infrastructure Grants program for refurbishment of the Coach House
- $97,000 through the NSW Government Heritage Grants – Major Works program for the St Clair Conservation Works.
May Street Bridge
Work will kick off on the replacement of May Street Bridge at the end of May, with the project slated for completion in mid-November this year.
The project will begin with relocation of electricity services, before site works kick off in June. The new bridge will be built by SD Group who won the Council tender in March, and will comprise two lanes and a pedestrian walkway.
It will mean this exit is more likely to be usable during a flooding event, and the bridge will also be a great improvement on the current one which has a 16 tonne load limit and a 20km/h speed restriction.
Replacement of the bridge will cost $1.15 million, with $150,000 of this funding coming from the Federal Government Roads to Recovery program. The bridge will be raised half a metre, to improve flood vulnerability but also to avoid creating an impact upstream during flood events.
Council will also be $330,000 for new footpath and kerb along May Street that is complimentary the project. The project will include over 500m of footpath and nearly 700m of kerb and gutter, and will be completed this financial year.