Square threat to kinder

Jessica Benton
A TOWN square plan at Portarlington could jeopardise future development opportunities for the town’s kindergarten, according to the centre’s users.
Kindergarten committee member Tess Carr-Howard said a council plan to close Pier Street, between Newcombe Street and The Esplanade, to make way for the town square would limit access to the kindergarten.
“This plan will affect the kinder in many ways, even just while the works are being done, they will be blocked access, loss of parking and lots of noise,” she said.
“Hopefully it’s not going to make it too difficult for everyone using the kinder, especially when we’ve done so much work on the centre in the past.
“We’ve been trying to get the centre to a better state but this plan is limiting its future.”
The City of Greater Geelong wants to close Pier Street to allow for the development of a town square in the main shopping precinct.
Council adopted the Portarlington urban design framework in August last year, under the plan the road would be closed to enable the construction of the town square, and to reduce traffic movement in the vicinity.
Ms Carr-Howard said the plan would block the centre’s only entrance off Pier Street. Parking would also be reduced, Ms Carr-Howard said.
“It’s going to affect people who use the toy library and the Scouts, especially those who have prams.
“The kinder is going to be there for a long time so this needs to be looked at.”
Ms Carr-Howard said an increasing population was placing pressure on the existing facility but she feared the town square plan would risk the centre’s future.
“The numbers are increasing all the time at the kinder,” she said.
“The place it’s in and the resources are going to have to last for a very long time which seems ridiculous when the town is growing and more younger families are moving to the area.”
Ms Carr-Howard feared the town square plan may affect a second stage development of the centre to enhance the playground area.
She said the kindergarten had initially been kept in the dark about the plan but the committee had since met with the City’s planners.
“No one came to us to see how this would affect us.
“We’ve now had a meeting with those involved and we understand things a bit better.
Ms Carr-Howard criticised Portarlington’s ward councillor, John Doull, for his lack of support despite his own child attending the kindergarten.
“John Doull hasn’t come to the party despite having a child at the kindergarten,” she said.
“Members of the kindergarten have written letters to him and haven’t heard anything at all.”
Cr Doull did not return the Independent’s calls for comment before the paper went to print.
Ms Carr-Howard encouraged people to send submissions on the proposal to COGG before January 25.