Critics’ fury on kinder

By Michelle Herbison
A RESIDENTS’ group has criticised council for voting to build Barwon Heads’ new kindergarten at the town’s Village Park.
In a press release sent after Tuesday night’s vote, Save the Village Park Group’s Karyn Howie and Ruth Lee claimed council was “totally out of step” with the majority of residents.
“This decision permanently alters the village park, permanently alienates public land and creates a bad precedent for the future,” the letter said.
Council had “simply refused” the group’s request to reconsider Barwon Heads Primary School as the kinder site, which was ruled out in July 2011.
“Why would a council take public land from a much-loved 100-year-old park and not fully investigate the recent developments with the primary school option?” the letter said.
Ward councillor Andy Richards said 70 per cent of about 730 submissions to council favoured the Village Park site.
“Council has made a decision and it’s time to get on with delivering the project.”
Cr Richards said State Government had ruled out the primary school site.
“Council’s preferred site was the primary school but this was ruled out and continues to be ruled out by State Government. If residents want to talk about the school site that’s an argument best put to the State Government.”
South Barwon MP Andrew Katos accused Cr Richards of spreading “untruths”.
Barwon Heads’ school council opposed hosting the kinder after a working group investigated options during a nine-month “exhaustive process”, Mr Katos said.
The group incorporated Department of Education, City of Greater Geelong and parents and teachers at the school.
Mr Katos said school site proposal faced issues including traffic management, safety and cost.
“We’ve allowed local people at the school decide their own destiny. I wasn’t going to interfere with where council decided to put it.”
Barwon Heads Kinder Futures Committee’s Anissa Yttrup was “relieved” council had chosen a site after her group had campaigned for nearly four years.
The council gallery was full during this week’s meeting, with “decent numbers” of people supporting either side of the argument, she said.