Shed plan ‘out soon’

KIM WATERS
St Leonards men will be able to discard their mixing bowls and aprons to settle into their own Men’s Shed “soon”, according to their ward councillor.
Cr John Doull promised council would advertise designs for the shed in the next month after the men complained in last week’s Independent they were “stuck in a kitchen”.
The men said discovery of an endangered grass on McCarthy Reserve had stalled their shed project, forcing them to meet in the reserve’s hall kitchen.
Cr Doull said a $500,000 St Leonards master plan included provisions for an “architecturally designed” shed at Coles Street Reserve.
“We don’t want a big, ugly tin shed. This will be something to be proud of and hopefully the St Leonards’ community won’t vote against it during the community consultation process.”
Cr Doull said Department of Sustainability and Environment had identified during the shed planning process a “grassland” on the reserve that should be protected.
Geelong Environment Council president Joan Lindros wanted council to keep the Men’s Shed off McCarthy Reserve, saying St Leonards had “bugger all” remaining open space.
“The grassland found there is really important and it’s protected on a national scale by DSE,” Ms Lindros said.
“This is an opportunity for St Leonards to have its own nature reserve, which is unique on the Bellarine Peninsula.
“The area has particularly high ecological value and also has a few Bellarine yellow gum trees, which are as rare as hen’s teeth.”
Springdale Community House coordinator Anne Brackley told the Independent last week that the Men’s Shed group was upset it had little say on council’s plans for their building.
Changes on council and the discovery of the endangered grass had stopped building plans four years after the group of men first secured State Government funding for the project, she said.
“The men still meet weekly but they are taking cooking classes in a hall kitchen because they don’t have a shed,” she said.
“It (council’s building plans for the shed) wasn’t really up for discussion with the men. They aren’t happy with it.”
The St Leonards facility would be part of a national Men’s Shed network providing retired men with a place to meet, socialise and work on community projects.