Cash ‘lost’ to rail line: Anger over reallocation

By Michelle Herbison
A REALLOCATION of council funding for an Indented Head conservation project is “very disappointing” for the town, according to its community group.
Indented Head Community Association’s Ingrid Novosel said $10,000 towards conservation of a grassy woodland site should have remained in the town.
Council voted this week to reallocate the money to a 150th anniversary celebration of a Geelong-Ballarat rail line after hearing the woodland project was “unable to progreess”.
The money would pay for a heritage train to travel between Geelong and Ballarat and host activities at the two stations, council heard.
The Independent reported in 2008 that the community association had proposed a “land swap” between council and Seabreeze Estate developer Mira Ira, which owns the woodland site on Batman Rd. The association proposed to swap a four-hectare council-owned parcel of land for the 12Ha woodland site.
The Independent later reported that a Friends of Bengalat Nature Reserve group would form to manage the site with Bellarine Catchment Network.
Geelong Environment Coun-cil’s Joan Lindros said the site should be protected because it contained red gums pre-dating white settlement.
“It could be made into a delightful park. It’s ludicrous the land swap hasn’t been able to be finalised.
“The money was set aside for an environment issue that’s really important. There are some weeds but what’s really fantastic is there’s a group of people there willing to look after it.”
Ms Novosel said she was disappointed about the funding reallocation after asking ward councillor John Doull to instead use the money for heritage-listing eight Indented Head boat sheds.
“With the delay in the community-supported swap of public open space for the grassy woodland, we would have preferred that money to have stayed in Indented Head and be allocated toward heritage listing the boat sheds built in the 1920s.”
Ms Novosel said she met Cr Doull on February 9 to request the funding reallocation for research on the proposed heritage listing but failed to win his backing.
Heritage-listing the sheds would acknowledge those who established Indented Head”, she said.
Cr Doull had not responded for comment when the Independent went to press.