“NOT our place” is the message from a group of passionate locals calling for council to scrap plans to co-locate the art gallery, information centre, Aboriginal cultural centre and Pioneer Settlement entrance at the historic attraction.
But, Swan Hill Rural City Council mayor Bill Moar has defended the plan known as Our Place as an opportunity to make the Pioneer Settlement financially viable, and provide an inclusive place for all stories to be told.
The Pioneer Settlement Scrap Our Place Plan Committee put out a call to locals on Monday to gather at the PS Gem for a photo and a chance to express their concerns about the building which is set to be constructed along Monash Drive, on the grass area between the PS Gem and the settlement.
Concerns also persist around the future location of the settlement’s historic steam train after details emerged last month council was considering options for its removal, to make way for Our Place.
In a meeting following the photo, the committee told The Guardian their concerns focussed on a “lack of transparency” and community consultation.
The committee includes Ainsley Magee, Barbie Rowe, Helen Bennett, former Pioneer Settlement worker Sharon Thomas, Colleen Crossfield and former Swan Hill mayor David Quayle.
Committee members recalled the early days of the Pioneer Settlement as a step back in time, and are concerned an “ultra modern building” will continue its progress away from the past.
The committee said there had “definitely” been a lack of public consultation around the plans for Our Place and its impact on the Pioneer Settlement.
Along with the photo, the committee have a Facebook page calling for the plan to be scrapped, launched an online petition with almost 700 signatures and have a hard copy in circulation.
The petition states council is “planning on destroying our history with a multi-storey concrete structure”, cutting off the PS Gem and relocating the steam train, arguing “this is a heritage precinct and is no place for such a structure”.
The aim is to reach 5000 signatures, or to collect as many as possible before submitting it to council.
Committee head Mr Magee said he started the Facebook page after becoming aware of the Our Place plan and “it grew from there”.
“It’s just going to wreck the whole Pioneer Settlement, destroy Swan Hill’s history,” Mr Magee said.
“It’s just the wrong place, it isolates the Gem.”
Mr Magee said the committee had emailed “most” councillors and received some short responses, but felt the community’s concerns on the issue hadn’t been heard.
He added plans for the cultural centre had not been clearly explained to the public.
“They have just put up little bits of information here and there, then all of a sudden when they put something up on the information day they were of the opinion the building was going to go on this side of the Gem and the art gallery,” Mr Magee said.
“I’m completely opposed to it.”
He added another location should be considered, such as the lot next to the police station, while other committee members are of the position the building is “completely unnecessary”.
“There needs to be a lot of public consultation around this, not just bits and pieces here and there, we need more transparency,” Mr Magee said.
“They cannot continue to just put things out on Facebook and expect that everyone uses it, there are plenty of people who don’t…this location is going to take away one quarter of the Pioneer Settlement.”
Committee member Sharon Thomas worked at the Pioneer Settlement “for years” and said she believed Our Place would “wreck the authenticity of it all”.
Ms Thomas said workers used to be required to remove modern jewellery so as not to ruin the authenticity of the historical setting.
“It had to be in that era and if you were working there you had to fit into that era, you couldn’t be just a modern person, the visitors are there to see that era and the authenticity of it,” she said.
“And it is starting to creep into too much modernised stuff in there, it’s lets modernise this a little or this, it is really getting away from it.
“Basically the people who have signed the petition and are aware of what is going on have decided to halt the plans…it is not necessary.”
Ms Thomas also questioned the decision to relocate the tourist information centre away from the CBD.
“No one is going to drive down there,” she said.
“The tourist bureau has to be on the main drag for people to go, ‘Oh I’ll call in there, and while we’re here there is a coffee shop next door, or there is a bakery just down there’, it needs to be on the main drag.”
Committee member Colleen Crossfield said the plan was to “make as much noise as we can, and halt the plan”, with Barbie Rowe adding the decision on the location was “not made until we (the community) make it”.
