‘Smart move’ backed

By Paul Dunlop
CARDINIA Shire councillors will spend several million dollars rebuilding the civic centre they said was “bursting at the seams”.
The Gazette last week reported that council had bought back — at a cost of $2.6 million — the current office site in Henty Way, Pakenham.
The buyback decision, almost eight years after the site was traded to the State Government in a land exchange, ended a longrunning saga over where council should make its future home.
Preparations are now under way for the redevelopment which councillors said was badly needed.
“We are bursting at the seams at the moment, there are already three portable buildings at the back of the offices,” Councillor Ed Chatwin said.
Consultants have already been brought in to help set longterm plans for the civic complex.
Cardinia manager of governance and communication Doug Evans said funding would be set aside in the next budget for the design of the new complex.
Council last year flagged up to $10 million would be spent on its office accommodation.
Mr Evans said conditions at the Henty Way complex were very cramped.
“The current shire offices were built in 1982 by the former Pakenham Shire to accommodate a staffing complement to service a population of the shire that was then 17,000 residents,” Mr Evans told the Gazette.
“This same building is now having to accommodate a staff complement to serve a population of 60,000.
“The conditions are very cramped and several temporary buildings have been placed on site to provide additional office accommodation.”
Councillor Bill Pearson said the portable buildings made the shire offices “look like a primary school”.
Mayor Kate Lempriere said she was very pleased with the outcome.
Council’s buyback decision was unanimous.
Cr Chatwin led the move, which sees council finally turn its back on a previous plan to set up new headquarters in John Street.
“Gone are the dreams. We are not moving from this location. This is probably the best piece of land within Pakenham,” Cr Chatwin said.
Councillor Bill Ronald said he had fought to have the shire offices remain on the hill in Henty Way ever since the ambitious landswap deal was announced in late 1999.
Cr Ronald said back then that “councillors should be tipped out and officers sacked” if plans to move the civic centre into Pakenham’s CBD went ahead.
He said the decision to buy back the Henty Way site showed commonsense had prevailed.
“It’s been exactly as I predicted. This is a great decision for the community.
“This site was chosen by the previous Pakenham council when it originally had its office in Main Street. It’s the premier site,” he said.
Cr Pearson said it was time to “reclaim our home” and go forward into the future.
“It would have been a mistake to move into the CBD,” he said.
Councillor Doug Hamilton said there was a time when he would have been more than happy to see the civic centre in the heart of town, but supported the new move.
“Times change. It is no longer needed there,” he said.
Councillor Graeme Legge said he preferred to focus on the present, not dwell on the past.
“It’s all clear, all sorted out, no controversy, a good decision.”