Creswick Ward Community Plan – Workshop 1 prepared by here studio 1

Creswick Ward Community Plan Workshop #1 - WHO ARE WE? 6 February 2013 7:30-9:30pm Doug Lindsay Reserve

Schedule 7:30-7:45 Introductions + check-in question: “what do you love most about Creswick?” 7:45-8:15 Community Asset Map Activity 8:15-8:30 Future 2033 Activity 8:30-8:45 Tea Break 8:45-9:20 Group presentations + discussion 9:20-9:30 Homework + next steps Summary The role of the three workshops is to encourage discussion and share tools for the community’s own work and conversations to develop a Community Plan over the coming weeks. We encourage you to share this with more people and bring them along to the next workshop! The focus of the first workshop was: WHO ARE WE? The things that people said they love most about Creswick were: the natural environment, the people, the community, the potential that it has, that it is small and quiet, its location, its heritage, the lifestyle, and that it is a great place to raise children. Eight different maps were produced which identified community assets in the five general categories (see photographs of maps on following pages):

• Physical space (parks, lakes, creeks, reserves, walking/cycling tracks, etc) • Individuals (volunteers, artists, councillors, mining heritage, etc) • Groups/Associations (community groups, member associations, etc) • Local Economy (businesses, cafes, shops, industry, etc) • Institutions (schools, university, hospital, aged care, museum, library, etc)

The ten things featured most in the 2033 scenarios included:

• Secondary college • Aquatic centre • Walking/cycling trails • Local food and produce/shopping • Protecting natural environment including flood mitigation, planning overlays,

conservation • Improved public transport infrastructure • Arts hub including Performing Arts Centre, theatre, cinema, events etc • Light industry and business for employment • Heritage buildings restored and maintained • Bypass for trucks

Creswick Ward Community Plan – Workshop 1 prepared by here studio 2

Check-in quest ion: “What do you love most about Creswick?” 8 people said:

“environment” (including: natural beauty/trees/lakes/parks/forest) 6 people said:

“people” (including: friendliness /drive) 6 people said:

“community” (including: variety of organisations, potential for community involvement, high number of volunteers, supportive community, diversity)

5 people said:

“potential” (including: potential of main street, potential to grow, artistic potential, potential as creative space)

4 people said:

“small & quiet” (including: peaceful and quiet, small town, country-town feel) 3 people said:

“location” (including: close to Ballarat) 3 people said:

“heritage” (including: history) 3 people said:

“great place to raise children” (including: safe and beautiful place to raise kids) 2 people said:

“lifestyle” 1 person each said:

“opportunity for indoor swimming pool” “birthplace of Norman Lindsay” “Neighbourhood Centre” “facilities for the elderly” “native birds” “music” “never bored” “medical infrastructure” “walking + cycling tracks”

(total 49 participants)

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1) COMMUNITY ASSET MAP ACTIVITY

Using large-scale maps and post-it-notes, participants identified the key community assets of Creswick. A community asset is anything that can be used to improve the quality of community life. Most community assets can be identified under the following five categories: individuals (skills, interests, networks), physical space (natural resource, structure or place), groups or associations, institutions (cultural, heritage, schools, hospitals, etc) or local economy (business, industry, etc). In an asset-based approach to community development, rather than thinking about lack or needs, a good starting point is to understand and discuss what assets already exist in our community. 2) FUTURE 2033 MAP ACTIVITY Having completed their community asset maps, we asked participants to imagine that the year is now 2033. What is Creswick like twenty years from now? What assets are the same? What assets have been changed? What assets have ben added? We also threw in some wild-card scenarios to keep things interesting…

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Group A Community Asset Maps:

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Group A (continued) Future 2033 Scenario:

• Ring Road going around town, peaceful main street with cafes • Heritage buildings restored – no empty buildings • Heated swimming pool – but do we want the bigger rate base? • Paths linked through forest to lakes, cycling, walking, riding, information • Flood mitigation – creeks open, parks along creek • Secondary training for youth + further vocational training • Annual youth leadership program • Retirement living options – independent living • Senior citizen friendly main street footpaths • Social work and youth work services 5 days a week • Bluestone in the gutters returned + trees and gardens • Hospitality training program • Community with a disaster plan • Increase to train services • CNC – sustainable living, retrofitting and resources + training (featuring growling grass

frog) • Double storey car park near the main street (fire safe place) • Improved local foods + wine, shopping • Industrial estate providing traineeships and jobs • Growth corridor on road to Clunes • Thriving community market and community garden • Solar panels on every roof • Bioenergy to fuel the town – heats retirement village • Annual antiques and art fair, celebrating heritage and promoting completed Lindsay

Arts Trail • Sprinter trains • Theatre has become a thriving performance and music venue enterprise • Native reforestation of pine plantations • Modern and diverse sporting precinct • $1,000,000 community investment fund • Everyone works together – they know what they are working on and how to help each

other

(Wildcard scenarios: Increase in Train Services to Melbourne, Flood in Creswick)

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Group B Community Asset Map:

Future 2033 Scenario:

• Post primary school • Better public transport – commuter rail-bus to/from Maryborough and Ballarat • Aquatic Centre • Geriatric playground • Large retirement village • Larger medical centre + hospital • Recycling water treatment plant • All houses to have solar power • Helipads • Chinese Restaurant

• More trees planted • Maintain + beautify existing features • More businesses for employment • Maintain + add to parks and open green space with shelter trees • Features joined by walking biking paths • Population growth • More restaurants – become a food, wine + local produce hub • Arts

(Wildcard scenarios: Drop in Australian Dollar, Further Water Shortages)

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Group C Community Asset Map:

Future 2033 Scenario:

• Secondary school • Aquatic Centre • Industrial Estate • Cinema • Art Gallery • Fire safe barrier to circle town • Artisan Hub • Children’s farm • Community gardens • Transport infrastructure increased/improved – rail/road • Self sufficiency skills in curriculum • Small industries – geared to consumption • Creswick Creek Flood Mitigation • Flood retarding plain – using natural land • Annexing to Ballarat?

(Wildcard scenarios: Flood in Creswick, Recession in Victoria)

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Group D Community Asset Maps:

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Group D (continued) Future 2033 Scenario:

• A renowned post secondary college (7-10) • World-famous Arts Trail including Magic Pudding • Performing Arts Centre • British Hotel restored to former glory • Creswick Trails is centre of Victorian cycling activity • Community Aquatic Centre • More shops with lots of diversity • Tremearne House better used by businesses and the community • Really good supermarket • Pasco site developed • Bowling Club at Doug Lindsay Reserve • Lots of jobs for our children • Quality restaurants • Lots of active, energetic volunteers • Better facilities at St George’s Lake • Well maintained walking trails • More industry (light industry) – Operational Industrial Park • Excellent public transport • Quality presentation of mining heritage • Lots of quality accommodation • NBN allows lots of local home-based business • Unique tourism products • Effective tourism structures • Retained quality of lifestyle • Major organic food producer • Truck by-pass

Community connections • Trail connecting between council reserves • Multiuse (walking, cycling) • For commuting, for exercise, for leisure, for safety, for tourism • Including the Lindsay Arts Trail • For our children moving from school, to sport, to home

Redevelopment and movement of the skate park to a central visible location (for the old bowls club site) accessible by public transport (Davis Bus) Redevelopment of the Calembeen Park pool to allow safe ingress/egress from the water A link from the John Curtin Hostel into Calembeen Park

• Which allows visitors to take residents out to enjoy the park • Including a fishing platform for wheelchair access

A bike lane (north and south) as part of the streetscape

• We had one fatality and 4 separate bike vs car accidents in the last two years! Completion of the trail loop Creswick Creek, St George’s Lake (Slatey Creek Bridge) Completion Magic Pudding playground Rediscovery of the Forestry heritage led by the shire conservation started in Creswick. La Gerche Gully is a national treasure

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Group E Community Asset Map:

Future Scenario 2033:

• Established secondary college • Thriving indoor aquatic centre • Revitalised shopping centre • Bypass for trucks • Accredited info centre • Maintained mature trees • Increased population means improved infrastructure • An event centre • Thriving business centre • Supermarket – large, reasonably priced which supports local producers

(possibly a co-op) • More employment opportunities • Planning overlays protect our bushland from overdevelopment

(Wildcard scenarios: Recession in Victoria, Drop in Australian Dollar)

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Group F Community Asset Map:

Future 2033 Scenario:

• Reconstruction of Lindsay Old Home • Mineral water sprins tapped • Heritage buildings maintained (plaques) • Old hospital is visible again from Main St • Industrial Estate • Tree landscaping at cemetery • Streetscape – Albert St • Community children’s farm established • High school – Tafe/training established • Affordable housing • Responsible planning schemes (retaining character) • Township flood-proofed • By pass for heavy transport • Freight trains and services • Population not to exceed 4000 in township • Waterside café • Arts and food hub • Recreation of the Fernery at Park Lake • Vibrant Lindsay Arts Trail + Magic Pudding Playground • Creswick – centre for HSC administration

(Wildcard scenarios: Ballarat Residential Price Boom, Tafe Funding increased)

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Group G Community Asset Maps:

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Group G (continued) Future Scenario 2033:

• Key organisations CFA/CWA/stage orgs will still be around • Community rep groups will still be around perhaps in a different form • Better sporting/recreational facilities (many replaced after the bushfire in 2023) • CFA Central Division based in Creswick – more space for fire trucks etc than in Sturt St • Younger people living in new sub-divisions attracted by public transport to Melbourne • Concerns over “dormitory” status that Creswick is acquiring • Creswick will be a Shire • Secondary School is being built at last! • Beautiful trail network is the mecca for cyclsts/walkers in Central Victoria • University campus used as an info/resources centre for outdoor activity

(Wildcard scenarios: increase in train services to Melbourne, bushfire in Creswick)

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Kids Group “Where would you take a visitor in Creswick?” “What is one thing you would change?”