No hall for balls

By Bridget Brady
THE City of Casey is losing business to neighbouring councils as it lacks a venue to host large-scale functions, residents say.
Secondary schools and dance schools across Casey are holding their debutante balls and end-of-year concerts at suitably sized venues outside the growing municipality.
The principal of Cathy-Lea Academy of Performing Arts in Narre Warren, Cathy Smith, said Casey needed a theatre and function centre.
She said there were about 50 dance schools in Casey and her pupils travelled to the Drum Theatre in Dandenong for major concerts.
“There is nothing in Casey,” Ms Smith said.
For the council, Ms Smith said, the loss was not just an economic one, but also a community one.
She said a “sense of community” was gained by having a venue where residents could come together for events.
Casey councillor and arts advocate Wayne Smith agreed the council needed a theatre-style building to seat 800 to 1000 people.
The Arthur Wren Hall in Hampton Park accommodates the largest amount of people in Casey, and Cr Smith said it was used heavily.
Cr Smith said the council had planned a large venue to be built with the main street redevelopment plan in Narre Warren, but the project is now on hold.
“That will be revisited in about six months time and hopefully down the track it will happen, but in the meantime there is shortage of venues,” he said.
Cr Smith said the Cranbourne Community Theatre that seated about 260 people and a theatre being built at Hampton Park Secondary College for about 500 seats were other options, “but other than that we have to go outside Casey”.
“We’d rather our residents were in our city,” Cr Smith said.
Mayfield Ward councillor Amanda Stapledon said Cranbourne sat in the heart of Casey and was ideally positioned for a new venue.
Settlement Hotel owner and long-time Cranbourne resident Mary Finning said the Cranbourne Hall was “virtually behind the times” and needed an upgrade.
Ms Finning said the hall could be redeveloped so it could be more widely used at a cheap rate. “I don’t think any of the venues can cater for a big deb ball. In Cranbourne, we don’t really have a potential venue,” Ms Finning said. “A community based centre is what we’re lacking at the moment.”
Casey’s manager of community strengthening, Janette Green, said there were a number of options for venues to hire in Casey.
“There are also a number of large privately owned venues available for hire, such as the Fountain Gate Hotel and The Chiffley in Doveton,” Ms Green said.
“Council is currently working on a Community Facility Plan, which will assist council to meet the future needs of the community. The plan will focus on the growth areas of Casey and will support the delivery of any relevant Precinct Structure Plans.”