By LIA SPENCER
A FORMER mayor fears the memory of a prominent Berwick man could be forgotten due to the allocated site of Casey Council’s proposed Cultural and Civic Precinct.
The City of Casey’s $125 million proposed project is set to be constructed on the Patrick Northeast Wetlands Reserve which council said was earmarked by the City of Berwick almost 40 years ago for a civic precinct.
Former City of Berwick mayor John Hastie said he welcomed the proposal but was not happy about the site, fearing it would “trash” the memory of Patrick Northeast, who was the first Manager of the City of Berwick.
Mr Northeast retired from his position after about 20 years due to ill-health and passed away a few years ago from Parkinson’s Disease.
“When I was past mayor, we identified that site as an ideal site in recognition of Pat Northeast and his dedicated service in the City of Berwick,” Mr Hastie said.
“Berwick was considered one of the better councils in the state of Victoria at that time, and that’s a credit to the man.”
Mr Hastie said he thought it was absurd that the Patrick Northeast Wetlands Reserve would be used for the precinct, but a reserve dedicated to first City of Berwick engineer Max Pawsey would be retained and a statue of Spiridon Louis would be erected in Berwick.
“It would seem to be rather bizarre to retain the name of the City engineer and sacrifice the reserve dedicated to Patrick Northeast- it just seems to be harsh,” he said.
“It also is bizarre to say the least that council would propose to put up a statue of an unknown Greek runner (Spiridon Louis) in a prominent position in High Street in Berwick and at the same time, trash the memory of the first city manager by building over a wetlands reserve.”
Mr Hastie said council-owned land near Lauderdale Road in Narre Warren which was now home to unused tennis courts would have been a better option for the precinct. Mr Hastie also suggested Casey Council acquired the land along the Princes Highway in Narre Warren which was often used by travelling circuses.
City of Casey Acting Director Casey Cultural and Civic Precinct Steve Dalton said he was pleased that Mr Hastie shared the view that the Casey Cultural and Civic Precinct was a great idea for the community but said the Patrick Northeast Reserve site was earmarked for a civic precinct in 1974 when the former City of Berwick considered the future needs of the area.
“Due to this long-term plan and the site’s proximity to Casey ARC, Westfield Fountain Gate and significant transport links, no other sites were considered appropriate for the Casey Cultural and Civic Precinct,” Mr Dalton said.
“One of the objectives for the Casey Cultural and Civic Precinct is that it tells the story of our community and celebrates our history and diversity.”
Mr Dalton said the precinct could incorporate features which would celebrate notable local residents such as Patrick Northeast.
It would incorporate features which reflected the history of the area, including a plaque which was on a tree in the reserve planted by the Rotary Club of Narre Warren commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of the founder of Rotary International, Paul P. Harris.
“The current reserve will be transformed into a community, cultural and civic precinct, featuring a large community plaza. The plaza will provide a unique place where the community can unite in an accessible and engaging space on a scale that is not currently possible in the area,” Mr Dalton said.
Mr Hastie said he also feared that because the proposed site was on wetlands, the council would have to deal with water problems during and after construction. But Mr Dalton said that in 1978, when the City of Berwick moved to the current civic centre on Magid Drive, the reserve was landscaped and a dam was constructed by council. Mr Dalton said that therefore, water leakage would not be an issue, as the existing dam was not part of a wetland or drainage system. Mr Dalton said any ducks in the reserve will be relocated to Myuna Farm prior to construction commencing in 2015.
