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Council requests sign off on Merriwa Park changes
Written by By steven burke.
COUNCIL must await ministerial approval before proceeding with its plans to provide more car parks in Merriwa Park.
The Rural City of Wangaratta yesterday sent a letter to the Minister for the Environment, Ryan Smith, requesting that the land formerly used for two concrete tennis courts be used for a car park.
It comes after another round of community angst about the proposal, with the Wangaratta Chronicle receiving several letters to the editor opposing the plan, while Wangaratta Urban Landcare Group has vowed to fight the move.
The revised Merriwa Park Master Plan was placed on public exhibition yesterday and council’s acting director – infrastructure services, Adrian Gasperoni, said he encouraged anyone interested in the plans to view them in the foyer of the Wangaratta Government Centre.
He said the plans show the playground will be safer and the park will be more usable.
"The playground is currently surrounded by two roads, one into the pseudo car park (near the lawn tennis club room) and the other is the link road to the toilets," Mr Gasperoni said.
"The new plan would remove the road to the pseudo car park and we think make the playground safer.
He said some of the playground would be moved to the north - north west as part of the works.
And in terms of the parkland versus asphalt debate, Mr Gasperoni said the new plan would divide the park into two "major chunks" of usable area.
Letters have been sent to Wangaratta Urban Landcare Group, Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club, Business Wangaratta and Christopher Robin Kindergarten informing them of council’s decision.
Mr Gasperoni could not speculate on when it was expected the minister would make a decision.
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