A range of community questions

A range of topics were raised during question time at the October council meeting, with 13 questions lodged by nine community members.

The full questions and council responses are available in the minutes of the October 18 meeting, now available on the council website. A summary is provided below.

Civic Centre value and lifespan: The total lifespan for each of the 11 buildings that make up the Bass Coast Civic Centre is 100 years, with an estimated remaining life of 69 years. The only exception is the building currently housing the Country University centre, which has a life span of 85 years. The total asset value is $6.67 million.

The Voice – costs and information: There was no additional cost to council to provide information on the Voice, and the articulated statements and the formal resolution were posted on the council website.

Non-Alignment of Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP) and Phillip Island Recreation Reserve Master Plan timeline: Funding allocations in the LTFP are reviewed annually taking into account environmental changes, including government funding, cost escalations, emerging priorities and opportunities.

Live streaming the Mayoral election: the election is already conducted in open council meeting, which is streamed and open to the public. The next Mayoral election will be at the November council meeting.

Did the councillors know the Surf Beach/Sunderland Bay Special Charge Scheme was being abandoned before the announcement online?: Councillors were advised of the decision to abandon the scheme before a statement went up on the engage website.

Where is Grantville’s emergency evacuation site?: In the event of an emergency, residents will receive notifications, as the site is decided based on the emergency. This is in line with statewide approach. Bass Coast Shire does not proactively disclose the precise locations of emergency relief centres before an emergency occurs.

Cost of insurance of electric vehicles: There is no breakdown of individual vehicle costs under the insurance, which covers the entire fleet. In 2023/24 the premium for the total fleet of 90 vehicles was $91,500.

How many people will attend the Berninneit official opening: There will be multiple openings with a community ballot for the event on November 1. There will be a brief civic ceremony on October 28, attended by 40 people.

What is social housing? There is either public housing (owned and managed by the state) or community housing (owned and/or managed by an agency.) Information is available on the website about Council’s Affordable Housing Strategy.

When will the Municipal Strategy Statement (MSS) be reviewed? The MSS was replaced by the Planning Framework developed in 2021 and the most recent framework was adopted in 2023. The next review will be in 2025.

Itemised travel expenses for councillors: The reports on councillor expenses are reported under three categories – travel, training and development and other. An itemised travel report is available for viewing by appointment.

How much will it cost for Berninneit to be certified PassivHaus?: Initial Passiv Haus certification is part of the current design and construction costs and there will be no ongoing certification costs.

When did council seek to rezone the land for the future Cowes Sporting Hub: The land at the corner of Phillip Island and Ventnor roads has not been rezoned.

Details: www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/about-council/council-meetings