The renewed skate park strategy will now be available for public comment

Skate parks and pump tracks are back on the cards for Bass Coast as a renewed strategy is released to the public.

Changes to Australia day formalities, streetscape plans and skate strategies, here are some of the main issues discussed at Bass Coast Council's latest meeting.

Australia Day Awards

Bass Coast Council has voted to move the “Australia Day Awards” from January 26 to May and rename them “Bass Coast Community Awards”.

At a meeting on Tuesday, councillors indicated they did not intend to “change the date” and abandon Australia Day altogether but changing the name and date would create a “more inclusive local awards celebration”.

A report submitted for council’s consideration said the current date affected the “perception of inclusivity”.

The current Bass Coast Australia Day Awards program acknowledges and recognises the valuable contribution of our local community members through two awards, Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year.

“Due to the timing of the current Awards program, nominations and the presentation ceremony to the winners occurs during a period of the year where end-of-year, end of school, Christmas, New Year and summer holiday preparations are underway,” the report stated.

“This timing takes considerable focus away from the Awards affecting participation and engagement.”

Councillor Clare Le Serve stressed this statement and said the issue of celebrating Australia Day was not what was being discussed.

“We are not saying let’s not celebrate Australia Day,” she said.

“The last two years we have had no nominations for young citizen of the year, we can do better than that.”

However, councillor Bruce Kent said he would not support the report because he “loved” to recognise people on that day.

“Australia Day is a day I feel proud to be an Australian,” he said.

The report was carried by council and they will now hold the Bass Coast Community Awards (previously Australia Day awards) in May to align with national volunteer week, while the Bass Coast Business Awards would be scheduled for October.

Citizenship ceremonies will still be held on Australia Day.

Cowes Streetscape Master Plan

The Cowes main street is set to become more “pedestrian mall” in style after council voted to adopt the Cowes Streetscape Master Plan.

At Wednesday’s council meeting the councillors unanimously voted to adopt the plan which aims to “revitalise” the Cowes main street.

It particularly focuses on the bottom section on Thompson Ave where pedestrians will be prioritised to create a “full experience”.

Despite a key theme of community consultation being the retention of sufficient parking under this plan Thompson Ave will lose 33 car parks and the car parks which remain could become paid parking or very short time limits could be enforced.

“There are more than enough car parks in Cowes they are just not being utilised properly,” the report read.

Car parks will be added along Bass Ave as well as proper wayfinding signs to help people find an available parking spot.

Traffic will only be allowed to drive north down the hill on Thompson Ave between the esplande and chapel St and one way traffic will be implemented along the foreshore in both directions.

Councillor Ron Bauer said he believed the plan was “shortsighted”.

“It must include the new improved Warley site ... we should also include a precinct using our redeveloped jetty. A masterplan should be visionary,” he said.

“It has fallen short of its potential.”

The masterplan does not exclude future developments to the jetty area which could, in the future, include facilities for cruise ships and a car ferry.

The project design is inspired by both Cowes’ history and the present day.

“Materials considered in the designs draw on elements that reflect historical and current elements including the old Isle of Wight Hotel, the Cowes Jetty, bluestone retaining walls and native costal vegetation,” the report read.

$2.25m has been allocated in the budget for the planning and delivery of the plan.

The next stage will be to create detailed design plans.

Skate Strategy

Two new skateparks are looking likely to be built on Phillip Island and surrounding areas as the revitalised skate strategy gets off the ground.

On Wednesday Council voted to put the skate strategy up for public comment.

The Bass Coast Shire Skate Strategy 2018-2028 was adopted by council in March 2018.

The Strategy outlines the future provision of Skate park facilities across the Shire and nominates San Remo/Newhaven as the location for a Regional skate park.

In 2019, Council was successful in obtaining state government funding through Sport and Recreation Victoria for the construction of a regional skate park in San Remo/Newhaven, however, after extensive site investigations and community consultation, the project did not proceed.

The updated skate strategy recommends two sub regional skate parks be constructed within the two main population centres of the Shire (Phillip Island and surrounds, and the Wonthaggi/Inverloch area).

This approach ensures each major population township within the Shire has access to a skate facility within 10 to 15 minutes of their residence.

Proposed sites are existing reserves in Cowes, Newhaven, Wonthaggi, Kilcunda and Inverloch.

Councillor Rochelle Hallstead said she was excited to have the plan out in the public again.

“It has been a long wait for skaters in the communities of San Remo, Newhaven and Cape Woolamai, who were excited about the prospect of a regional skate park in their area a couple of years ago,” she said.

“Council created that expectation.

“We have seen significant vegetation damage in Cape Woolamai reserve where our young people have taken matters into their own hands and created their own tracks.”

In August council received a petition to install a pump track in Cape Woolamai and to coincide with the skate strategy planning a small focus group will be set up to scout locations.

Community consultation will now be undertaken on the skate strategy through Council’s website and via pop up sessions at skate parks across the Shire during the school holidays in January.