Croydon bands moved by Maroondah Council from Keystone Hall for precinct plans
Croydon’s three community bands – which have more than 100 members – have an uncertain future with their home of almost 50 years to be bulldozed.
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Croydon’s three community bands are making noise about what they believe is a lack of consultation over their future needs.
The town’s brass, wind symphony and concert bands are set to lose their home of nearly 50 years — Keystone Hall — which will be knocked down by Maroondah Council for its future Croydon Community Precinct.
The council plans to put existing community groups inside one of three ‘hubs’ — sharing space with a new library and council service centre.
But Croydon Citizen Bands president Peter Heath said the group – which has more than 100 members – was unsure where they would be based.
Mr Heath said the group fears they would be lumped in with other groups and not have adequate space to store instruments and rehearse.
“There hasn’t been an opportunity for users of the hall to say what they need and how many people will use it,” he said.
“We’ve had councillors come out and meet us at the hall and they said they didn’t know that our storeroom existed.
“It seems like in the consultation process, there hasn’t been consideration of actual facility users as well as the general public.”
The bands are the second group to raise its concerns about a lack of consultation for the planned precinct.
Last month, Maroondah Leader revealed Croydon’s Meals On Wheels service was being forced out, with the council wanting to relocate it to Federation Estate in Ringwood.
Croydon Brass Band director Merlina Benger said it wouldn’t be practical to rehearse “on the other side of the church or next to a public speaking group”.
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“They are trying to incorporate everything into a new precinct, but the groups are not being consulted individually on what their needs are and to see if its appropriate,” she said.
Mayor Mike Symon said the council had undertaken “significant consultation” with key user groups during the precinct’s development.
Cr Symon said a stakeholder consultation group had also met as required during the creation of the masterplan.
“All other community groups that use the precinct for their activities, including the Croydon Citizen Band, have been keep up to date with the project through regular email updates to the group’s primary contact,” he said.
Cr Symon said Keystone Hall would close after the hubs were built and its community groups had been accommodated.
“Detailed design for the community hubs will involve further extensive consultation with key users and community groups at the appropriate stage of the project,” he said.
The council has extended community consultation for the precinct’s draft masterplan until January 26 after it was originally going to close on Sunday.