$4 million of infrastructure projects cancelled by Baw Baw Shire council to fund new sports precinct

Baw Baw Shire Council has unanimously voted to remove eight separate infrastructure projects from its long-term development plan, opting instead to use more than $4 million in funds to build a new sports precinct.

What happened: During a December meeting, Baw Baw Shire Council decided to update a 29-year-old development scheme by removing eight projects in the pipeline. Councillors said the projects were no longer needed or not likely to receive funding in the future.

What is the DCPO?

Baw Baw Shire’s Development Contributions Plan Overlay (DCPO) was established in 2007 with 73 projects outlined to be built across the whole shire.

The original DCPO funded major projects in the shire including the West Gippsland Arts Centre, Bellbird Park Indoor Centre, the Baxter Park synthetic pitch and streetscapes in Warragul and Drouin.

• Two amendments to the DCPO, in 2013 and 2015, removed 20 projects from the plan as councillors at the time thought they were either no longer affordable or needed.

• Today, 29 of the remaining 53 projects have been completed and the council aims to have a further 16 finished in the next four years.

Projects on the chopping block: Eight of the remaining projects will now be removed and the funds reallocated.

They are:

• Tennis centre development in Warragul and district ($600,000)

• Additional five upgraded netball courts in Warragul ($400,000)

• Bowen Street/Sutton Street intersection traffic lights ($300,000)

• Intersection works Main South Road/Cook Street ($330,000)

• Queen Street/Bowen Street intersection in Warragul ($1,200,000)

• Sutton Street and Warragul Road realignment ($200,000)

• Land acquisition for Sutton Street, Warragul ($1,000,000)

• Roundabout at Copelands Road / No 1 Road ($130,000)

Abandoning these projects will give Baw Baw Shire Council $4,160,000 in funds to put towards other works.

Speaking in favour of the motion to remove the eight projects, councillor Danny Goss said he understood the decision would be “contentious”.

Show me the money: The more than $4 million in funds will be redirected to building a pavilion in Western Park, Warragul, as well as Baw Baw Shire’s Municipal Recreation Precinct project, which will include football, cricket, netball, soccer and indoor facilities in Warragul and Drouin.

🗣️ Councillor Goss acknowledged past criticism of the DCPO process, saying it "has certainly caught some criticism over the years, probably fairly, in my view, because it was very Warrugal-centric."

• “Money was collected from various places across the shire, from Trafalgar, Neerim South and Thorpdale and then the money was spent here,” said Goss.

Councillor Paul Pratt noted tennis courts and netball facilities were being removed but said council would find other ways to address those needs.