PICAL still in a pickle

By Nick Sinis

MANY questions remain for Phillip Island Community and Learning Centre’s (PICAL) relocation following a council decision to incorporate its community garden at Blue Gum Reserve.

Last week, councillors voted in favour to amend the reserve’s masterplan to incorporate the new community garden, including funding of $278,107 for construction, with PICAL contributing $38,764.

PICAL will move from its current site to Warley Avenue later this year to make way for the Phillip Island Community Hospital.

But the community garden could not be incorporated into the new site.

According to council, the new Warley Avenue building is currently under construction (off-site, modular form of construction) and expected to be in place before the end of the year.

PICAL centre manager Greg Thompson said the issue of the relocation had been ongoing for years, and they continue to be concerned by their November deadline to vacate.

“We absolutely have to be out of this site (by then),” Mr Thompson said.

“We’re on an acre and a half (site) with three large classrooms and two smaller classrooms and utilise all of these facilities every day.

“Now we’re at Blue Gum

Reserve with a garden, but no training facilities and none at Warley Avenue either, where the headquarters are going.”

Adding to the pressure, PICAL was also approached by Bass Coast Health and the Victorian Health Building Authority who indicated their preference for PICAL to leave their current site to temporary premises by August this year.

“There’s no way we can be out of here by August, we’ve got nowhere to go,” he said.

“We’re tired of fighting this battle, but instead, we’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of community support.

“A lot of our local churches have offered their halls.”

Mr Thompson said overall, PICAL is looking forward to their new location and hopes it will be ready by November.

The council report also revealed concept designs for the new community garden, which includes eight garden beds, an accessible toilet with associated pathways, garden shed for storage, perimeter fencing, service connections, accessible car park, and a larger shed that can be used for both classes and the construction of garden materials.

The project will see the relocation of Coel’s Shed.

Councillors also adopted the recommendation to allocate $182,582 in the draft 2022/23 budget, for refurbishment of the council-owned CFA building at Cowes on Settlement Road.

This would support the following community groups: Artists Society of Phillip Island, Phillip Island Arts and Crafts Gallery, Phillip Island Contemporary Exhibition Space and Boomerang Bags.