As you may recall, the City of Cockburn offers community groups up to $30,000 annually to spend on projects in their community. Two years ago, we submitted the application from South Beach Community Group for the following projects :
Improve verge street scapes
Install solar lighting (C.Y. O’Connor beach path)
Install safety signage (children playing, horse awareness)
The decisions made
Projects 1 and 3 were denied and Project 2 (solar lighting) was initially approved. However, when the City of Cockburn released their design for the solar lighting project, it included four metre-tall light posts with mounted solar panels. A number of residents took issue with this design as they felt it would negatively impact visual amenity and would cascade light high up, potentially disrupting people and animals (amongst other things).
Solar bollards alternative
The City of Cockburn did then consider installing solar light bollards instead, but these are apparently much more costly and, as projects cannot be split between funding years (for example, installing some this year and more next year), the project was ultimately scrapped by the City.
Improving verge streetscapes
We have asked the City of Cockburn if the grant money can be applied to something else, so that we do not lose the benefit of a grant for the entire year. Given the timing is very limited and there is not great scope for new rounds of full community consultation and project assessment to be done, the City of Cockburn has suggested improving verge streetscapes could be approved instead.
As this project was suggested in 2020 and 2021, we hope it will be acceptable to the community and it would be great to see an otherwise lost budget allocation get used. Once we receive confirmation of the exact verge areas to be landscaped, we will pass on the information. There are restrictions related to where reticulation is available and where private verges intersect public areas so hopefully the City has a good proposal.
Comments