Navarre Community Plan Final - ngshire.vic.gov.au

Navarre Community Plan February 2010

ContentsContentsContentsContents

Where we are ......................................................................................................................................3

Introduction: Community Plans........................................................................................................ 4

About our Community: Navarre ....................................................................................................... 4

Process towards developing a Community Plan for Navarre .........................................................5

Creating a Vision for Navarre.............................................................................................................6

The Vision........................................................................................................................................6

Community Plan Priorities .................................................................................................................7

Identified Priorities............................................................................................................................ 8

Navarre Comments and priorities .....................................................................................................9

Review ............................................................................................................................................... 16

Where to from here:......................................................................................................................... 16

Community Plan Leaders.................................................................................................................. 16

Image courtesy www.hereticpress.com/Dogstar/History/Bentley.html (Bentley/Navarre1861.jpg)

Navarre Community Plan 2010 Page 3 of 14

Where we are


Introduction: Community Plans Communities throughout the Northern Grampians Shire have been supported to develop a plan that is unique for their own community. Community planning is a dynamic and participatory process where the community arrive at and document a group vision, priorities and actions to achieve a positive change that will enhance the well-being of their community. Community Plans reflect the aspirations, their strengths, what is special or unique about the community, in particular the lifestyle, social image, economy, environment, pride, work and recreation.

About Navarre and our Community: Navarre is located centrally in the Shire midway between the Shire’s two main towns, Stawell and St Arnaud on the Stawell-Avoca Road. The township was established on the banks of wattle creek which runs through the town which is northern most tributary of the Wimmera River. During the gold rush years in the early 1800s Navarre was on the old Cobb & Co. route and a part of the Gold escort run from Adelaide to Castlemaine. Today, Navarre has a population of approximately 100 people. It is a rural town surrounded by some of the Shire’s most viable agricultural land. The township is linear in shape following the Stawell-Avoca Road. The landscape of the town is flat with the land in the immediate district flat to undulating. The main road running through the town is very wide, providing for a service road for residential properties, a wide median strip which incorporates a gazebo and BBQ and a two lane road for the main road. Navarre has a community co-op as its retail hub which acts as post office, service station, general store and licensed bottle shop. Navarre has a well developed and well used public hall, a primary school and a recreation reserve with clubrooms, toilets and grandstand.

Navarre is a thriving sporting community with football, netball, tennis and cricket as the major activities which are all held at the recreation reserve. Many community members from the younger generations to the elderly are involved with such activities, which contributes to the health and wellbeing of them all throughout the year.

There is a positive, vibrant and strong community spirit in Navarre and there are many hard working volunteers that provide all clubs and associations with strength to achieve many valuable projects. This will ensure the township continues to be self sustainable for the long term.


Process towards developing a Community Plan for Navarre

The Northern Grampians Shire initiated the development of a community plan, and has provided the means for a community plan to be developed without influence on the outcomes. The steps in the process were: • A community summit on 17th February 2010 • Community champions of the plan identified • Draft Plan distributed to the community for comment • Follow up community meeting in April • Sign off by community • Formally presented to the Northern Grampians Shire Council on the 10th June 2010

Community Summit: Approximately twenty five people attended a community meeting initiated by the Northern Grampians Shire Council as part of the Your Town, Your Future community planning forum to develop the Navarre Community Plan.

Facilitated by Mick Collins from Victoria Police, the goal of the night was to create a draft plan to ensure a community strategy for the future of this vibrant town and friendly community.


Creating a Vision for

Navarre

At the Community summit, participants were broken into three smaller groups with each person asked to write a brief statement, sentence or paragraph on their individual vision for their community over the next 10 years. Individuals read these statements aloud to their small group and were then asked to consolidate these into a single group vision for Navarre. The three visions had many similarities and a number of key words. The community members present at the meeting were able to then merge the three statements to draft a Navarre vision statement that will become recognised as the Navarre Community Vision for the future.

The Vision

“To maintain & encourage population growth for the Navarre Community and sustain it into the

future by providing infrastructure for local sporting clubs, new industry, improved

communications and local facilities.

Navarre will continue to provide an important regional base for the local agricultural industry”


Community Plan Priorities Process: Your Town, Your Future

At the community facilitated summit on the 17th of February 2010, opinions were sought in regards to the opportunities and future development of Navarre that the community sees as beneficial. Key priorities from other community engagement activities were also included for community prioritisation. Every idea was captured with discussion flowing in regards to the direction and significance of each idea. Each idea was placed under one of the following three categories:

Our Community: Social, welfare, sport and recreation Our Economy: Business, tourism, cost of living

The Environment: Built and natural developments

The task was then for the community to prioritise these ideas as a beginning of an action plan. To do this, each person was provided a gold dot for their number one preference, three green dots for their next three preferences and one red dot for what they believe is the least important development for the future years. All the ideas gathered during the past community engagement activities and the Navarre summit had now been prioritised. Of all the ideas gathered, several rated significantly higher

than most, which was mobile phone service, school signs with a speed limit of 40km, toilet block in the centre of town and assistance with sports ground maintenance.


Identified Priorities

The following table has been identified as the key priorities for the Navarre Community Plan from the complete list (detailed later in this plan) of ideas tabled on the night in the format provided.

Priority Item Gold Green Red Mobile phone coverage, Internet 2 19

Toilet block in centre of town 5 4

School signs 40km limit between 8.30-9.30am & 3.00-4.00pm (Ararat St Arnaud Rd)

4 2

Recreation Reserve Help with sports ground maintenance: mowing, seeding, upgrade water supply

3 2

Veranda on club rooms 2 1

The boundaries should include the whole parish map of Navarre (Pyrenees Shire)

2 1

Grant for hall 1 2

Clean up Navarre in general- as is a fire hazard 1 1

Walking path and road to Navarre Hill 1 1

Navarre hall to be insured by Council 1 1 2

Cricket needs – net, bowling machine, helmets, scoreboard 4

Hall - hole in ceiling, toilets- white ants 4 1

Caravan powered sites at footy grounds 3

Metal merchant to pick up car bodies/junk/hard rubbish 3

Drains on road to be kept clean and mown, Long grass east end of town to be cut occasionally

2

Finger signs to Football Ground & cemetery 2

60k speed limit through Escort Street 2

Regular transport daily to St. Arnaud & Stawell- V-line 2

Potable water 2

Town Toilet- Council to provide cleaner 1

Straw Bale buildings 1

Exhaust brake signs for trucks 1

Clean rubbish (snags) out of creek 1

Need building blocks for shop and other 1

Time keepers box- footy ground 1

Sign for recreation reserve on main sign post 1

New lighting- footy ground & netball court 1

Recycling at football ground 1

Annual race up Navarre Hill- “Blakes” 1


From the above priorities we have established the following list to include “why is this important to our community”, “how can this be achieved” and “who will be involved” to form the collated and structured form of the plan as we work through the priorities and their significance to the community.

Priority Why is this important to our community How can this be achieved Who will be involved

Toilet block in centre of town

• Existing arrangements are inadequate to support visitors and locals.

• Improved facilities in a central position open 24 hours will encourage people to stop and visit the town. Therefore this project is essential to achieving our vision statement

Engage Council to support the community in implementing the existing plans developed.

• Council

• Plumber Navarre Community

Mobile phone coverage and

Broadband services • To communicate with family, farming

communities, businesses, contractors and emergency services.

• To facilitate easy access to services and information via the phone and internet.

• Improved services in these areas will encourage people to the town and enable business to grow within the community.

• Reliable telecommunication services are paramount for community safety.

• Seek support for infrastructure installation from appropriate service carriers and the Federal Government.

• Advocacy from local community, emergency management organisations and Council for adequate coverage.

Documented evidence of the issues facing the Navarre community will be required to support the process.

• Phone Carriers

• Members of Parliament

• CFA, Ambulance, SES

• Council

• Community



Signage

Uniform signage in the following areas: 1. School signs 40k limit

between 8.30-9.30am & 3.00-4.00pm.

2. 60k speed limit through Escort Street.

3. Sign for recreation reserve on main sign post.

4. Finger signs to Football Ground, Hall, Co-op & cemetery required in several locations

5. Exhaust brake signs for trucks

6. Navarre town entry signs 7. Navarre directional signs at

all locations 8. “T” signs and reflectors at

Cambridge & Airey Streets

• Provide a safe environment for our children and families.

• Provide clear direction for visitors.

• Community to support changes and discuss options with key stakeholders at Council and VicRoads.

• Community

• Council

• VicRoads

Navarre Hall

• Grant for hall.

• Hall - hole in ceiling, toilets- white ants.

• Insurance premium.

• The Navarre Hall is of historical significance for the township and remains an important asset for the community.

• To avoid the hall falling into a state of disrepair and becoming a liability for the community, support is required from various stakeholders.

• Make sure the hall is there for the future

• Discuss options with DSE to establish the priorities for the hall and work towards submitting relevant funding applications to ensure the facilities are kept in satisfactory order.

• Advocate with DSE in relation to the future and ongoing sustainability of the hall.

• Community

• DSE

• Progress

• Association

• Council



Recreation Reserve, Sport &

Recreation

Continued improvement of existing facilities is required to ensure they are servicing the community as required by current regulations and public expectations. Specific items such as the following are seen as priorities. 1. Maintenance: mowing,

seeding, upgrade/expand water supply.

2. Veranda on club rooms. 3. Cricket needs – net

expansion, bowling machine, helmets, score board.

4. Caravan powered sites. 5. Time keeper’s box. 6. New lighting- Football

ground & Netball court. 7. Recycling at football

ground. 8. Upgrade change rooms-

Netball, Football and Cricket Clubs

• Communities such as Navarre are reliant on their recreation facilities not only as a meeting place but for the health and wellbeing of the community.

• In the past, many rural communities have been severely impacted with the loss of such valuable facilities and associated organisations. Therefore, ongoing sustainability of this reserve and its organisations is paramount to the Navarre community.

• The retention of young people in our community is of high importance and to assist this we need to maintain our recreation facilities.

• Water continues to be an ongoing issue for drought ravaged communities and is a high priority for the Navarre Recreation Reserve.

• Create a staged plan or strategic plan for each facility with a specific focus on sustainability and growth.

• Discuss future grant applications with Council and seek consideration for priority funding for proposed projects.

• Council

• DSE

• Community Groups

• Progress Association

• Funding bodies

• Peak sporting organisations

NAVARRE COMMUNITY PLAN 2010 Page 12 of 14

The following list is the total list of items brought up for discussion and consideration as a priority for the community on the night of the summit. Whilst the registered priorities from this list are recorded above as immediate community priorities the remaining items are also seen as an integral part of the plan for future reference and consideration

Community Priorities Gold Green Red

School signs 40k limit between 8.30-9.30am & 3.00-4.00pm

4 2

Help with sports ground maintenance: mowing, seeding, upgrade water supply

3 2

Public toilets needed for playground 2 2 The boundaries should include the whole parish map of Navarre

2 1

Mobile phone reception 1 8

Grant for hall 1 2

Clean up Navarre in general- as is a fire hazard 1 1

Mobile phone service 6

Hall- hole in ceiling, toilets- white ants 4 1

60k speed limit through Escort Street 2

Create camping facilities at sports park (power outlets) 2

Finger signs to Football Ground & cemetery 2

Bowling machine 1

Cricket net 1

Drinking water 1

Hard rubbish collection 1

Helmets safety 1

New lighting- footy ground & netball court 1

Recycling at football grounds 1

Score board 1

Sign for recreation reserve on main sign post 1

Time keepers box- footy ground 1

Continue health services to Navarre

Guard rail south end Tulkara Rd bridge

Name for park

Street lighting

T Signs and reflectors at Cambridge & Airey Street

Toilet block

Town walk

Walking track to old cemetery near hall

Change rooms- netball & footy club 1

Cricket equipment 1

Navarre sign at Cemetery corner 1

V-line service 2


Environment priorities Gold Green Red

Walking path and road to Navarre Hill 1 1

Hard rubbish collection 2

Toilet block centre of town (who going to clean them?) 2

Metal merchant to pick up car bodies/junk 1

Potable water 1

Town Toilet- Council to provide cleaner 1

Straw Bale buildings 1

Drains on road to be kept clean and mown 1

Long grass east end of town to be cut occasionally 1

Exhaust brake signs for trucks 1

Clean rubbish (snags) out of creek 1

Need building blocks for shop and other 1

Falling trees cleaned up

Walking trails

Educate rubbish litters

Keep our school growing

Pedestrian crossing to shop & path from school

Solar power

Chemist script delivery

Clean trees on nature strip

Cheap Building blocks of ground for housing

Car park at school

Fake grass for park BBQ area 3

Economy priorities Gold Green Red

Toilet block in centre of town 3

Veranda on club rooms 2 1

Mobile phone coverage 1 4

Navarre hall to be insured by Council 1 1 2

Regular transport daily to St. Arnaud & Stawell- V-line 2

Caravan powered sites at footy grounds 1

Annual race up Navarre Hill- “Blakes” 1

Internet 1

Worm farm

Pet food with eggs

Assistance new business grants

Residence for shop 1

Clean up roads 1

Machinery display 2

Wind tower (Turbine) 4


RRRRevieweviewevieweview

The plan can be reviewed at any time at the request of the Navarre community. An

informal review of the plan will occur each year, and a formal review each four years.

Where to from here: Community leaders, key stakeholders, all levels of Government and wider community organisations will be invited to contribute to achieving the objectives of this plan. This includes the Northern Grampians Shire Council who we encourage to become familiar with the Navarre Community Plan and support the effort the community will put in to achieve the identified priorities.

Community Plan Leaders The process of moulding the ideas from the broad community summit into a Community Plan has been lead by: Rupert Bibby Lyle Driscoll Dawn Mc Kay Gary Hannet Navarre Progress Committee will be the future driver for the Navarre Community Plan priorities.

Documents

Navarre Community Plan Final - ngshire.vic.gov.au