By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
STAGE one of the new Ash Wednesday Bushfire Memorial Cockatoo has been completed with the building of the main structure finished.
However, the Ash Wednesday Memorial Project Committee is still looking for more funding to bring the project to a close.
The Ash Wednesday Bushfire Memorial and Education Centre will be a centre-piece for the town, which lost six members of the community during the February 1983 fires.
It will stand on the site of the old kindergarten on McBride Street where about 300 residents took shelter as the fire ravaged the town.
Cockatoo CFA Captain Julian Ketskemety said the building was in need of repair and using it as a memorial and educational site was a great outcome.
“The building needed to be revamped and that’s what has happened,” he said.
“It’s also an education centre for fire safety, that’s the main purpose; for people to have somewhere to go to learn how to be safe with fire.”
“It’s something town really needed and is going to be very good for the town.”
Ash Wednesday Memorial Project Committee chairman Graham Simpson AFSM said the centre would have lots of benefits for the town beyond just being a memorial.
“The community is happy the building is saved from demolition and has been refurbished,” he said.
“The Ash Wednesday Bushfire Education Centre will bring tourism and it’ll be somewhere people can go a and learn about what happened on Ash Wednesday state-wide and will have information not in display anywhere else.”
Mr Simpson said they were grateful for funding provided by Cardinia Shire Council, The Federal Government and the Victorian Heritage Restoration Fund, but added more was needed to finish the project. “It’s all money we need and it takes a long time to accumulate the money,” Mr Simpson said.
Despite the project having come to somewhat of a halt while the committee explored more funding options, Mr Simpson said they were still committed to seeing the site complete.
“We want to see it finished in the next four years,” he said.
“We have not lost sight of our goal, and we are still working towards it.”
Cardinia Council’s co-ordinator of Community Strengthening Tim Cooper said council was also working towards seeing this project finished and utilised for its intended purpose.
“Council is working with the relevant parties to complete the internal fit-out and landscaping,” Mr Cooper said.
