Scouting groups across the Knox District may finally have some peace of mind as the final cost and lease agreements for their halls are firmly on the horizon.
After over a year of uncertainty and back and forth, Knox City Council passed a motion to finally set a lease amount for the scouting groups in its area.
At the meeting on Monday 10 November, Mayor Lisa Cooper said she was very pleased that they were at this point and moved an alternative motion to reduce the fee by almost half.
“It’s taken effort from all people at different levels – I certainly do hope that moving forward, an agreement can be met, and that as of early next year, we have something in place in terms of the lease for the scouts,” she said.
The final number has come down significantly to nearly half of what was originally proposed, from $450 to $239.
“It is quite different to other user groups who are using the Council’s building, receiving maintenance on their building, or perhaps even receiving partnership, community partnership funding – I do think that there should be something that represents the difference,” Cr Cooper said.
A pressing issue since July last year, Knox Council were set to increase the rent at the scouting hall sites from a peppercorn rent of $10 to a whopping $450 per site.
Scouts District President Karin Orpen said they’re very happy with the results.
“To charge us the same amount for all as all other community groups who are in council buildings getting their maintenance done would be really not equitable,” she said.
“It was great to get acknowledgement from the councillors that a fee like this is a financial burden… It’s the parents in Knox who pay it.”
District Commissioner Alan Richmond said he thought the councillors had done great work.
“Even though it’s gone up, it’s reasonable,” he said.
Reluctant to put a timeframe on the final signing off of the lease agreement, Director Judy Chalkley said they will ensure they will negotiate with Scouts Victoria.
“They indicated that you know they have a few concerns, and we’re willing to work through them with them,” she said.
The Knox District Scouts have a way to go, however, as they are still unable to use their own halls for sleepovers – a vital and longstanding tradition that makes up the bones of a Scouting experience.
Building legislation that came in in 2021 means they are unable to host overnight activities in their Halls, as the building classification doesn’t allow for that purpose under the Victorian Building Act 1993.
Knox City Council have previously proposed that Scouts apply for a Temporary Occupancy Permit (through a building surveyor) or upgrade their facilities and undertake a building classification change.
This led to Scouts heading to the council for clarification in June this year during a meeting’s question time, with Scouts like nine-year-old Ruby from Fourth Knox Scout Group saying at the time that overnight experiences gave her confidence to go on bigger adventures.
“My friends and I are very sad that the council is stopping overnight activities in our scout halls,” she said.
Other councils like Monash have approached the building codes differently, and Ms Orpen said they are allowing their scouts six sleepovers a year.
“Scouts are not just here for a season, they are there all year round,” she said.
With groups now having to shuffle kids off to halls that are allowed sleepovers or not have them, it has meant the Scouts are missing formative moments with their friends.
“Our young people, as far as the Scout award scheme goes, have to be able to stay overnight in the hall with their Scout members, especially in the younger age groups, to learn how to go camping as they get older,” Mr Richmond said .
With the option to pay up to $1,500 for a permit or hold sleepovers elsewhere, Mr Richmond said they have halls in Knox that aren’t part of the lease with the council.
“They’re not covered by this – they can do whatever they want in their hall, as long as it’s safe,” he said.
Frustrated by the situation, the Scout leaders across Knox will continue to advocate for their kids.
“Council has to keep pushing, scouts have to keep pushing, pushing to get this legislation changed – we expect nothing less than our elected representative going to bat for the parents of Knox,” Ms Orpen said.
‘Some of them, this is the first time they’ve been away from their family or their parent at night, we want to be in a safe base, and the hall is their safe base,” Mr Richmond said.
Cr Susan Pearce said at the meeting she hasn’t given up on the sleepovers, and won’t until that’s resolved.
While not disclosing specific details, Cr Cooper said that the terms of release and the overnight activities have reached a point where there is acknowledgement and agreement in terms of how those issues will be addressed moving forward.
“I’m comfortable to support at this point in time, the confidential draft that sits behind this recommendation,” she said.
