A $1.2 million modern office building will be the first structure to go into construction in Marysville, before a school or a health centre.
The office for the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRR) will be a ‘one stop shop’ for people wanting to rebuild after the devastating bushfires razed the area on Black Saturday. The structure has been designed on a pro-bono basis by Melbourne-based bamford-dash architecture, with community engagement by ECOdesign Architects + Consultants.
Reports that the community is unhappy that the office is being built ahead of essential services are exaggerated, Nigel Bell of ECOdesign Architects + Consultants said.
Initial public concern over the building’s location and its ‘fit’ with the proposed town plan has been addressed, Bell said. The vast majority of the community expressed its support for the building at a consultation held on Sunday evening, he said.
A second Rebuilding Advisory Centre will be built at Kinglake. Both centres will be built on council land, with all material and labour donated by the efforts of 60 Victorian businesses. A roving service will visit all other bushfire-affected communities over coming months.
Professionals with expertise in planning, building, finance, insurance as well as councils and the Building Commission will have a presence at each centre. Meeting rooms to be constructed at the centres will be available for community use after hours, free of charge, and the building will be given to the community once the rebuilding process is over.
“Rebuilding will involve challenging and often difficult decisions for individuals and families,” Victorian premier John Brumby said. “We know that for many people the rebuilding process will seem daunting and that’s why we are helping to make it a little easier by providing all of the information needed in the one place.”
When completed next month, the Kinglake temporary village will be able to provide temporary housing for 50 individuals and families with room to expand on demand. ??
“Temporary villages are up and running at Marysville and Flowerdale and as construction continues on the Kinglake temporary village, communities in bushfire affected areas across the state are starting to think about their own rebuilding. These centres will make a real difference in helping people to work through that process,” Brumby said. ??
“And with the property clean-up expected to be completed ahead of schedule in July, we expect individuals and families will be able to start rebuilding quicker than originally expected,” he said.
