Jack Sheridan along with Ken and Karin is disappointed about the revised development of the Eco-Living Centre in Brimbank. 69858 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Kara Irving
REVISED plans to construct an eco-living house away from Victoria University’s St Albans campus has angered community groups involved in the project.
Community group, Friends of Iramoo, president Jack Sheridan was outraged by the possibility that the house may not be constructed in St Albans after the latest plan revisions.
“There’s been too much time put into the development of a glorified shed,” he said, “I don’t see how a project like this should take so long.”
In 2006 Friends of Iramoo initiated an idea to renovate an old weatherboard house into a self-sustaining eco-house within the St Albans campus.
The house would be used to educate St Alban locals of the sustainable living options within their homes.
In 2007 Victoria University joined forces with Brimbank City Council and City West Water, with Sustainability Victoria providing a $300,000 funding grant for the initial stages of the project.
But the location of the shed remains undecided.
Mr Sheridan, 81, has been preaching to the university to keep the eco-site within St Albans.
“If they decide to move the project away from our community, then I won’t be singing the praises of Vic Uni,” he said.
Brimbank City Council General Manager of Infrastructure and Environment Paul Younis said council was supportive of having an Eco-Living Centre constructed at a viable location within Brimbank, including the St Albans campus.
Victoria University Director of Innovation and Commercial Development and Eco-Living Centre chair Tina Rankovic said miscommunication of facts was the cause of confusion between community groups.
“There is nothing to say that Brimbank City Council and Victoria University cannot have a conversation about the project. In saying that, all steering committee meetings are documented and community groups involved in the project have representatives who sit on the committee. Nothing would have happened without them knowing,” she said.
Ms Rankovic said the original expression of interest documents listed likely locations for the house, but nothing had been finalised. Victoria University said the initial project had been revised to allow for the best outcome for the eco-living house.
