MEMBERS of the Richmond Park Action Group (RPAG) are calling for an urgent inquiry into the Snowy Valleys Council’s (SVC) handling of a $13.8 million grant for an Emergency Evacuation/Multipurpose Centre.
The project has been reduced to an $8.5 million build (with a contingency to $10 million), raising concerns over mismanagement, rushed decisions, and a failure to meet community needs.
The Richmond Park site, chosen at the last minute in June 2024, was previously deemed unsuitable due to space constraints, traffic concerns, and lack of parking.
Yet, despite strong community opposition, councillors ignored the preferred site at the Netball Courts/Boys Club Hall and pushed ahead due to fear of losing grant funding.
Key concerns include:
• Lack of proper community consultation – Residents were not engaged before the location was determined.
• Insufficient parking & major traffic issues – Only 50 spaces planned, compared to the previous Lockridge Park design with 126 spaces plus overflow into TAFE.
• Inadequate emergency evacuation facilities – The centre won’t function as a true Emergency Evacuation Centre but rather a registration point for evacuees before being moved elsewhere.
• Failure to meet State Emergency Guidelines – The site is too small to triage the required 1,000 evacuees, lacks proper transport access, and does not have adequate facilities.
• Rushed approvals & questionable tactics – The Development Application (DA) and Crown Lands Plan of Management are being pushed simultaneously, raising concerns about transparency.
Documents obtained through GIPA requests show SVC attempted to change the Crown Lands Plan of Management after public exhibition to push the project through, but were forced to restart the process when Crown Lands intervened.
With funding set to expire in June 2025, SVC is racing ahead at the community’s expense, ignoring logical site alternatives. Residents demand an urgent ministerial inquiry before another extension is granted.
