Old Bega Hospital Reserve Land Manager

Chair's Report to the AGM of the Old Bega Hospital Reserve Land Manager Board 12 November2019

This year has been dominated by the final preparations and submission of the Main Building restoration Development Application (and subsequent amendment) to BVSC.

The beginning of 2019 ( or rather the end of 2018) was marked by the discovery on 27/12 that the very much hoped for (and apparently best funding hope ever) of restoration funding via the Regional Cultural Fund had been unsuccessful. Richard and John engaged in a feedback session which did nothing to cheer us up.

Nevertheless, a small band of the Friends continued manning the raffle table in Carp Street. Richard devised a method of engaging local and visiting people to sign post cards featuring scenes at OBH and dropping them into the office of Andrew Constance as one way of keeping pressure on our local member that the building was valued; and people wanted it restored and returned to the community and cultural centre it was before the 2004 fire. Val Little devised another novel way by organising "knit ins" beside the raffle table and people began to "knit a roof".

These methods proved powerful as Andrew Constance called a public meeting at OBH in February and announced a special grant of up to $3 million through a source we had never heard of (actually a source available to MPs for projects which had merit but had not been funded through ordinary funding means). We were stunned! Andrew stated that there were no more applications required and it was not dependent on the outcome of the coming March Election but was reserved and would be honoured by whatever government was elected. This sounded very appealing and we basically heard no more about it until a meeting in June with officers of the Dept. of Industry,-Planning and Investment. Then we learned that we had to provide more current detail although the application to the 2018 Regional Cultural Fund would form the basis of the information. The Dept took a long time to provide the relevant documentation and Richard found he was really writing another application which was to be considered by another assessment committee. We found the officers of the Dept. were willing to be helpful and made contact with Richard when the closing date was reached. Their concern was that the project cost (via the Quantity survey of 2018) was greater than the amount nominated for the full project. Without an inclusion which Richard developed, it was likely that the Assessment committee would just reject it out of hand.

Richard had also written our 2019 CRIF (Crown Reserves Improvement Fund) application nominating 3 projects needing funding: replacement of the Operating Theatre roof ($15,000); replacement of the Laundry roof ($24,000) and (presciently) the additional funding to supplement the $3 million ($463,100) if our long standing expected $500,000 promised by Andrew Constance in February 2015 (known to us as the Barilaro Money) failed to appear. Despite Andrew's advice to us on several occasions that the money should be regarded as happening (eventually) we finally learnt from the Dept in August that the S500,000 had been subsumed into the $3 million. Richard was able to provide 3 possible means by which we could achieve the full amount needed for, not the full restoration as Andrew's media announcements might suggest (and as Richard had personally explained to Andrew in March this year), but a "bare bones, habitable” Stage One project. The Board had sought to include the currently unfunded Stage Two part within the DA as a simpler (and potentially cheaper) process for us. It was not to be. Though many thanks to the Heritage Near Me staff who were flexible in their attitude to helping us achieve this.

Meanwhile, there were many details to be ironed out and a group of Board members - Richard, John, Jay and Warren - were meeting and engaging in detailed consultations between themselves and BVSC staff as the DA considerations began. More supplementary reports were needed and Amelia from Sibling Architects has continued her role and had discussions with Richard. It seemed that, for projects costing over $5 million BVSC would have to hand over the final decision to the state Joint Planning Authority. Mercifully, we learned that BVSC would handle the documentation involved. So, a further reconsideration of the DA has occurred to reduce the single 2 stage DA to a stage one only so that the final decision remains with BVSC. This has required more thought, discussions and decisions which have continued up to the present. Thank you to all for the extra time, reading emails and attending meetings to resolve. Particularly, Richard who has carried the bulk of this.

Despite the statement at CRIF application time that the successful applicants would be announced in August, we did not learn until 26 October that we had been successful in achieving the $463. 1 00 requested as the backup restoration amount. Sorry, Weavers and Potters that your roofing will have to wait a while. We do not expect an announcement on the (second) achievement of the $3 million until December. I hope we are not disingenuous in assuming that some political/interdepartmental consultation has been engaged in so that if we got the $463.100 we will get the $3mi11ion and be able to move onto the next project process in early 2020 :when we might also learn if the DA has been approved. There is a sewerage issue which involves more than OBH - namely BVSC, our near neighbours Tarra Ford, RD Miller and Scarletts buses. We have agreed to a meeting with BVSC over this but not all parties have agreed yet. Not sure whether this will delay the decision for us. My personal view is that sewerage infrastructure is a council responsibility and they have access to sources of funds which we do not. In any case, this seems like a case for BVSC/Crown Lands as owner negotiation.

Several changes in Crown Lands management have occurred this year: one is that we have become a statutory land manager. So we are no longer the Old Bega Hospital Reserve Trust but the Old Bega Hospital Reserve Land Manager Board. Doesn't quite roll off the tongue! We have yet to discover (although we suspect) that this may increase our difficulties in achieving Commonwealth funding. Another is that the responsibility for most far south coast Crown Land Manager Boards has been transferred to Goulburn or Wagga. Because of the longstanding, complex nature of the OBH restoration it seems that some responsibility may be left with the Nowra office. Some matters e.g. recruitment of a new Board from 13 December 2019 are already being managed by Goulburn. How this will pan out we have yet to learn.

Our term of office ends in mid December. We have achieved a great deal i.e. we are very close to clinching the Stage One money, though we might have hoped to be further along the restoration path. Thank you to my fellow board members for the professional way you have turned up to many meetings, debated robustly and reached consensus on most matters. And we are not only still speaking to each other but friends caring about each other! I thank you for your tolerance and support while I have cared for Alan (and sometimes been distracted from OBH business). I thank Warren and David (who have not nominated to continue membership) for their contributions and we all send our best wishes to David that his current eye condition can be successfully resolved.

Thank you to the Bega Men's Shed for their ongoing practical support in terms of lawn mowing. Thank you to Ron Winter who initiated the engagement of NSW Corrective Services via their Community Service Order Scheme. Thanks to John who stepped into that role and Richard as his back up. And to the CSO participants who have lent their skills and energy to improving the buildings and grounds.

Thank you to the Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc for the support to the Board. And achieved much in terms of enhancing our media engagement and messages to the Bega Valley population and a wider community. The fundraising group has been very active and successful and I think our annual events are imbedded in the community calendar. Thank you to Val Little for an amazing display of creativity and energy and Gordon Beattie for joining in and producing splendid posters, creative ideas and initiating the seasonal newsletter.

I think we hand over the reins to the new Board with a well thought out vision, a professional and practical plan and, hopefully, the finances to achieve it.

 

Pat Jones
Chairperson