Precinct News Update as at 31.12.2008

M.D.S.A.R.C. Inc update as at December 31st, 2008 by Cr Mike Norman, President. As 2008 draws to a close, I believe that we can look very positively at the progress that has been achieved in the Club’s endeavours to obtain facilities for our sporting and recreational bodies in Maleny and the surrounding areas. Our new SCRC’s very positive endorsement of the “Maleny Community Precinct Approved Concept Plan” has resulted in a number of meetings of the “Maleny Precinct Advisory Group”, some formal and some informal. These meetings have in many ways helped broaden the understanding of interested parties in each other’s objectives. They have most importantly led to the opening up of the Precinct land to “working party groups”. These groups made up of extremely well qualified and experienced individuals have helped mould the sporting and related environmental concept plans to a stage that it is hoped should be acceptable to the vast majority of Maleny people. To the working party groups (and there are many) we are indeed grateful for your time, expertise and for the real passion shown in endeavouring to make this once in a lifetime opportunity a real success. It is our intention to invite more interested people to visit the site in the new year so that they can also gain an understanding and contribute to our planning process. The next step of the formal planning stage will be for all six bodies comprising the Precinct Advisory Group to submit their proposals to Council. This should be done before the year end and it will then be up to Council to complete a master plan for the Precinct in the first half of 2009. One very positive development that is becoming more and more evident is the enthusiasm that has been generated and we have recently had another three sporting bodies join as affiliates, together with a number of new members. We wish you all a warm welcome. 25 clubs have joined MDSRC as affiliated members. Many of our affiliated members have now had the opportunity to discuss the hopes and aspirations of their clubs and in the light of the positive environment, and with the Precinct beginning to take shape, we hope these will come to fruition. Clubs are now in a position to have business plans formulated based on a more solid foundation. Council has engaged technical consultants to review the sporting requirements for the area and I would again request existing members to contact any sporting or social bodies in Maleny and the surrounding areas that are not necessarily members of ours but who would wish to be included in such a review, and ask them to liase with me so that this review can be as comprehensive as possible. My email address is regent1@aapt.net.au We have every confidence that 2009 will continue to bring a positive direction for the Club and on behalf of the MDSRC Committee, I hope you all had a Happy Christmas and wish you peace, health and prosperity for the coming New Year. Mike Norman