Pittwater Life April 2019 Issue
Election Wrap. King Rat. All that Gaz! Art Space North. Testing the Waters.
Election Wrap. King Rat. All that Gaz! Art Space North. Testing the Waters.
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Mona Vale ‘always’<br />
on Art Space canvas<br />
News<br />
Northern Beaches Council’s<br />
decision to concentrate<br />
key facilities for the<br />
new Creative Arts Space North<br />
at Mona Vale Civic Centre has<br />
drawn fire from the Avalon<br />
Preservation Association and<br />
other opponents who maintain<br />
the site was never part of the<br />
consultation process.<br />
The APA are livid that a<br />
section of the Avalon Golf<br />
Clubhouse has been relegated<br />
to back-up status comprising<br />
just two artist studios and<br />
a teaching space after it was<br />
flagged as one of Council’s two<br />
preferred options (along with<br />
the Avalon Annex in Dunbar<br />
Park) last September.<br />
APA President Peter Mayman<br />
said the selection made a<br />
mockery of Council’s community<br />
engagement process.<br />
“This is a slap in the face<br />
not only for Avalon residents,<br />
but for everyone living from<br />
Newport north to Palm Beach,”<br />
he said.<br />
However, <strong>Pittwater</strong> <strong>Life</strong><br />
understands Mona Vale Civic<br />
Centre has been on the radar<br />
as a potential Arts Space site<br />
for several years having first<br />
been spruiked by the former<br />
<strong>Pittwater</strong> Council.<br />
A NB Council spokesperson<br />
said: “The idea for a creative<br />
arts space in Mona Vale was<br />
originally mooted in a draft<br />
plan by the former <strong>Pittwater</strong><br />
Council and following amalgamation,<br />
it became part of the<br />
Northern Beaches Council’s<br />
draft Mona Vale Place Plan in<br />
September 2016.<br />
“The plan proposed for<br />
the potential future conversion<br />
of the existing Council<br />
administration building in<br />
Mona Vale to a collective artist<br />
‘in-residence’ facility to<br />
include retail, exhibition and<br />
workshop space.”<br />
Further, members of the consultation<br />
committee involved in<br />
flagging and assessing the options<br />
available confirmed Mona<br />
Vale Civic Centre had in fact<br />
been at the forefront of early<br />
discussions; however, given<br />
it housed Council staff at the<br />
time, it was never progressed.<br />
Since then, Council has<br />
flagged its intention to relocate<br />
staff to its Warriewood offices,<br />
freeing up the venue for a new<br />
purpose.<br />
Consultation committee<br />
member and local artist<br />
Martin Wale explained: “Early<br />
in the consultation process,<br />
the Working Group of approximately<br />
20 enthusiastic arts<br />
community members and supporters<br />
were asked to suggest<br />
possible venues that met our<br />
many criteria for a successful<br />
northern Creative Space.<br />
“I proposed (with photographs,<br />
location maps and pro/<br />
con analysis) numerous potential<br />
sites or buildings in Mona<br />
Vale – of which the Civic Centre<br />
was (whilst at that time still<br />
fully occupied by Council staff)<br />
by far the best option, meeting<br />
almost all the adopted criteria<br />
for success... and already a<br />
Council property!<br />
“There were always strong<br />
and sometimes conflicting<br />
opinions within the group as to<br />
the most appropriate ‘village’ to<br />
situate the new Creative Space,<br />
but I have always firmly believed<br />
that the Mona Vale town<br />
centre is the only truly viable<br />
location for a facility of this<br />
6 APRIL <strong>2019</strong><br />
The Local Voice Since 1991
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