Council looks into heritage of clubrooms site

East Gippsland Shire Council is delaying work on the Mallacoota Community Clubrooms while it finalises a Cultural Heritage Management Plan.

Council has found a high number of artefacts including stone tools, charcoal and ochre beneath the preferred site.

Mallacoota has a rich cultural history with many significant Aboriginal sites already officially researched and documented.

Following the discoveries, council has chosen to undertake a Complex Assessement using of ground penetrating radar and additional test pits.

This will be completed in June is expected to finalise the background research necessary for the Cultural Heritage Management Plan.

The management plan will then be submitted to Aboriginal Victoria for assessment.

These extra steps to ensure the cultural significance of the preferred site is known will push the project start date to late 2018. Work was originally expected to begin in February 2018.

The information on the site that has been learned to date has provided a fascinating and valuable insight of the past use and occupation of the area.

Carbon dating has confirmed that charcoal found in one of the test pits is well over 3,000 years old.

The clubrooms will include:

 The preferred site is on the south side of the kindergarten.

Cultural heritage approval is also being sought for an alternative site near the cricket nets in case the approval for the preferred site is unsuccessful.

The $1.3 million-dollar project has received $975,000 funding from the Australian Government.

This funding remains secure despite the delay, with the grant agreement timeframe amended.

Once underway, construction of the project will generate substantial economic activity in Mallacoota as a range of local tradespeople and suppliers will be used throughout the build.

 Concept drawing for the recreation reserve upgrade. You can view the plans on our Mallacoota projects page.