COOLART Homestead has been closed indefinitely as the Parks Victoria rangers that manage the site take industrial action. The main gates were closed and locked on Friday (28 August), with rangers stating they will remain closed until their dispute is resolved. Across Parks Victoria, rangers and operational staff have been engaged in a long-running industrial dispute concerning pay, classification and recognition of the work they undertake. The Australian Workers’ Union has said the dispute follows more than 12 months of negotiations seeking greater recognition of the skilled and demanding work performed by frontline Parks Victoria staff. Friends of Coolart, the…
Browsing: Coolart Homestead
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor David Gill is asking for peninsula residents to cast their vote in the Victorian government’s “Pick My Park” program. Gill is hoping “people power” will secure funding for Parks Victoria’s submitted proposal for $110,000 to upgrade the picnic area at Coolart Homestead, including new accessible picnic tables and chairs on concrete aprons. “The ‘Pick my Park’ project is a great opportunity for a much-needed upgrade for the popular Coolart venue as a picnic area, historical precinct and water bird sanctuary,” said Gill. “Funding of proposals is only determined by votes. Victorians aged sixteen years and over…
THE Coolart Homestead, a treasured late-Victorian mansion in Somers, has officially reopened to the public for the first time in seven years.The 1895 building, located within the Coolart Wetlands and Homestead Estate with expansive lawns and gardens, reopened its doors after safety concerns relating to the age of the structure forced its closure. Parks Victoria has completed a range of upgrades throughout the site, including improvements to accessibility, lighting and fire safety measures.Initial access will be restricted to the ground floor as Parks Victoria continued to review further repair and funding options for the mansion. “We commit to keeping the…