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Fast forward to 2022

15/4/2020

10 Comments

 
PictureThe Holden Proving Ground includes 44 kilometres of roads and tracks, but much of the site is woodland.
By Mikhaela Barlow
 
IT’S EASY to get lost in the negativity right now, to believe there won’t be any light at the end of the tunnel. However, for a moment, cast your mind forward a couple of years – to a time when the pandemic is over.
 
You arrive at the old Lang Lang Proving Grounds on a beautiful, sunny Saturday for the opening of the newly redeveloped site.
 
The Premier stands on a podium, along with Bass Coast councillors, a representative from the Bunurong Land Council, the Minister for Tourism, the Minister for the Environment and teachers and staff from universities, colleges and schools, all waiting to give their two cents’ worth on the opportunities this new public facility will provide. Before them, an excited crowd waits to hear the details. 

The Premier starts by talking about all the people and organisations that made this project possible. He gives credit to GM for selling the land to the State Government for a reasonable price.
 
The Bunurong Land Council and the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne receive their due for the permaculture gardens and the newly planted orchard, which will stock the café on site with fresh, organic produce.
 
The Minister for Tourism talks about the unlimited potential in the area, and you hear mumblings of agreement throughout the crowd as ideas start to form. What is the potential for using the existing proving ground for driver training? The L2P program? Could we use the skid pad? How about a Tread Lightly-type off-road training course?
 
Item two on the agenda: Is an interpretive museum in an existing but redeveloped building the best path forward? We must remember to tell the story of the people who worked here, not just the engineering and racing and driving that was done here.
 
The excitement builds as the Minister for the Environment begins talking about CERES Western Port – a new branch off the original community environment park in Brunswick. The partnership with the Bunurong Land Council and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne has already borne fruit, if you’ll pardon the pun, and the Bush Tucker Café is rapidly developing a reputation for its outstanding food and great service.   A committed manager employed by CERES, a creative indigenous chef and staffing by the students from Chisolm TAFE hospitality and catering courses gives the café a unique and relaxed vibe enhanced by the tranquil bush all around it.
PictureCross-country trails could make the HPV site a mecca for mountain bikers young and old.
After the speeches pass, and the benefits are listed – from exercise to education to environmental protection – the crowd begins to branch off, splitting into groups as they head around to see everything the site has to offer.
 
A group in an odd mix of lycra and baggies, speaking a mix of European languages, make last minute adjustments to their mountain bikes and backpacks before heading out to explore the cross-country trail. After a good few hours to ride the trails they’ll stop for lunch at the cafe before riding to San Remo. Tomorrow they’ll ride the rail trail to Wonthaggi, lunch and then ride down to Cape Paterson and along the coast to Inverloch.
 
Nearing the trailhead, they pause to examine the human powered vehicles that have just been unloaded by staff and students from Wonthaggi Secondary College.  A university team is preparing for a day of high-speed testing of high-tech carbon fibre racing bicycles.
 
Nearby a group of local primary school students, teachers and parents are preparing for their day. Their Bunurong guide explains to the children that they will break up into teams to explore, catalogue and identify every species of plant or animal in the small area they will walk to shortly. She emphasises to the children that their work will contribute to an audit of the entire site, a process which will take several years.
 
A robotic wheeled vehicle is silently maneuvered around the group by its operator, an engineer formerly employed by Holden but now working for a start-up developing drones for search and rescue and sustainable farming.
 
A couple of artists are examining the site map, deep in discussion with some bushwalkers about the best spots to set up their easels.   A view would be nice but what they really want is the light filtering through the trees. Can the walkers suggest any particular spots?
 
The wildlife rescue and sanctuary is opening its doors, educating the assembled people on rare and endangered Australian native wildlife.
 
You set off for a short bushwalk, before coming back for a wattle-seed and vanilla latte from the café. With a window seat, you can watch the native birds fly through the trees and hear the delighted conversations of the community as they pass by. You reflect on the tragic events that led to this wonderful environmental and community asset.
 
Holden’s demise was widely mourned but their departure from Australia made the land available. The tragic pandemic of 2020 had two impacts: the collapse of the international tourist industry at the same time as GM discovered car companies had no money to invest in a development facility in remote south-eastern Australia.
 
And so the Victorian Government was able to acquire the land at a reasonable price.
 
The Rural and Regional Economic Stimulus Fund, established by the Commonwealth as part of the National Pandemic Response Strategy, found that the project had broad economic, environmental and community benefits and funded the business case and part of the acquisition. The Regional Tourism Support Fund, established by the Victorian Government as part of its own response to COVID-19, funded the rest of the acquisition and the cost of establishing appropriate management and governance in conjunction with all the other stakeholders.  
 
Bass Coast Council provided the impetus, drove local support, liaised with other levels of government and their agencies and agreed to pay a share of management costs as per the stakeholder agreement.
 
A complex process, certainly, but then this is a complex place, significant first for its environmental value, then for its role in our heritage as a crucial part of our industrial history, then as a locus of sustainable community recreation and a destination for local, national and international bicycle and bushwalking tourism, then as a model of indigenous self-determination and economic development, then as a center for community environmental education,  a venue for hospitality and catering training and finally an ongoing role as a proving ground available for use by the fledgling Australian e-vehicle industry.
 
Out of tragedies this great thing came.
 
Maybe this sounds like a pipedream. But don’t we need one right now?
 
Mikhaela Barlow is part of a local working group lobbying for the Holden Proving Ground to become a community asset. Contact editor@basscoastpost.com if you would like to know more and be added to the group’s mailing list. ​

Picture
At 877-hectare Holden Proving Ground, with Bass Coast Highway in the foreground.
10 Comments
Pamela Rothfield
17/4/2020 01:35:39 pm

Mikhaela, what a wonderful vision you have. I applaud your enthusiasm, passion and creative thinking and sincerely hope that we witness your vision coming to fruition in the future.

Reply
Anne Heath Mennell
17/4/2020 03:07:02 pm

Thank you, Mikhaela! Just what we need in these dark times. I don't think it's a pipe-dream at all. Everything you've imagined is feasible and you provide a wonderful vision for us to aim at. Keep spreading the word - we'll need all the support we can muster to make this vision a reality. Onward ...

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Pauline Taylor
17/4/2020 05:05:29 pm

What marvelous imagination and vision you have. It must come to fruition, I and I am sure many others applaud and support you. What can I do to help? Congrats and thank you.

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Nalin
18/4/2020 06:14:14 am

What a beautiful vision! Thank you for the positivity.

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Anne Davie
18/4/2020 08:14:09 am

Thank you Mikhaela. Yes we will dare to dream.

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Linda Cuttriss
18/4/2020 08:38:47 am

Brilliant Mikhaela! You’ve mapped out a truly tangible vision.

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Joan Woods
18/4/2020 01:17:45 pm

Thank you Mikhaela. It really is a beautiful vision - even if half of it comes trues - it will be of enormous benefit.

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Maddy Harford
19/4/2020 04:57:41 pm

Congratulations Mikhaela! a very thoughtful and thought provoking piece. It is a vision that is comprehensive, creative yet doable. It's a wonderful goal for our comunity to work towards.

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Meryl Tobin
20/4/2020 12:41:02 pm

Congratulations for having the tenacity to pursue your vision for the GMH Proving Ground at Lang Lang and present a scenario post the Coronavirus pandemic, Mikhaela.
Though you outline in some detail your vision for the developed section of the site for active community recreation, I'd like to see more detail given concerning the protection of the natural environment. I see this as the major concern - how best to preserve and pass on a priceless heritage to future generations. That's why my vision is for the GMH site to be declared a national park with consideration given to community use for the developed section.

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Kathy Pearson
10/5/2020 05:52:00 pm

I have just read the wonderful vision for the old Holden site and would appreciate being on the mailing list to keep updated on the progress.
Your vision is awesome and I will support the progress wherever possible.

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