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Do the existing community and cultural facilities in Springwood meet your needs as a user?
Springwood's community and cultural facilities are all heavily used but reflect last century's standards - the Civic Centre 1966, the Library 1975. They do not meet current standards for space, comfort, public access, sustainable energy or water use. Upgraded or new facilities that meet future needs are required, whether that be through re-building existing or other nearby sites. This is the challenge now facing Council and the community.
Comment 1 30 Apr 2010, 9:12 PM
No the current facilities do not meet my needs or many needs of the community. Just look at the local dance and performaning arts groups that have end of year functions in penrith, rarely are they hear in Springwood.
Comment 1.1 23 May 2010, 1:57 PM
It is good to know if the current facilities don’t meet your needs, why they don’t. There are several reasons that end of year functions are not held at the Civic Centre such as :- a) already booked and in use, b) cost, c) facilities not meeting needs and d) no air conditioning.
I went into the Springwood Library yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the new layout, lower height shelving to improve visibility and natural lighting. I was informed that the refurbishment occurred late last year. To me, and this is just a personal perspective as an occasional user of more…
Comment 2.1 3 May 2010, 4:55 PM
yes they do...........I am a heavy user of the library and there is nothing a little paint couldn't fix. It can be extended over the current car park. jackie o
Comment 2.2 3 May 2010, 10:26 PM
Yes they do. I don't need the library:
- to be highly visible.
- to have study and meeting rooms.
- to have "improved storage generally"
I don't need the local studies collection
- to be anywhere in Springwood town centre at all.
- to have reading rooms
- to have 'offices and the like'
- to be adjacent to the library
I don't see why we are "committed to improving local council services through an improved office"...
- providing services doesn't depend on buildings, it depends on people.
I do use the market - in the nice flat hall space, which with this proposal is "going to be accommodated elsewhere". I don't agree with that. You can perform arts anywhere. But a local market isn't a local market if its "elsewhere" is it ?
Comment 3 3 May 2010, 8:52 PM
No the current facilities do not meet my family needs.
I am tired of going down the hill for major performances/shows that could be held in our town.
Our library building is disappointing, we deserve better. Go to Rouse Hill Town Centre and then tell me that all our library needs is a bit of paint.
I remember growing up and regularly going to the library. Our town needs a learning centre, a place where you can work individually, in pairs or work together with a group on assignments. When schools are closed, our children should be able to study as a group in a public learning space. It would be great if you could grab a coffee/snack while you were there too!
Learning has changed in schools and public learning spaces should support the skills that our children require as they move into the digital world that is already here. Bring on all the changes, we love the Winmalee development and the community feel it has, give us the library up here ....there is space at Whitecross!
Comment 3.1 3 May 2010, 10:15 PM
We don't 'deserve' anything. We get what *we* pay for. Are you willing to pay $14 million ? I'm not. And don't be conned into believing that "private investment will pay for it"... "private investment" = cost + profit margin for 20+ years. You will pay for it... one way or the other.
Comment 3.1.1 6 May 2010, 12:55 PM
I agree. The money wasted on 'researching our needs' could have been used in upgrading our library. Anyway Technology is moving at a greater pace than our council ever does - by the time council has flattened our town and rebuilt the library it will not longer be of use, we will be able to download the whole library at home.
Comment 4 5 May 2010, 11:37 AM
I don't think BMCC should have any involvement at all in th e provision of cultural or community facilities. the local library is useless to me as it is never open when I need to access it.
My view is that Council should stick to the basic necessities such as the provision of adequate roads and footpaths and leave the provision of any other facilities to community demand.
None of the proposals address the issue of traffic management in the Springwood Area. If large developments and car parks are constructed in the center of springwood then more traffic will be drawn in.
I live in South Springwood and find that access to my home neighbourhood is consistently ignored by BMCC.
Comment 5 6 May 2010, 4:22 PM
I use the library regularly and it is hardly ever overcrowded. If the BMCC is asking for a larger than usual increase in rates then we cannot afford to re build the library and community centre. People need to live within their budget, councils included. Let's wait a couple of years until the Council is back in the black after its investment in sub prime loans.
Comment 6 7 May 2010, 9:59 PM
Agree with comments on cost mitigation and affordability. The library can be extended if required, over the rear carpark, which will not impact current parking (nearly always available there). No Blue Mtns library is of tertiary quality anyway so no point in making major renovations when it already serves the basics of the communiity. As for the civic centre, it could also benefit from air con, better seating and enlargement. I would NOT like to see further development in the centre of town as it would require a multistory building/s of some sort so that parking could still be underneath. I do NOT want to see multistory more than is already in the town as is, aside from blocking the gorgeous view from the current town centre. We live in Blue Mtns, not the city or nothingness suburbia.
Comment 7 8 May 2010, 3:45 PM
We use both the library and the civic centre quite regularly and find them quite adequate. Both would benefit from minor updates....but neither justify the destruction of Springwood's village atmosphere and beautiful aspect. The building of a large supermarket and car parks etc is, in our view, completely unnecessary and would change the character of Springwood for the worse. We love it for what it is!
Comment 8 17 May 2010, 6:16 PM
No, the current hall is a nightmare....I am a professional musician and I know that my musician friends in Sydney laugh about the facilities currently on offer at Springwood when they come to perform here. Noise pollution from the Ori is the worst thing but there are many other problems too. It is also a long walk from the train station for anyone with mobility problems. Building a new theatre, library, civic centre which is near the station and provides an exciting new centre to Springwood, with efficient buildings well designed for their current and future uses sounds marvellous. Springwood is special, I know that, make it even more so and attract people here. I would like to see more small shops too, in addition to a modern supermarket development.
Comment 8.1 20 May 2010, 10:38 AM
I have mobility problems and don't see how re locating the Civic Precinct to the Southern carpark has any value. It may be closer but anyone (disabled or not) wishing to acess the theatre, library, neighbourhood centre etc. will be required to negotiate a number of ramps, stairs, lifts, to get to their destination. Car Parking will be at a premium there also because council will need to replace all existing parking plus provide additional parking for each of the new facilities. On such a steep block it is highly unlikely that can be achieved without some serious excavation underground. Sorry I don't believe that a theatre meets the needs of the broader community as much as the current multi purpose centre does and if the library and neighbourhood centre are moved to that location space for each will not be enhanced.
Comment 8.1.1 26 May 2010, 8:17 AM
I agree with the comments re mobility. I fail to understand how a flat walk from the station is more difficult than negotiating a building at the rear of the town square. If you think the noise from the Ori affects you wait until the new whizz bang Royal is up and running! The factt that Springwood is special is undeniable but what makes it so? To me it is because it isn't Penrith. If I wanted supermarket / retail complexwes and Joan Sutherland Centre at my door I would have chosen to live there not 20 minutes away in peace and quiet.
Comment 9 28 May 2010, 3:22 PM
An upgrade of the facilities is important, however, this can be done over time without the private section being involved and without damaging the small businesses of Springwood and the character of the town.
