There has been a lot happening over the past few months as we continue to deal with residual issues in regard to footpaths, curb and channel, park maintenance, reconstruction of Silverwoods Boulevard, compliance issues and future planning.
It is an exciting time for Silverwoods and its Residents, with lots of building going on, new stages being released and the Sebel Development well and truly underway. All this activity comes with some downside, not the least is the amount of traffic, deliveries, trucks etc. The Committee have recently written to builders operating in the estate, asking that they be mindful of retaining all of their waste within the lot being built on. We have had constant issues with builders rubbish being blown around the estate and also with building materials and waste being placed and left on adjoining lots and this simply is not good enough. If anyone witnesses any such behavior, please report it to MBCM so that we can follow up.
A couple of months ago, there was a Post Card of sorts distributed around the estate. While the Committee does not necessarily disagree with some of the content, it was not printed or delivered by the Owners Corporation and we had nothing to do with it. We have had numerous complaints about the waste of money etc. but I assure you all, that it was not paid for or initiated by the committee.
The reconstruction of Silverwoods Boulevard has now been completed and looking much neater than before. There was extensive debate on appropriate plantings to try to minimise ongoing maintenance and we hope that the final product achieves what was needed to establish a feature entry to the estate.
The walking track along the lake is now completed and looking fantastic. There will be some more bollards installed and signage in regard to appropriate use installed in coming weeks. It is a walking path and not a vehicle path so please enjoy but observe instructions.
We are currently in discussion with Council in regard to installation of exercise equipment in the park in Robinson Way in the vacinity of Park Lane. There will be a number of stations installed with easy access from the lake and walking path. This equipment will be paid for by Council and installed shortly. We are still hoping to receive funding for playground equipment for the park in Phillip Hyland Drive and for a Shade Sail over the equipment in the park near Freddy Court. There will be rubbish and recycling bins installed in that park shortly also.
Considerable work has been done on the footpaths within the estate. Many joins have been ground down to avoid tripping and we have replaced numerous sheets of concrete. There are still sheets which ultimately will need to be replaced but they are adjacent to vacant lots and we will not do the repairs until the lots are built on for obvious reasons. We will however continue to monitor cracks etc to avoid causing any hazard.
The Over 50’s Lifestyle Resort has hit a snag. Gateway Lifestyle who were the owners and developers of the site, has been sold to an American company. At the moment, there is a review of their priorities for the assets they have purchased. It appears likely that the block will be sold. It is important to understand that there is an existing Planning Permit for the site and any purchaser wishing to develop the site, must do so in accordance with the existing plan or alternatively, must prepare and have approved, a new plan. We hope that the plan already approved will be the basis for future development, but will again be involved in any alternate plan should it get to that.
The issue of Improvement Notices, Breach Notices and Debt Collection Proceedings has continued over the past few months. While we acknowledge that these matters have created some angst, it is important to remember that compliance with the Design Guidelines, Silverwoods Masterplan and the Owners Corportation Rules, is critical to protecting the integrity and appearance of the estate. There were many issues of non-compliance and it is pleasing to note that there has been a significant improvement. We will continue to have the Owners Corporation Managers do monthly inspections to ensure we do not see a return to bad practices.
There were a large number of Owners who chose, for some reason, not to pay their Owners Corporation Fees. We all bought our properties knowing that these fees were payable, so there is no excuse for not doing so. We have had to initiate action at VCAT in regard to a number of long term defaults and will recover payment and costs through this action. This should not be necessary, however, we all need to pay our share and the expenses of the estate cannot be paid if the fees are not paid.
It is always pleasing to drive around the estate and to speak with owners and visitors who overwhelmingly comment on how good the estate looks. There will always be issues and it is not possible to deal with everything that needs to be done immediately, but the Committee and the Managers are working continually to ensure that the estate remains attractive and that Silverwoods is a great place to live.
Sincerely
Wayne Limbrick- Chairman Silverwoods Owners Corporation