Community Engagement Overview

• Engagement on the new Seaford Child, Youth and Family Centre was open from 5 Oct 2023 to 10 Nov 2023.
• There were contributions from 33 people, of which 7 chose to follow the page for updates.
• Approximately 20 people had conversations with project staff at a pop-up event on Sat 28 October in Seaford.
• The project page on Engage Frankston was viewed 330 times.

How was community engagement promoted?

• Email campaign to 506 recipients.
• Postcards delivered to homes within 400m of the site.
• Letters posted to properties immediately surrounding the site.
• 3 large A1 Posters were displayed at the site during the engagement period.

How will community engagement feedback be used?

Feedback provided through the online survey, at the pop-up event, and during the community workshop will be considered when designing the exterior of the building, viewable from the street.

What about this project is most important to you?

Participants could select up to five options that apply to them. Totals for each option are shown in brackets ( )

• Provide funded kindergarten for local children. (23)
• Provide a space for playgroup and children’s groups like music, yoga and craft. (16)
• Provide a space for Maternal and Child Health consultations. (14)
• Enhancing the gardens and tree cover at the site. (12)
• Improve off street car parking. (9)
• Provide a space for allied health consultations. (8)
• Protect and enhance neighbourhood character. (8)
• A meeting room for parents and families. (5)
• Provide funded youth services for 12 to 25 year olds. (3)
• Minimise disturbance to neighbours during construction (3)
• Honouring the history of the existing building. (3)
• Something else. Tell us more. (1) “Keep the outdoor area as large as possible for kinder 3yr and 4yr old”

How would you like the outside of the building to look?

Participants could enter free text. Verbatim comments from participants are shown below.

Comments about: Nature; natural look, trees

• Plenty of indigenous plants. All year round colour and greenery to incorporate the wetlands and the surrounding landscape.
• Native plants.
• Indigenous trees. Natural look
• Heaps of trees and plants.
• Ever green trees should be considered or olives trees. Native trees are nice but quite dull in colours and messy. Balancing with bright green trees would be nice.
• Play into nature. Native trees and wildlife. Aesthetically pleasing
• Natural, coastal, lots of greenery and tree cover but inviting to children and families. I want to be able to walk past each day and enjoy what I look at and know what it is, a centre for children and families.
• Tree cover is always nice.
• Happy for trees to come.
• Native vegetation
• A safe relaxing green space.
• Blend in with the surrounds and reflect the local nature in the design.
• Reflect our coastal surroundings. Neutral colours.
• Neutral colours that blend into landscape
• Should include light colours to celebrate the beach side location.

Comments about: Colourful; modern

• modern look and feel
• Colourful themes to celebrate childhood.
• Colourful
• Modern.

Comments about building design; accessibility; inclusion

• Build upon natural environment and acknowledge Aboriginal heritage and culture into the design.
• Emphasise inclusion through rainbow/LGTBQ and First Nations themes
• A focus on native plants and low impact, energy conscious architecture with acknowledgement of multiple users and abilities. Wide entrances and accessible facilties.
• Natural materials.
• Very supportive as long as not two stories.
• Mix of rendered walls, weatherboard and lots of windows.
• Better fencing. Off street parking.
• Use of Timbers, bricks and cladding. Large inviting entrance utilising the natural light.
• The building needs to be of materials that are easily maintained, do not need repainting or repairing. Water tanks would be necessary.

Comments for the services to consider: Layout and scale; inside of building; play spaces; artwork opportunities

• I think it will be great to have a brand new kindergarten facility. Being local and having an almost one year old I feel like we will utilise this space. I think having privacy from the street is essential. Being near the train station there can be a few unsavoury characters.
• Utilise natural resources, shaded play areas, garden beds, open-ended nature play opportunities.
• Active and passive type play areas - climbing, sensory, quiet spaces. Trees that don't drop branches - plant fruit trees. Perhaps a "L" shape building with glass.
• Lots of greenery and colourful artwork
• Wall mural
• My children are both attending Seaford Kindergarten, we particularly like the large indoor room and outdoor play area. The new building should include large indoor rooms with floor to ceiling windows for kinder groups .Keep the kinder rooms and outdoor play area as large as possible for our children.

Comments for Council to consider:

• Please also elevate the playground across the road
• Any improvements around the area appreciated.

Participants could enter free text. Verbatim comments from participants are shown below.

Ideas proposed by community

• The large eucalyptus tree in the kinder.
• Maybe incorporate the internal bricks in the entrance way into a monument or plaque. Keep the arbour if possible. If any of the existing trees are safe to stay then that might be good.
• Possibly not the building but some recognition of the number of years the MCH and kindergarten have been there serving the community, maybe a plaque or a statue to signify that although the building is new, the community and dedication from these services is not.
• The yard size overall. Maintain the existing established trees and green vibes
• If there are any mature trees that could be saved and incorporated into the design that would be a bonus but not necessary.

Comments about: No; don’t care

• Don't really care
• We went here for brief maternal child health appointments 4-6 years ago. Did not have much interest in the building itself
• Not sure
• Not really.
• No
• No
• No, make it completely new and fresh.
• None. Building is old and dated.
• No the building is old and feels surety in the inside
• No, it’s old and looks run down so I think a brand new modern building will be good
• It is unattractive, although has served a great service for many years with terrific teachers.
• No it’s very tired, start from scratch.

What is your interest in this project?

Participants could select up to five options that apply to them. Totals for each option is shown in brackets ( )

• I live near the corner of Railway Parade and McCrae Street, Seaford. (14)
• Someone in my household is aged 0-4 years. (13)
• Someone in my household is aged 5-11 years. (11)
• I care about the trees, plants and ecosystems at the site. (11)
• Someone in my household is aged 12-25 years. (4)
• I am interested in using/hiring a consulting space. (2)
• I am interested in using/hiring a community room. (2)
• None of these. (0)

Participants were required to provide a response. Participants could only select one option.

• It is a good thing for our community. (20)
• I have some questions but am not very concerned. (3)
• I have concerns or issues that I want a response to. (3)

Questions and concerns raised during community engagement

Community questions and concerns were answered in the Question and Answer tool on Engage Frankston during the engagement period. Verbatim questions and concerns are shown below.

• Will this impact me leaving my house ( driving ) to go to and come home from work ?
  
• What will happen to the community sessional kinder?
• I am concerned about the community kinder as I would like this to remain a community kinder because there is an abundance of long day care options in the area, but community run sessional kinder is unique and special because of the opportunities and outcomes it provides for the local community. So much more beneficial than long day care.
• Has it been considered to rebuild the Kindergarten on the Seaford Primary School site? This was discussed several years ago. Management would be a concern, but if it was built down the eastern end of the school oval (Austin Road end) it would eliminate congestion, make transition to school easier, and some facilities and knowledge might be able to be shared. Maybe the current location could become school allocated parking.
• I'm hoping this project is to improve the current kinder and maternal health nurse center without incorporating to many other services in the same facilities. I’m worried the size of the rooms will be reduce to accommodate multiple services and the impact will be that kinder children won’t have the same freedom and space that the kinder currently offer. I do not believe for example that youth services for teenagers should be held at the same center where 3-4 year old attend kinder. Also the entrance and access to kinder should remain on Mcrae St.