The Bookham Master plan is an initiative of the Yass Valley Council and part of the Wee Jasper and Yass Main Street masterplan group project. The Bookham community thanked the council for including the village in this project and were particularly honoured to welcome the Hon Kristy McBain, Federal Member for Eden-Monaro. Also welcomed were Yass Mayor Allan McGrath, councillors and staff, as well as residents and friends.
Aunty Helen Wallace, Ngunnawal and Ngambri elder, opened the launch of the Bookham masterplan with an official Welcome to Country ceremony. Her grandson Luke Wallace then performed a Smoking Ceremony.
“It’s really great to be here today, it’s my first time back to Bookham since being re-elected which is very exciting. Once again, Bookham turned out in numbers, it’s always great coming to small communities where there really is still a sense of community,” said Ms McBain.
“The Masterplan for Bookham shows that this is a community that wants to thrive. A community that’s really keen to work together and achieve upgrades and amenities for now and well into the future. Not only for your own community and residents but also for the amount of people who pass by,” she continued.
Ms McBain explained the importance of good places to pull off the highway and said it will be all the better if one of those places is Bookham. She thanked Yass Valley Council for their commitment to working with small communities like Bookham in producing the master plan.
Mayor Allan McGrath said it is always a pleasure coming out to Bookham.
“This is the first opportunity I’ve had to congratulate Kristy McBain on her well-deserved re-election,” he said.
Mayor McGrath explained the first member for Eden-Monaro, Sir Austin Chapman (1901-26) introduced great things for places like Bookham. One of them was the Penny Post, which enabled a person in Bookham to easily post a letter to, say, Western Australia.
“Today, we’re about to launch something that is a great thing for Bookham, and that’s the masterplan,” said Mayor McGrath.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the residents of Bookham and the community association for the valuable input they’ve had with the plan.
“This plan provides a lot of features that really enhance the liveability of Bookham, and make it more attractive. It’s already very attractive, a wonderful place to live and a wonderful place to stop and visit,” he said.
To list just a few, the Bookham Masterplan includes upgrades to the tennis courts and oval, the commissioning of a design for a playground including a circuit bike path, improvements to the highway, a pedestrian underpass between the rest stop and recreation grounds, lighting and wall art, and an upgrade to the bush Cemetery.
“There’s something really special about Bookham Cemetery, and I think that reflects the community; a community that cares,” said Mayor McGrath.
He then declared the master plan “well and truly launched.”
Image at top: Yass Valley Council’s Strategic Planner Liz Makin and Director of Planning and Environmental Services Julie Rogers beside Bookham Masterplan
Southerly Jones
