As the Crago Mill gets closer and closer to the finish line and much of Council’s discussion focuses on it, Mayor Jasmin Jones has given the Yass Valley Times an exclusive update on the project, including never-before-seen aerial photos.
Crago Mill is looking to revitalise both the community and administrative hubs of Yass into one incredible precinct, which will give Yass a fresh look.
Mayor Jones said, “We’ve got construction progressing well. Flooring and joinery installation are continuing in the library, with the final painting nearing completion. The admin building roof is being finalised, with service window installation being undertaken. Landscaping, ramps, and external pathways are being installed, despite a few weather delays.
“The Ngunnawal Elders are absolute champions for this project. They’ve been working tirelessly on providing us with design input. They’ve been working with us towards the room naming and the glazing artwork designs. We’ve got an expression of interest to be sent out for an Ngunnawal artist to commission the art pieces. A recent grant submission has been made to assist with those costs. So we hope that goes well. The main precinct signs design has been completed, and we’ve procured removalists, so they’ll be assisting with transport.
“They’re also giving us advice on the design of the yarning circle, which will be in front of the Crago Mill.
“It was just a very special moment to have our elders give us some good feedback on what that should look like and how the design should look. We are also keen to see the artwork options come forward and to engage with our community as part of the storytelling that will happen in the imagery.
“In terms of procurement, local industry participation, we’re actively managing that for the project. Our latest local procurement spending is tracking as follows: as category one, procurement is within 100 kilometres of the site, excluding Canberra.We’re tracking at 40.86%. Our target was 50%, but sometimes you just can’t get it perfect. As of the end of July, in terms of Indigenous procurement, we’re sitting at about 26% of our total labour spend to date.”
“Next month for the library, we’ll have the joinery installation completed, the floor finishes completed, services fit off, services commissioning, and then the defect inspection and rectification period. September is just go, go, go, getting us ready for a mid-October transfer of everything across.
“Handover and occupation will be mid-October and on budget, which is very critical.
“Excitement is building within the team as well, to transfer over because the current admin building is certainly not fit for purpose, and with the spaces inside the library, it’s going to be very exciting to welcome the community into a world-class library space. There’ll be breakout rooms, quiet spaces, and a teen area.
“There’ll be a maker space that has the capacity for messy arts and crafts, so it will have wet areas where we can do something creative during school holiday programs. Walking inside, I’ve had the privilege to be inside and feel the light-filled space with a lot of the high windows and west-facing windows in winter. A very joyous space, I think it’s going to be for our community and the ability to hold meetings and meet people and for groups to thrive. It’s what our community has needed and deserves.
“While the project is on track and budget, Council is taking nothing for granted. We’re doing a review of the project going forward, and as we set out to do in our financial sustainability roadmap, we signalled that at the June ordinary Council meeting, and we endorsed that roadmap and placed it on exhibition for 28 days.
“One of the actions in that was to review the Crago Mill stage two operating model to assess whether to proceed with stage two of the project.
“The review is currently underway. We issued the RSQ on the 28th of July with the successful supplier contracted, and we should have that report to us back by the end of this month.
“As part of that, the scope of that review will be looking atvarious scenarios, which include option one, where the full project is delivered.
“Scenario two would be that we deliver only stage one, noting that there are some costs already, and we still need to demolish the existing admin building, and we’d have to fence the historic buildings.
“Scenario 2 modelling would include the option of the sale of the commercial building land that can be used for loan reductions.
“Scenario 3 would deliver stage one, and progress with stage 2, being the historic building preservation and redevelopment.
“Scenario 3A would be a modelling to include options of the sale of the commercial building land to be used for loan reduction as part of that. “There is a few options there, and it’ll be good for Councillors to have that visibility on what are those options and we’ll also seek modelling on the implications of following all of those three scenarios over the life of the Crago Mill loan facility for 20 years, how that will impact on cash flow, the long-term financial plan and we’ve requested that the consultants provide a separate portion of work for modelling on the basis that stage two of the Crago Mill project be deferred to include separate future year scenario modelings or site reestablishment costs, escalation cost, project delivery associated with the recommencement of the project per year and the commercial space rental per year to be factored into the modelling.
“Essentially, we want full visibility on what the implications are of whatever we decide either way. Because there will be pros and cons, and given council has made a very strong commitment to create a financial roadmap out of the situation that it’s in. We do owe it to our community to look at all of the options and understand fully the implications of each decision that we make.
“I believe that this project will assist in sparking a regeneration of the Yass main street as well. When the bar is set high by council, that sets the tone for the street and will ultimately lead to the main street master plan works.
“The main street master plan is complete, and council is continuing to look for opportunities for that to be funded, and that’s something that Council has a huge role to play in ensuring it comes to fruition as well.”
– Jack Murray
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