Coal Creek Masonic Room Closed

Tourism in the local area reduced by local council decisions on access to Coal Creek.

The above is the subject line & below the email I sent to South Gippsland Shire Council on Thursday 24 November 2016 after being informed of the close of the Masonic Lodge Room at Coal Creek. Ed

TO: South Gippsland Shire Council coalcreek1@southgippsland.vic.gov.au

CC: Korumburra Business Association kbasecretaryconnect@gmail.com

I write to express my disappointment at the closure of the Masonic Lodge Room within the Coal Creek Historical Village.

I am a Freemason from Melbourne and with about 30 other Freemasons visited Coal Creek in March this year for an evening Lodge Meeting, staying at the Coal Creek Motel. I spent about $300 in Coal Creek, Korumburra and Loch during the trip, the second my Lodge has made from Melbourne to visit the Lodge Room of the Coal Creek Historic Park.

I understand access to the Historical Park for Freemasons has been made more difficult in recent times by council and the local lodge decided to stop meeting there based largely on that access, particularly as older Freemasons were no longer able to drive into the park. I am aware of this as I was recently discussing another potential lodge trip to Coal Creek with a Freemason who had been a member of the Coal Creek Lodge. In that future trip we would have again typically spent $200-$400 per Freemason in the local area.

While Council might not value the historic institution of Freemasonry and its significant contributions in Victoria since the 1850’s nor recognise its continued contributions such as $1.2 million to Black Saturday Fires Victims or the $1.5 million dollars granted by Freemasonry to Victorians last financial year, I am sure local businesses and community would appreciate the income derived from visiting Freemasons who would weekend in Coal Creek, using the Lodge Room and visiting the local tourist attractions with their families.

I write simply to make you aware that the closure of the Masonic Lodge Room within the Coal Creek Historical Park has removed a significant attraction for Melbourne Freemasons when deciding destinations for weekends away and ask you take that into consideration in future decisions involving supporting Freemasonry in your area and the importance of the Coal Creek Historical Village.

Regards

<< Name withheld on web version>>

To date - there has been no response to the above.