“They shut the door”: Timboon residents take one last swing at council over lost playground

Community frustration over the future of Timboon’s Masonic Park playground is once again a discussion point, this time at an open forum at Tuesday night’s Corangamite Shire Council meeting. Residents accused the council of failing to respond to a land offer that could have saved the much-loved space.

What happened: The long-running debate over the future of the playground reached a flashpoint as several locals described what they saw as a missed opportunity, telling councillors the Freemason’s Lodge had been willing to gift additional land but was instead left waiting for guidance from council.

The background: As previously reported by the West Vic Brolga, the playground has been maintained by council for more than 40 years on land leased from the Freemasons, with that lease due to expire in September 2026. 

• Earlier this year, a petition signed by 460 residents urged council to purchase the land and protect the playground after the Freemasons flagged plans to sell the site.

• At last month’s meeting, council formally declined an offer from the Victorian Freemasons to provide a smaller portion of the land, with officers advising it was too small to accommodate the existing playground. 

Mayor Kate Makin acknowledged the site’s long history but said the offer was “really too small to operate a functional play space”. 

“To be honest, I feel it’s a little tokenistic,” she said, adding the Freemasons were “absolutely under no obligation” to subdivide the land and were entitled to sell it as a private property.

No correspondence: Resident Darren Blaine said he had spoken directly with a lodge representative, Robert Coslovich, who told him an indicative map had been sent to council showing a possible playground area. 

The lodge, Blaine said, was waiting to be told whether it was enough.

“According to him, no correspondence was received,” Blaine said, claiming the offer had remained open for about 100 days. 

No chance to fundraise: Community member Linda Pender questioned council’s earlier objections to the site, including concerns around fire risk and parking, arguing similar issues existed elsewhere in town. 

• Pender said the community was willing to fundraise and pursue grants and asked why a long-term “peppercorn” lease had not been progressed.

What’s that? A peppercorn lease is a long-term agreement that allows land to be used for a community purpose for a nominal rent, rather than a commercial fee.

What about the other park? Resident Sheree Johnstone raised safety concerns that could arise if the playground was lost, asking whether pedestrian crossings would be upgraded to help children reach the alternative park in the town centre. 

Council officers said no upgrades were planned.

Now what? Chief executive Andrew Seale said questions about correspondence would be taken on notice, while Mayor Kate Makin said council would respond to questions about leasing arrangements within days. No formal decision was made.