Shed Development

In a little over four months, the committee and members of GMS have achieved remarkable results in setting up the organisation. An entity has been created with all the administrative and legal requirements completed; a strong identity has been established on social media, Gidgegram, and a domain name; sponsorship sourcing is underway with some donations received, and meetings are happening with major stakeholders including politicians and Lotterywest; weekly committee meetings and monthly general meetings continue to be held, membership is increasing, and community-based programs are underway. There has also been some great progress with shed development.

The major steps in developing our shed are, to obtain a site, secure a planning permit, design the building and site features, manage the contract through to selecting a builder, and finally to construct the shed.

Obtaining a site was going to be a major task. However, it was made easier with advice from Tony Brine from the West Gidgegannup Fire Brigade, and excellent cooperation from the WA Planning Commission. With his involvement in developing a new site for the fire brigade, Tony was able to advise us to seek surplus land from the Orange Route project, through the WAPC. We met with Tim Ryan, Field Management Coordinator at WAPC, and one week later we had a Letter of Intent to lease us part of Lot 501 Toodyay Road, on the corner of Reen Road. An excellent outcome!

Obtaining a City of Swan Planning permit involves quite a few hurdles. We have had several meetings with Planning officers, and they have been very helpful. A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment is one of the first requirements. Dr. Karen Brown from Bushfire Safety Consulting has agreed to conduct that assessment pro bono for us.

The building design is possibly one of the larger tasks. The GMS committee has visited ten men’s sheds to discover how they operate and how they developed their shed. Notes from those visits have formed a good reference in designing our shed. Greg Coffey, a member of GMS, has donated his time and skills to provide the architectural design for our shed. He has produced two concept designs and is working on the third. One of the primary tasks for the design is surveying of the site. Tim Ryan provided the site survey, and Ron Rogers from Statewest Surveys is conducting a contour survey for us at a reduced rate.

The contract administration includes specifications, approvals, tender documents and tender process, and selecting a builder. While there is significant work to be done before contract administration, and the subsequent construction, we are well under way.