The Lions Club of Shepparton has expressed disappointment after its request to help clean up and decorate the observation deck of Shepparton’s Telstra Tower was knocked back after more than a year of waiting.
Lions Club member Don Phillips has lived here all his life and is “proud of Shepparton and its people”.
However, when he visited the tower’s observation deck just before approaching council in October 2021, he said it “looked a bit scroungy (and) needed a good clean”.
Given that the tower is a tourist attraction, its condition made him feel let down.
“For that to be exposed to our visitors (is) pretty disappointing,” Mr Phillips said.
This prompted the club to attempt to take up the task of cleaning the observation deck.
The club also planned to install city directions signs to indicate the distance certain cities and landmarks were from the tower to make the public space look more attractive.
Club president Patsy Lansdown said contacting Greater Shepparton City Council to ask for permission and getting in contact with the right people was a struggle.
The Lions Club eventually received a definitive response from the council early this year, 15 months after making an initial inquiry.
However, the response was not what club members had hoped for, as a council official told them that Telstra owned the tower and it did not want the club to interfere with the observation deck.
“The tower itself is owned by Telstra,” a council spokesperson said.
“Council is only responsible for cleaning the public space.”
Council did not reply to questions regarding the reasons behind the club’s request being dismissed or why the club had to wait so long for a response.
Telstra, meanwhile, said its responsibility was only “to maintain the structural integrity of the tower and the comms equipment on it” and that council was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the observation deck.
“We work closely with Greater Shepparton City Council regarding the management of the tower,” Telstra regional general manager Jenny Gray said.
“Telstra is responsible for the structural integrity of the tower and its communication equipment.
“We’re happy to work with the council if there’s anything they require of us.”
According to council, the tower is currently closed to the public due to an observation deck window needing repairs.