The Frances community will soon boast a BMX track for residents and visiting families to enjoy.

The community also hopes to sell its Town Hall and pump the proceeds into upgrades at the Frances Recreation Reserve.

It is home to various sporting groups including Border Districts footballers who train in the dark with no lights in one pocket of the oval.

And, as the fire season looms, a “wick” full of native vegetation and weeds needs to be cleared along the disused railway line stretching about 5km between Little Desert National Park and Frances.

Those were some of the items raised by Frances Progress Association chairman Danielle Moore during a visit to the township by Naracoorte Lucindale Council for its August meeting.

Several councillors met in the Town Square before the August 22 council meeting to view the completed $212,000 nature-based project which opened in November 2021.

A central meeting place opposite the general store, it includes a nature playground, rotunda, barbecue area and seating as well as pathways flanked by landscaped native flora.

“It has turned into something that well exceeded community expectations and it is nice to see an acknowledgement and subtle reminder of what was the old Catholic Church site still captured within this development,” Ms Moore said.

“It has been a collaborative learning experience for both the community and council as we have navigated our way through ensuring the town’s masterplan has been adopted.”

“One of the learnings I guess that we’ve had is in terms of ongoing maintenance.

“We’ve learned that while these programs are fantastic, we really have to establish before they happen whose responsibility it is to look after it post the project being developed.”

Ms Moore praised the various volunteers who cared for the site, along with other areas around Frances.

“Whilst the community may be small in number they have a wonderful motivation to get in and make things happen,” she said.

The elected members then inspected a hazardous “wick” full of thick vegetation growing along the railway line as well as more than five metres either side of it.

“Technically, the community is not allowed to touch it,” said Ms Moore, highlighting the need for fire fuel reduction.

But as the risk of fire was so dangerous for the township, some volunteers decided to slash and mow a small part of it anyway.

With Little Desert National Park just 5km up the old railway line, the community feared the heavy fuel load would act like a wick, bringing a fire into town.

“The fuel load is an issue,” Ms Moore said.

She hoped the council could help the community call on those responsible to clear the fuel load posing a threat to the town.

Additionally, she said the town “needed potentially” an additional tank and pump beyond what existed at the recreation reserve for firefighting, as there was little water available in the event of a blaze.

Cr Peter Ireland queried if stock could be grazed along the railway line to help reduce the fuel load.

Mayor Patrick Ross said there was a lot of power in the Act to make authorities responsible for clearing such fuel loads.

Mr Ross said it was a matter of highlighting that, then working with the council’s administration and bushfire committee to ensure the issue of fire risk to the Frances community was addressed.

“We can do that,” Mr Ross said.

The elected members then toured the site earmarked for a BMX track.

Ms Moore explained the future plans and various stages of work to start, including landscaping.

The tour for elected members finished at the Football Club in the Frances Recreation Reserve, which was also home to the town’s only public toilets.

Ms Moore highlighted plans for the council to establish signage and a footpath running from the Town Square and general store to the toilets at the recreation reserve.

She explained future needs included the town’s Bowling Club. It also included an upgrade to the main clubrooms changerooms and lights at the football oval where players trained in partial darkness.

Highlighting a section of the oval which had no lights, Ms Moore said: “If we are to make the clubrooms into the community facility the town and surrounding region deserves, these upgrades need to happen.”

Explaining the results of a recent resident survey, Ms Moore said there was a desire by many to sell the Town Hall and spend the funds at the community’s main hub – the recreation reserve.

The hall is leased from the council by the community.

Ms Moore said the hall had no running water, the toilets did not work and the kitchen lacked functional facilities.

The local school was not even able to use it for concerts and it was no longer deemed a suitable location for a polling booth.

“The community needs to have a place that they can hire for events and meetings and sadly that is no longer the hall,” Ms Moore said.

“The community within its volunteer capacity only has the resources to maintain one site and that is a concentrated focus on developing a community hub at our recreation reserve.”

During the council meeting, elected members learned the Town Hall was built on Crown land and therefore it might be difficult to sell.

However, there appeared a consensus that how to go about selling it would be further investigated.

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.