THE group responsible for getting the Swan Hill clock tower renovations under way has defended the project in the midst of some criticism from the local community.
Renovations on the clock tower are set to begin within the next few weeks, and Bendigo Bank Swan Hill Region Community U Committee member Peter Beardsley said most of the project should be completed by the end of February.
The proposed design would see the tower painted in maroon, with an Aboriginal mosaic, promotional boards, directional signs, illuminated banners and an Australian flag fitted on top.
The tower's signs will feature upcoming events, highlights of the region and will promote local not-for-profit organisations.
The estimated $57,000 cost of the clock tower works will be funded by the Community U Committee -- a group of local businesses who have raised money for community projects.
"The project is going well and work in the background has already commenced. We should see something on the exterior from February onwards," Mr Beardsley said.
Two weeks ago, artists in Swan Hill started a petition calling for work on the clock tower to be halted because they were unhappy with the design.
They collected more than 200 signatures and now their petition has been handed to Swan Hill Rural City Council.
The artists were also upset that they had not been consulted and weren't aware of the tower project while it was in the design phase, but Mr Beardsley said the Community U Committee had conducted numerous public meetings.
Mr Beardsley said the committee had put its vision for the clock tower forward to Lions, Probus, Rotary, Swan Hill Rural City Council, VicRoads and also held a meeting for the general public in April.
At April's public meeting, the clock tower renovation was voted into council's community plan for Swan Hill, with 21 of the registered voters all in support of the project.
Mr Beardsley also received the support of the Elliott Newspaper Group -- the owners of The Guardian -- who originally donated the clock tower to the community in the 1950s.
"You will always get varying views, but those views shouldn't be so antagonistic to the point where you stop a project," Mr Beardsley said of the artists' petition.
"The big thing here is we never, ever set out to create a piece of art and we're still not intending to do that."
But local graphic artist Louise Macaulay said the recent reaction against the proposed clock tower design highlighted the public's displeasure with the project.
"Regardless of what the Community U Committee say, now a lot of people know about this and they are up in arms," Ms Macaulay said.
"You've got to understand, when they're talking about these (community) meetings, people aren't envisioning that something awful is going to go up."
Swan Hill RSL president Barry Townley said the proposed clock tower -- which is opposite the town cenotaph -- could have a "detrimental affect on the area primarily used to remember our fallen".
Mr Townley said the entire street corner needed to be redeveloped, with an ideal solution being the relocation of the clock tower.
"The RSL is not against redeveloping and beautifying that area. The real point is: will just fixing the clock make a difference to the area?"
Mr Beardsley said he acknowledged the comments of the project's critics, but said the community had a simple choice.
"We can do something, or we can do nothing," he said.
"It wouldn't matter what was on (the clock tower), you are not going to get all the people agreeing on the design."
Swan Hill Rural City Council chief executive officer Dennis Hovenden confirmed that the artists' petition was received on Friday, and he would be seeking guidance at a councillor assembly meeting yesterday afternoon.
"Councillors can't make any decisions at that assembly, but I can seek direction from them. They will either reinforce the normal process, or give me alternative instructions," Mr Hovenden said.
"It is important to remember that council and the Community U Committee in some quarters are being congratulated for getting on with the refurbishment of the clock tower."
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