Dear Yogis,
Jai Shri Mataji!
Quick summary
- The future Balmoral development will be a purpose built accommodation building built in stages as sufficient funds are received and will not be attached to the main Puja Hall (initial design below);
- Upgraded water treatment system is being installed;
- Work to recondition the top dam is complete;
- Solar panels and Tesla battery installed at Balmoral are working well.
Development Approval
The year has started with the good news that the Balmoral local government Wingercarrabie Council has approved the Balmoral Development Approval application for the planned improvements to our Puja Hall.
Discussions with the NSW Collective were held about changing direction and planning to amend our Balmoral development approval to build a standalone Accommodation buildings rather than extending the main Puja Hall.
Balmoral background to the change in direction
The original major extension to the Balmoral Puja Hall was submitted to the local council in November 2017. After eight months the application remained unapproved.
As Yogis we are always sensitive to the flow of the Param Chaitanya and the subtle signals about if we are headed in the right direction. The delay with the development application approval gave us pause to reflect and reconsider the development.
Collective Balmoral consultation meetings.
Meetings were advertised and held at Balmoral in August and September 2018 prior to Pujas. The meetings were attended by interested Yogis and our Architects and Builders. The outcome was to repurpose the original overall design scheme for the future Balmoral development from the major Puja extension to a new scheme of a purpose built accommodation building not attached to the main Puja Hall.
New Balmoral direction
The outcome of the meetings and consultation was to propose to amend the Balmoral development application to build a separate accommodation building in stages and wings as and when sufficient funds are collected. Some early design principles are shared below.
Solar panels and battery installation
Our demands for power at Balmoral using the old electricity connection to the mains were too high. We needed to upgrade the electricity supply so the decision was made to “get off the grid” and install a Solar generation and Battery solution. This means we are now self-sufficient at Balmoral for our electricity needs (see images). The E-smart Solar Panels were $11,120 and Tesla Batteries and Inverter $31,000 for a total of $42,120.
Balmoral Dam
The top dam at Balmoral had become unusable having been overgrown and taken over by weeds. As part of the redevelopment it was agreed to recondition the dam. Over the last few weeks it was drained of all water and heavy earth moving equipment brought in to recondition the Dam.
This work has just been completed (see image). Now we pray for rain to fill the dam!
New Upgraded Water treatment for Balmoral
The approved development application includes a much needed major expansion and upgrade to the Water treatment system sufficient to cope with hosting Easter Puja. The estimate total cost of the upgrading to the waste water system will be between $55K and $60K depending on the plumbing and electrical works to be done. This will be funded from the donations Yogis made to the Balmoral Development Project. Work has also started on this upgrade (see image).
Next steps
The final designs of the accommodation building will be shared with the collective for comment and input. Once agreed they will be submitted to Wingercarrabie Council as an amendment to the Balmoral development application.
Having funded the solar panels/battery and once we complete the upgrade to the water treatment system monies left from the first wave of donations made to Balmoral Development Project will be utilised to begin work on the first of the accommodation blocks after the amended development application is approved.
This is the path we are planning which we will continue to share with the Collective and with which we are of course happy to receive any feedback, suggestions and input.
HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Pratishthan Construction
O Divine Mother, You are verily the Builder of all Builders …Jai Shri Mataji!
Love
Andre and Lyn on behalf of NSW Councillors and Trustees