PAPERS for the council meeting of November 26 reveal some interesting facts.
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Staff who don't make policies and only follow councillors direction recommended the following.
"Council commits to investment in the maintenance, repair and renewal of its infrastructure assets". That is a great notion but much of the money earmarked for our roads has been spent on a well-appointed, but a money burning pool which misses out in many ways. Great, but was it worth $18M and a yearly loss of over $800,000?
Now a large sum is being spent demolishing the Mittagong Bowling Club, which could have been used for public benefit.
There has been no mention of how much it will cost to maintain every year but you can bet it will be in excess of $50,000.
Only a very short distance away from Lake Alexandra, a great park which council spent $800,000 on just a few years ago.
Items of major importance are listed:
1. Stage 3 Bowral redistribution, which should be supported.
2. Enterprise zone/corridor infrastructure. Great idea set in the time of the 04-08 council, but scuttled by the 08-12 council under the influence of Larry Whipper and Co. Carl Pemberton, council's development officer, was a well respected, very able man who was achieving much before he left council.
So what should have provided 4000 meaningful jobs (according to expert advice) did not proceed and will be very hard to resurrect.
3. Bowral Memorial Hall performance space.
4. Regional Art Gallery at Lake Alexandra.
5. Regional Arts Centre.
6. Improvements to Aboriginal Cultural Centre for political correctness.
7. Amendments to the L.E.P.
Number 1 is important but Numbers 3 to 7 are wish list items which will be wonderful, after necessary things (as opposed to luxuries) have been attended to.
Nick Campbell-Jones
Bowral