Call to see plans for the future
It is suggested by many in the Southern Highlands that it is time, before it is too late, to have council publish its plans for the next 10 to 20 years regarding road traffic, street lighting, footpath installations - just to name a few noticeable current poor conditions.
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Sydney is rapidly coming this way and it won’t be long before Bowral is a suburb of Sydney. We need to protect our wonderful town.
Council’s recommendation regarding Station Street in Bowral is a disaster. Sure council, chop all the trees down and eliminate most of the current parking for people commuting from the rail station and working in the town centre. Not likely.
Why not do what Berry organised with a by-pass?
Increased property valuations of late and, hence increased council rates, should lead to the mayor responding to our investment by publishing a long-term plan for residents to have their say. That is why we pay the rates.
Finally, any council member who is a developer should not be on council.
Harley Harwood
Tears of joy
I cried because of the work of Wingecarribee Shire Council last weekend. However, this is not a letter of complaint. To the contrary, the tears I shed were those of joy and happiness due to the beauty of Alexandra Square.
It’s not often that council has the vision to re-instate a park. In fact, far too often public spaces are either removed, or left to decay. Alexandra Square is a wonderful example of good design, foresight, and a place of peace and community connection and I would like to say thank you.
We live in the old Manse of the Presbyterian church on Alice Street, which looks across Alexandra Square. When we bought our house, it was a former boarding house for Sunshine Lodge, and it was not in a good state. We looked out from our house onto the derelict buildings of the former Mittagong Bowling Club. We hoped one day something good would happen with Alexandra Square. The outcome has been beyond our expectations and we still have to pinch ourselves that it is real. The design is beautiful, the plantings are lovely, and the contours and restraint of the space creates quite a magical feeling, that I know will only improve with age.
The founders of Mittagong had great foresight when they set aside that land as a public park. It sits high, and has a beautiful aspect looking back across Mittagong and Mount Gibraltar. I’m pleased to say I believe councillors, and the hard working open spaces team led by Greg Bray, through vision and hard work, have created something that Mittagong’s founders would be proud of. You have all shown foresight by being wise enough to transform the space into something beautiful and the results speak for themselves.
I am certain that Alexandra Square will stand the test of time and bring much peace and happiness to the people of Mittagong. I can already see it, as the children play in the park, people wander through it, and locals meet in the dog park. It is already having an impact and it’s only a couple of weeks since it opened. I’d like to say thank you to all people who have been involved and supportive of the Alexandra Square project. Keep up the good work and may there be many more spaces such as this within our community.