Mall mess should have been fixed
Having just read the article related to Lisa Ruffell's comments on the Hargreaves Mall I had to wonder if both the author and Lisa Ruffell were serious, or if this was some kind of tongue in cheek joke.
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It is quite easy to find out after little research that Cr Ruffell has been on Bendigo City Council since 2008.
Put simply she has had eight years to fix the problems now associated with the mall in her role as a councillor.
The mall was recklessly built and has always been an eyesore. Had to laugh when I saw that she now wanted the next council to clean up the mess when she has done very little to fix the problem in her eight-year tenure.
Perhaps they should turn it into an art gallery and surely they would get funds for huge improvements.
Dean White, Big Hill
Bin collection poorly thought through
Councillor Rod Fyffe’s letter (“New organic service will bring benefits”, Bendigo Advertiser, August 26) raises in my mind the question, why didn’t the council introduce the new organic bins service into restaurants and cafes before imposing it on residents?
I understand also that many CBD businesses do not have recycling bins, so up to 70 per cent of their rubbish is actually recyclable but ends up in landfill.
If a successful organic bins service for food businesses and the provision of recycling services to other businesses reduced the pressure on landfill then the imposition of organic bins on residents may not be necessary or community members could see evidence supporting the service and be more accepting of it.
Council’s handling of the introduction of this service seems to have been poorly thought through.
Peter O’Neil, Bendigo
Praise for go karter
Thanks to Kieran Iles and the Bendigo Advertiser for the story on Harry Arnett.
Go karting is where our good defensive drivers come from, and also our super car drivers. This sport is for all ages. It does not get enough recognition. Good one, Harry.
Malcolm Pethydridge, Bendigo
Stick to transport portfolio
Another politician, another photo opportunity. Jacinta Allen has nothing to do with the new hospital, other than making more people sick and tired of her handling of the public transport mess.
Peter Lesuey, Strathdale
Planning figures confound
On August 23 the Bendigo Advertiser ran an article, “Regional plan roll out”.
This article quotes the State Planning Authority and predicts an increase in population of around 25 per cent. This would put us at around 139,000 at an increase of under 1.5 per cent per year over the next 15 years.
I believe these figures fly in the face of this council’s own residential strategy and the planned need for their compact city.
We know that council have advocated for 3500 both one and two-bedroom houses to be built by 2020 and simple maths tells us that's way of the mark.
Given that residential Bendigo has around 30,000 homes and that the growth figure of 1.5 per cent is correct, then it is more like 600 homes per year and not the 1200 we are told we need so desperately.
I am left to wonder what is the real agenda here and who is pushing it onto us all, as we know there will be a lot of private construction as well. It is always disappointing when pencil pushers try to sharpen their pencil at our expense, whether they are qualified or not to do so.
We soon have a chance to vote and hopefully put back some more common sense to a council that clearly cannot add up and has lost the respect of the people.