But unlike Mr Lakey, I think that using terms such as  “the gathering of anti-social misfits” and “groups of society’s driftwood” when referring to the people who congregate in the Mall is unhelpful at best, and offensive at worst.

Of course I am not blind to the problems that sometimes arise from such gatherings, and I too would prefer it if the people concerned were somewhere else.

But the point is, they’re not.

Simply dismissing the behaviour as anti-social and blaming the people themselves for being public nuisances is not going to solve anything.

All of us, Mr Lakey included, should be asking ourselves why these gatherings occur and what it is that causes such behaviour.

The situation seems to have grown from a complex range of factors, most of which can be sheeted home to unemployment, mental health issues, poverty, and dysfunctional social groups.

Someone once made an insightful observation to me about such a group. “All they’ve got is each other,” she said. “Even a bad relationship is better than none at all, because at least you are not on your own.”

What we are seeing in the mall is not so much a single social problem as the result of a whole series of other problems.

The mall is in fact a microcosm of all that is wrong in a society which is doing less and less for those who, for a whole range of reasons, are falling further and further behind.

This is obviously not an issue specific to Bendigo, nor are Bendigonians less aware than others of the needs in their midst.

Ask any active Bendigo charity group and they will soon tell you how under-resourced they are to deal with ever increasing levels of need.

But I wonder – is it possible that Mr Lakey’s “misfits” and “driftwood” are also in their own way reacting to the sterility of the mall environment?

The world has become less kind in the last few years, and the mall has certainly become a less gentle space to be in.

Perhaps the first thing that needs to happen in any refurbishing of the mall is to replace the greenery that we had in 2005 – at least then we can hope that when something at least is alive and growing, a better future is possible for all of us. Worth a try. 

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