Mayor Margaret O’Rourke claimed in a July 18 media statement about council being unsuccessful in its16-year pursuit for a Marong Business Park: “The development of a business park is aimed at … supporting our very successful advanced manufacturing sector.”

On April 18 the mayor claimed, “Bendigo manufacturing is growing and contributes $2.25 billion into our economy”. Other councillors chimed in with “council had done its home-work and due diligence” (April 19), and, “the fake news that has been levelled in these important discussions is astounding” (April 20).

You judge these claims of “very successful”, “$2.25 billion”, “growing”, “due diligence” and “fake news” against council’s own inflation adjusted manufacturing data.

Manufacturing’s output in 2000/01 was $1.169 billion, in 2016/17 $1.168 billion. Value added in 2000/01 was $373 million, in 20016/17 $346 million. Full-time equivalent employment in 2000/01 –  3,655, in 20016/17 –  3,830.

So, over the 16 years that council has been pursuing the Marong Business Park, manufacturing’s output and value-adding declined. The odd thing is fewer employees in 2000/01, with less modern techniques and equipment, produced more output and added more value than those in 2016/17.

Maybe the planning for a business park is being based on uncertain assumptions. The mayor and councillors work hard, but their claims are ill-informed, or delusional, or spin.

Greater Bendigo’s manufacturing is vital for our economy and community benefits; its planning cannot be left to amateurs. New technologies and robotics are changing manufacturing.

Council must be more diligent with its research and report accurately, otherwise efforts are wasted, private investments diluted, council staff disappointed, industry employers and employees confused, rates squandered, and residents misinformed.

Happy to publicly debate these issues with councillors anytime.

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BHP’s disastrous foray into the shale oil business managed to squander between $US20 billion and $25 billion of our money. Mums and dads in super funds have also paid the price.

Who has taken the rap and paid the penalty? No one to my knowledge. Accountability gone missing.

Any suggestion that shareholders should leave the $14 billion that wasn’t blown with the board and management for another “light bulb” moment would be outrageous.

My namesake, Andrew Mackenzie, current BHP CEO, has got it right, “return the net proceeds from the transactions to shareholders”. The sooner the better.

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