No business case to validate ‘more people, activity’ GovHub claim
Well done to Michael McKenzie for raising the issue of the shabby way in which the State Government and our local council have treated the community and residents of Bendigo (“It is time for a stand on imbalanced GovHub funding | Your Say”, Bendigo Advertiser, December 6)
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His comments have been arrogantly reinforced by Jacinta Allan’s letter in last Friday’s Advertiser “GovHub will have more people and activity|Your Say”.
There is no business case to validate her claim of “more people and activity”.
At the other end of the CBD the building of the Bendigo Bank multi story office has failed missrerably to enhance and increase retail activity. The vacant shops and the thriving new businesses “For Lease” are testament to the failure of these strategies.
As well the current council offices and many of the adjacent buildings and land on which the proposed GovHub will be located are actually owned by the ratepayers (past and present) of the municipality of Greater Bendigo.
Neither the State Government nor the council officers have any unimpinged right to do whatever they like to these ratepayer owned properties. Why does the current building have to be demolished?
Can the building be refurbished or repurposed, extended or added to to house the 380 odd council staff (out of an estimated 1000 full-time and part-time employees) and the other State Government employees accomodated in the new building or buildings?
I hope that all ratepayers and residents are aware that there has been no consultation whasoever with them regarding this mattter.
The last State election was not a plebiscate on the GovHub and was not part of the program outlined by either of our two local parliamentarians in mayerials in the lead up to the last state election.
Consequently how can Jacinta say that this was part of “the program we outlined to Bendigo and Victoria?
Bendigo Ratepayers deserve better treatment than being taken for granted by our local politicians and our councillors to pick up the tab for this extravagance. In these days of advancing technology perhaps another sites or sites for several smaller GovHubs could be financed by the State Government, just like Ballarat, rather than by the citizens of Bendigo.
Colin Burns,Strathfieldsaye
Thanks to voters
Thank you to the voters of Bendigo and the region for re-electing me as Member for Bendigo West.
I am honoured to be representing you in the Andrews Labor Government and the 59th Parliament for the State of Victoria.
I’m pleased to be a member of the most progressive government in Australia, and will continue to work hard for our community and deliver on our commitments to the region.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy and safe holiday season.
Please take care on our roads if you are travelling over this Christmas and New Year period.
Once again thank you for your support and I look forward to working for you in 2019.
Maree Edwards MP, State Member for Bendigo West
Letters must carry the name, full address and telephone number of the author. The writer’s name and suburb/town will be published. We reserve the right to edit letters. Letters which are deemed inappropriate will not be published.Send letters to Bendigo Advertiser, PO Box 61, Bendigo 3552 or at bendigoadvertiser.com.au
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