Thursday, September 04, 2008

The Arts Precinct - why isn't the Council the one to move?


The arts precinct ---Who should occupy this 1 hectare site in 2020?
The council will in its last days ( the next few days ) push through its decision to shift our library out of town. Noone seems to ask half the planning questions on the minds of many - where is the node for internet access closer to town , the future of arts in Colac? etc etc How can they vote with a clear conscience tommmorow night?

Why should we accept the Council pushing the Library out to the outskirts? Have the Council properly planned what should happen on that site in the future ?
Maybe the council should move out further ( like they have done in other areas) and let the Arts precinct grow !
Whatever the Council are doing well , its my view that their " leadership" in planning is not seen by many to be working too well . Lets call for a halt to signing away, in one hit , the proper planning for the Arts precinct . The devil is aways in the detail - so we ignore the detail of a proper planning process,, do we ?
Common fellas , Put the whole matter out for public and proper planning discussion . Its not what we know that worries us ------its what we don't know.

"Our Democracy is not seen to be working, so is it really working"
The evidence for poor planning is there . . The doubt is there. Instead of talking to the many questions on the Arts precinct use area, the Council offers only one opinion --Some expert from out of town reckons a shared library is a good idea and we , it seems , are to be the guinea pigs .
The council's agenda , as often seems to happen, seems to be driven by agendas created and pushed for outside the electorate.

Tell us then , if we must do what is good for us ---
Who wants the library shifted ? --- The State Government
Why do they want it shifted ? ------Because they have a new education revolution they want to try out on us ?
------Deny it !
Unlike the CHerald , the old guard don't want to canvass anything with a questionaire . Its not too hard for the Council planning department to do, is it?
For eg :
Would it be better for our grandchildrens sake , to put more pics and books in the arts precinct, and kick the Council out? Just think what it would do for parking problems !!
Would you be in favour of the growing Council to find new accommodation , perhaps closer to the roads department?
Are you happy that planning for the library shift has been adequate ?
Would you prefer the Arts precinct around COPAC to grow , or the bureaucracy precinct to grow? Do you think the area around the Arts centre should be retained for the arts?Do you think Council have considered the proper planning of public facilities, or is this decision driven by funding ,, and the force of it ?
What policy has the council about sharing videos and DVD's available at the library now ? Do the council think the days of reading a good book , or printed newssheet are going? ( sorry but maybe you have to read too much "literature" in the arts precinct already, to remember the real value of properly published works !
Why isn't the current library site use retained to allow for the growth in Internet access Arts , pulished works and public access to them ? Will the council fund rental of shops to retain such a service or do we all have to pay for information access in the future?
Surely the amalgamation will mean we no longer have to fund another high level CEO for the CRLibrary service ?


The old guard may have the courage of their convictions on the library , but they do not have the confidence of the people on this and many matters .

Ihe old guard need to think again whether they are doing the job they are called to do, and what they need to do to regain what is more precious than their hasty, and clearly inadequate, building approvals processes.


Your questions email me at fester@eftel.com.au