Hello Netherlands, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Germany and Greece...and welcome to the blog...and whilst optimism is not my strong suit, here goes...and pre-emptive apologies for the cynicism that will undoubtedly dog my optimistic endeavourings...endeavourage?...endeavourousness?...
Feedback: with regards to the Old Hospital demolition and my concerns about associated costly legal proceedings and how this will affect ratepayers (from a previous post)...I've tried to cover the various conflicting bits of information as best I can, and then discern from that what I believe is happening...I'm not saying that I'm absolutely right or, even if I am, that anything I say will stop this unraveling into the extremely costly fiasco that appears imminent.
As previously stated, I find it incredibly suspicious that Sky Towers Mt Gambier has waited 2 years, until the demolition is halfway through, before complaining about the receivers and the sale to the Mount Gambier City Council, but it is possible that they have been complaining and it hasn't made the media, and/or they may have become aware of the other complaints...however, what is currently happening, eg, the front page headline of The Border Watch about a $2.5million sale shortfall, would appear to give Council all the pseudo-justification it needs if it were of a mind to hand Sky Towers MG another $1m+.
Again, it is to my mind crucial that the individual complainants (from Sky Towers MG) be identified, and the specific reasons be established for this relatively sudden but very late legal action...and while we're up at the Old Hospital, I note that the window frames at the rear of the building are still in place, window frames that Council has acknowledged are contaminated with 'asbestos mastic'...but it looks like work is still happening because when I went past earlier today there was some movement, namely a big ol' dump truck trundling around kicking up a small cloud of dust that was drifting down toward Lake Tce West.
I re-iterate: my concerns that, due to the passage of time and semi-demolished nature of the buildings, potentially asbestos contaminated detritus has littered the site for years, and therefore any dust off that site may be contaminated with asbestos, yet I have not seen any effort to contain it...doesn't mean it's never happened, just I haven't seen it...
I also re-iterate my concerns that McMahons' Tender excludes "Disposal of contaminated materials"...what exactly is "contaminated materials"?...does that mean every bit of asbestos?...how much material coming off that site is deemed 'contaminated', and what is it costing the ratepayers of Mt Gambier to dispose of it?...asbestos is very expensive to dispose of.
More Feedback: and thankyou for some emails I've received, and I apologise for not responding sooner but I still have no home computer and have had to resort to accessing my emails via another computer...I re-iterate my paranoia that I won't be using my laptop for anything other than the blog...and two of those emails were from Graeme Bennett of the ABC and David Pearson of Premier Jay Weatherill's office...both emails on Thursday 7th November, the day my computer crashed, again...so I'll cover these tomorrow.
Another 'emailer' goes into some detail about the community input and community value re the Riddoch Art Gallery, and by highlighting this doesn't so much rebuke me as seek to address the somewhat subjective approach I have taken on this issue...and I absolutely concur, the Riddoch does have a strong community input and value, and I have been subjective...Mt Gambier should have several galleries, a museum or two, state of the art Tourism facilities, a year round swimming pool, a central Bus Terminus and daily public transport that operates on weekends, etc, etc...
See what I did there? I ran from the Arts off into a number of other 'social services' that City Council should be supporting and/or operating, eg, tennis courts that are of a standard to support an international tennis tournament, rather than, say, a massively expensive extravagance like the Main Corner...see, I did it again...subtle aren't I?..
I openly acknowledge and own my subjectivity on the Riddoch Gallery issue because for me it's about the gross imbalance in funding, atrocious decision making, and enormous self-gratification and self-interest of the Councillors involved and the other handful of vested interests in Mt Gambier who seem to get what they want time and again...and shrek the plebs...and in that context I am now and will always happily be a pleb...and in response to these emails I'll do a further post re these issues.
Only yesterday (day before?) I praised the role of volunteers across so many areas and I would include the volunteers at the Riddoch because it probably couldn't operate without them...and I am aware that there are those attached to the Riddoch who are no happier than I with the Main Corner Annex thingy that's been rammed into the side of the Kings Theatre...and it is remiss of me to not more clearly explain and differentiate between the Gallery and the Annex thingy that I have repeatedly referred to as 'a glorified front door for the Riddoch'.
I apologise unreservedly if I have offended by not carefully enough defining my position re the Council, the Main Corner, and the Riddoch Gallery...as always, I'd like to think that if my comments do offend people, then it's the right people...and because those comments are accurate not just because they're critical.
The Opitimism: I genuinely want to believe that the recent announcement about the expansion of the University of South Australia campus and associated courses is a reality that will turn around the recent trend of axing courses and staff, eg, the extensive cutbacks to TAFE...and as a parent who's child has had to leave Mt Gambier, indeed the state, to attend University, with all the associated extra costs of travel, accommodation, etc, I have a vested personal interest in better Uni courses in Mt Gambier.
In previous stories about this proposed expansion, I have been very concerned about the language used re improving 'technological access' to provide 'more courses on line' and therefore 'availability and convenience' and how this is better for students overall, etc...but I have heard similar language used in other contexts to describe the removal of 'on-site staff' to be replaced by 'online services'.
It has been my concern that this 'coded language' was going to see the loss of actual jobs in Mt Gambier as more and more services were sent 'on-line'...for example, I'm concerned that the proposed new Lecture Theatre will see 100+ students being talked to via a TV link from Adelaide, which would reduce the need for academic staff in Mt Gambier.
However, with the proposed high-speed Internet connection specifically for the Uni, there are several positive outcomes in roughly the opposite direction, the most obvious being that there will be access to many academics from across the globe rather than those few who reside in or near Mt Gambier...this 'online access' can/will offer students a far broader range of experiences and opinions and therefore a more rounded education experience.
However, however, this could all go the way of the (new) Mt Gambier Hospital Expansion, which is now finally underway, but only after many delays, and I question the statement on TBW's front page Thursday 7th November;
"Despite wet weather hampering the project in recent weeks, it is understood the project
is still on budget and on track for its completion date."
That would be the revised budget and revised completion date...I believe that originally it was due to be pretty much open and functioning by now.
Or worse, it could be a massive pre-March 2014 election stunt along the lines of the recently launched 'Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan'...or the Disability Justice Access workshops...or the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme Review...I lunge for the optimism in stating that at least there might be some local construction jobs in this...jobs that aren't building a Gaol.
I genuinely hope that this project proceeds expeditiously and that all services remain and are added to...my optimism is tempered by my concerns, concerns encapsulated by descriptive terms like "virtual classrooms" (Uni SA Chief Information Officer Paul Sherlock)...
Tomorrow: The Emails
from Bennett and Pearson and Co...well, perhaps not much Co but...more likely all Bennett and Pearson...and a spoiler?...don't call me a liar Mr Bennett, and then try to walk away from it...it ain't gonna happen bro'...
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog and today was Ed's rostered day off...but why he gets a holiday and I don't is beyond me...cheers and laters...
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