Mt Gambier City Council Meeting 20th May 2014

Hello Bulgaria, Malaysia, Lithuania, and Canada and welcome to the blog...and just to break up the SAPol 'Raid' thingy, the latest installment of the maladministration, malfeasance, and general shenanigans that is the conduct of a Mt Gambier Council meeting...if you haven't already read previous posts re other meetings and the extraordinary corruption of appropriate processes and litany of Councillors 'Conflict Of Interests', nepotism, etc, that are the hallmark of any City Council meeting, please do...

Feedback: in so much as someone quite recently started reading the blog and asked me who the Editor was...(nahhh, recognition at last...in accepting this award I'd just like to congratulate all those who have had an opportunity to work with me and-Ed)...slow down champ, there's no award, just some praise in that the person genuinely believed that you, Ed, are a separate person...I had to explain it twice but we got there and had a good laugh about it...they said it was "very clever"...

As I explained to them, Ed, despite his various protestations to the contrary, is purely a linguistic device utilised to engage readers in a conversation rather than assault them with a relentless diatribe...there is no actual Ed...nor is there a Giant Talking Squirrel...(but there's clearly an Inner Bastard-Ed)...well, indeed...(yeah, you can see it leaking out round the edges-Ed)...alright, thankyou...(there's a puddle of pure Bastard right there-Ed)...ok, thankyou, moving on... 

Whale Oil Beef Fire-Trucked: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed his lies about 'no new taxes' etc, and the suffering of those low to middle income earners, disabled, ill, elderly, etc, whom his Budget cuts deliberately target, with the delightful analogy of a fire truck justifiably plowing through fences to get to the fire...the 'fire' being the alleged 'Budget Crisis', and we all bein' the shreckin' fence...it's alright for him the fireman driving his fire-truck Budget to be running us fences down to get where he wants to go, to the fire he lit...

And reducing people to inanimate objects to reduce their human value...where have we heard that before?...(well it's a cornerstone of discrimination and violence and it's worst incarnation a combination of both, genocide-Ed)...well that's the extreme, but yes certainly discrimination...(but it does open up a whole series of hilarious social observations on the theme of being 'Fire-Trucked by Tony Abbott'-Ed)...how so?...

(Orrr maybe t-shirts with 'I Was Fire-Trucked By Tony Abbott's Budget', or 'Ï Take Offense To Being A Fence To Be Fire-Trucked With'...witty responses to inquiries re how the Budget affects you, eg, "I'm completely fire-trucked mate, don't know how we'll cope"...you know , that sort of thing-Ed)...sure...and a whole bunch of stuff about 'fencing' an election stolen with lies, etc, it's all good stuff...and the mini-title refers to the ancient yet hilarious kids joke where you ask 4 questions that solicit the answers Whale, Oil, Beef, and Hooked, and then get the jokee to say it with an Irish accent.

Just Now On ABC Radio News: reportage this morning of various issues from the Council meeting 20th May 2014 including that prize Nepotist Councillor Des Mutton banging on about potential problems with installing even more bike lanes (voted through 6/3 apparently) and that the process has been 'rushed' and without enough public consultation...(and also on the front page of today's The Border Watch).

(Ahhhhhh, public bloody consultation...Council's Great White Whale...Council is apparently obsessed with it but nobody else has ever seen it-Ed)...nice...and if it does show it's bloated albino bonce above the waves, all involved get duly slaughtered...(except the cabin boy, I think...does anyone survive in Moby Dick?-Ed)...the whale?...dunno, sorry...(and what the heck is a 'Nepotist'?-Ed)...one whom engages in Nepotism...(fair enough-Ed)... 

Council also has signed a 2 year deal @ $15,000 a year...(with follow up 2x1 year renewal options-Ed)...indeed, to renew their lease from Bedford Industries for the site where the Dimjalla Skate Park is located...and this is up from the current approx $7,000...why not spend $30,000 constructing a super dooper skate park on the Rail Lands right near Bay Rd just around the corner from the Mt Gambier Police Station?...it's the perfect spot...central, secure, sensible, providing what the City needs with the City's money...there or around by the pool...(which should be covered already but isn't-Ed)...indeed...

And by almost divine coincidence is the Vox Pop section of TBW today asking the question, do you think a skate park on the Rail Lands is a good idea?...all 3 yes's...call me a cynic, but what I have witnessed of the Rail Lands Retail Agenda and the deceits and manipulations that Council have repeatedly engaged in in pursuing that Agenda, leads me to believe that this 2+1+1 decision is about avoiding any such structure on the Rail Lands other than the massive Retail Expansion of the Lakes (Centro) Plaza which is still clearly planned.

I re-iterate, that ridiculous $650,000+ fake lake is a drainage/run-off pond for the huge roof space of said Retail Expansion...run-off that the Mt Gambier drainage system couldn't accommodate, requiring expensive and expansive pipe laying, etc...remember the downpour a couple of years back where the Cave Gardens filled up to within feet of the lower lookout?...and still no word about renovating that prime RLRA inconvenience, the Old Rail Station. 

It was mentioned though, Council's award received for the Bio-Mass Furnace at the Aquatic Centre which I find mildly hilarious given the pool has been closed for over a month and will be for another 5-6...and another $7,000 for the 100 Mile Classic for full sponsorship after their main sponsor pulled out...but still no action on displaying the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Flags in the Chamber, that just got pushed quietly through without any debate despite Council stating there would be an 'unveiling ceremony' in May 2014.

For balance, I have spoken to someone who really supports the $450,000 of shreckin' solar lights around the Blue Lake...I think these lights are a frivolous extravagance that Mt Gambier cannot afford, particularly in the current fiscal climate and there are other things desperately needed in Mt Gambier, eg, proper public transport and related shelters, etc.

Apparently house sales in Mt Gambier have doubled and median prices increased at approx twice metro area rates, but there was no discussion as to whom was buying these properties...again my cynicism steers me toward looking at this as at best 'talking up the market' to boost confidence and therefore sales, etc...I have seen a few places 'sold' around town but still many for sale...

Limestone Coast Protection alliance Anne Daw was also on radio congratulating City Council who on Tuesday night voted to support a minimum 2 year moratorium on Fracking (by writing to the Weatherill Labor government?)...and indeed credit where credit's due...whilst Mt Gambier is the third South East Council to officially call for such a moratorium, following Robe and Wattle Range, better late than never...

Council has also called for the South East Local Government Assoc (SELGA) to get amongst it and either support and/or do their own statement, liaise, etc...there were nearly a dozen people present for this issue, including former ABC announcer Alan Richardson, and they politely applauded the parade of Councillors who rose to speak on the issue...I don't give a damn about the grating grandstanding because the issue, opposing Fracking, is far too important.

(So you're saying Mt Gambier City Council has done something correctly-Ed)...yeah...(has done something good?-Ed)...sure...(Council has acted appropriately and without ulterior motive for the genuine betterment of the community?-Ed)...more or less...(does it hurt?-Ed)...not really, the issue is far too important...(wow, I never thought I'd see you praise Council, and with such apparent calm-Ed)...naaa, whatevs...

I was very concerned though...(doh here we go-Ed)...settle, concerned that yet again there were issues addressed in the meeting, that were not on the Agenda on Council's website prior, and added as 'Motions Without Notice'...(fair enough-Ed)...3 items this time, and this has happened before with the Old Hospital Demolition Tender vote and other issues...please Google search 'Mt Gambier City Council's Minutes' for their May meeting, scroll through to near the end, and read Motions Without Notice - item 3 ...I strongly urge nay politely insist that availees avail themselves of this item 3...

Sorry For The Secret Squirrel Bullshit: but once you've availed yourself of said Minutes you'll understand why it is that I possibly cannot talk about it other than to refer to it...pending further legal advice...and then you can explain it to me 'cos I got no idea...similarly you should possibly check out page 6 of today's The Australian (22nd May 2014) and a very interesting article by Political Reporter Sarah Martin...a very, very interesting article that I'm not sure I can even discuss pending further legal advice, etc, etc...

(What a load of bollocks-Ed)...oh absolutely, I can only ask that people look at Council's own Minutes re Item 3 and try to get hold of page 6 of The Australian...like I say, just by talking about these items I may be in breach of legislation that both these 'items' discuss...ludicrous...I guarantee that it will be worth the effort and when and if I can post this stuff directly, I will...(be done-Ed)...deadset.   

Tomorrow: More Council Concerns And Raidage Stuff

Just some more shizzle, eg, Mayor Perryman's latest Conflict of Interests, one re the Fracking stuff...deadset...and please chase up these 2 things in the Minutes and The Australian...it is worth it...

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...