Mt Gambier City Council Deceitfully Evicts South East's Premier Tourism Experience

Howdy dear availees in Singapore, Spain, Canada and Brazil, welcome one and y'all...absolutely no offence intended to other hard-working tourism operators, but the Blue Lake is the single most identifiable natural attraction in the South East, possibly the state, and the Aquifer Tour is/was definitively Mt Gambier's most popular tourism experience...be it for locals and/or entertaining visitors, school kids on excursions, bus loads of pensioners, etc, etc, through to hordes of international tourists, the Aquifer Tour entertained and informed many thousands of people every year, for 30 years...the Cafe is/was the first contact site for many visitors who would visit the Blue Lake and then go in for info about other local attractions, eg, how to get to the Valley Lakes? what other tours/facilities are there? where's a good restaurant? etc...the Cafe is/was also the centre of a large social structure, from walkers to friends meeting for coffee to local artists who displayed and sold their wares, etc, etc...now it's just another empty building in Mt Gambier...(well not "just another empty building", as you've identified, it's the primary contact point for many tourists, who are now going to be met with an empty space and no services/advice, it's a terrible look for Mt Gambier-Ed)...indeed it is, and entirely unnecessary, this is a deliberate construct of the corrupt and/or incompetent Mt Gambier City Council... 

Hooray for me that I finally managed to locate those comments I referred to in the previous post...this person wrote to Council seeking some answers and this is the response they received...I've left the names out just because I don't want to make trouble for those involved, but in some instances, eg, MGCC's response, obviously Council knows who they sent that to...***

Response from Council this afternoon

Hi ******, The City of Mount Gambier property management agreement between the Blue Lake Welcome Centre sub-licencees Garry and Trish Turner ends on Monday 30 November 2020, one month before the 21 year head licence between SA Water and Council for the Crown Land the centre is located on expires on 31 December 2020.

Council is very thankful to Garry and Trish for their hard work and commitment in providing 30 years of tourism services at the Blue Lake.

Council has resolved to pursue a different path for its tourism assets as outlined in the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan, with a view to developing and delivering a tourism master plan for the area.

Council will continue to work with SA Water and Crown Lands (DEW) to establish a partnership model in the new year.

 

***...and here's the person's own response to that 'response' from MGCC...I believe that this and the other comments below are fairly indicative of how most people in the community feel about this extraordinary series of MGCC's latest deceits and grossly corrupt/incompetent actions...***

 

What a completely disingenuous response from council. Two issues come to mind, one, the investment in building a business and the valuable goodwill associated with that by the Turner’s and secondly the pathetic history that council has had relative to servicing the tourist industry and associated businesses. There isn’t a council that I’ve ever heard of in a regional centre that’s handled the tourism sector worse than the Mount Gambier City Council. Promises of a plan insults the intelligence of the public, especially when their belief in council is at an all time low. Shutting down a key tourism enterprise that sits at the primary tourist attraction in the city before a better option is in place is absurd in the extreme. Talk about a move that doesn’t pass the public test!!!

This matter like others currently taking place deserves scrutiny by ICAC because they are as suss as. It doesn’t take a very clever person to predict a vested interest connected to council having plans for the Tourist oriented cafe at the Blue Lake. 

 

***...nails it, absolutely nails it, across so many issues...(well except of course the call for ICAC's involvement-Ed)...well certainly, fair point, and we'll have to look at that later in the post...and here's some of the other comments related to this stuff, which I've picked as being representative of many such comments across social media and things I've personally heard...I'll follow with my take on some of these comments...*** 

 

1) Surely council should give an explanation for the lease not being renewed???? Hiding behind in confidence excuses with publicly owned property is a disgrace.

2) Absolutely ridiculous to cut this off without a ready to go option to service that need. It’s as suss as. Get ready for the connections to council or other sector of politics to benefit in some way for this operation to shut. The vested interests gravy train will be connected to this for sure.

3) Very sad. I often despair at the decisions of our Council.

Leading up to the busy tourism season and I suspect this will be closed as I have seen nothing regarding advertising for new operators, or does council have a preselected prefered operator.

4) Congratulations for what you have achieved for tourism and Mt Gambier and the enjoyment you have given to so many visitors 

5) Yes and trying to follow up the 2020-2024 plan is like walking the great wall in China, impossible!! 

 

***...and here's how operator Trish Turner very politely describes the situation...*** 

Trish Turner

Thank you everyone for your support over the many years we will miss you all . The decision is out of our hands we would still like some genuine answers which seem difficult to obtain ,Trish and Garry.

 

***...so there ya' go, MGCC has shut-down Mt Gambier's (the South East's) premier tourism site/operation, and the people at the centre of that storm of deceit and misinformation, the operators of that business, the Turner's themselves have subtly but specifically defined MGCC's conduct, "...genuine answers (are) difficult to obtain."...(indeed, says it all really-Ed)...and there is an extended 'polite' statement on the Aquifer Tours website, please to be checking it out...I absolutely agree with the comments here, it's a disgraceful incompetence to shut-down the premier Tourism site as we go into the main Tourism season, and that there are 'vested interest' motivations at play...

 

Tell Me This Is A Coincidence:...'cos there was sweet shreck-all posted/reported about this Eviction/Closure in local 'professional' media, couldn't find it mentioned anywhere, but then I posted about it early on Tuesday 1st December 2020, and the next day ABC South East Radio had MGCC's Barbara Cernovskis on to address the situation...y'all can hear this interview by going to...

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/southeastsa/programs/breakfast/breakfast/12921662 

...for their report on Wednesday 2nd December 2020, starting at about 1hr10mins35secs...(note that Barbara refers to the business closing as of 'yesterday', being 'Monday 30th November', confirming that that interview was recorded sometime on 1st December 2020, after we had posted-Ed)...perhaps it's just a case of coincidental timing, but the fact remains that this final closure has been public knowledge for nearly a week and discussed on local social media, etc, and Council themselves have known for months, but it doesn't get 'reported' until after I cut crook on this 'ere blog...I'm not gunna' comment on that entire interview, but suffice to say that, having made extensive enquiries, I believe that Council is straight-out lying about the current status of the 'Lease Agreement' as it relates to the 'Blue Lake Welcome Centre', that indeed there is a renewed/current lease agreement in place, and that this is provably a lie by Council...

 

Dear Availlees:...just check it for y'allselves, simply contact SA Water and/or the Dept of Environment and Water and ask, and go to your local Member Troy Bell and ask him, and contact other local politicians in state parliament...(wasn't MLC John Darley formerly head honcho with the Lands Dept or some such? he'd surely know where to look and/or who to ask, etc-Ed)...well remembered Ed, when I dealt with him aways back in 2006/07 regarding the St Martins Child Abuse Cover-up he mentioned that 'Lands' was his field of expertise...(and what's the 'Blue Lake Welcome Centre'?-Ed)...well that's a carefully weasel-worded deceit from MGCC, 'cos it's otherwise and more commonly known as the Aquifer Cafe...it is my understanding that the Turners provided the Tourism Info aspect of their business as a 'gratis community service' and a courtesy entirely separate to their actual 'Lease'...(so you mean that Council has taken absolute advantage of the Turners goodwill in providing that 'free' service?-Ed)...that's exactly what I'm saying...('free' in that Ratepayers weren't subsidising it, it was being provided gratis?-Ed)...yep...(and yet MGCC has seen fit to ignore and/or abuse the Turners, and now turf them out into the street?-Ed)...spot on...the Aquifer Cafe building is/was fundamentally the ticket office for the Aquifer Tours, and any and all other services provided are peripheral issues...that aside, the Cafe is/was the focus of a local social network that is now effectively homeless, and a critical Tourist contact/info point...

 

Read between Council's well-rehearsed lines about the 'unfortunate' demise of the sub-lease and how Council is trying to get "joint custodianship" to go in "a different direction" with a view to ensuring the "sustainability of future options", etc, but when asked, 'what is the "vision"?', Council ain't got one...(and then there's the self-contradictory bollocks about not having a lease and yet having a vision/plan for the entire site-Ed)...indeed, it simply doesn't make sense...and "joint custodianship" is weasel-words for forcing the Turners out of that side of their business, for taking the Aquifer Tours lease away from them...(and what's this absolute bollocks about a 'holistic vision for the whole Lakes Area'?-Ed)...well you've basically answered your own question Ed, it's a continuation of the weasel-words around poaching that Tours Lease off  the Turners and forcing them out, but it's also the mind-numbing nonsense of 'We've Got A Plan To Have A Plan'...(so at best it's more deceit, but it's also jingoistic public service speak for either 1) we don't know, or 2) we ain't tellin' you ya' damn plebs!-Ed)...and in this case I believe it's the latter, and that it ties in directly with 1) the lies that Council are telling about the lease, and 2) people's comments/observations that MGCC does have a plan, they have every intention of putting one of their mates/relatives in that potentially lucrative business...

 

This is my absolute belief, that this is the fundamental motivator, MGCC wants a relative/mate in there... and I refer dear availees to the litany of Nepotistic Council Tenders/Contracts that have gone to Councillor's families and/or mates, eg, the Main Corner Lease going to (then) Councillor Des Mutton's son Lachlan...(not to mention the relentless cavalcade of Insider Trading and Conflict of Interest issues-Ed)...which occur so frequently in Mt Gambier City Council that it can be rationally argued that matters do not make MGCC's Agenda unless there's a buck in it for Councillors and/or their families and/or mates...(which brings us neatly to the issue of involving the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption-Ed)...it's the perfect segue Ed...firstly, I remind dear availee that the Ombudsman/Office of Public Integrity/ICAC are all the same animal, that they are all parts of the same 'Accountability' mechanism and are linked by legislative requirements, etc...then there's how they have conducted themselves when it comes to MGCC...(well you're obviously referring to the farcical ICAC faux-investigation of MGCC from 2013/14-Ed)...exactly, and here's a brief history for those unawares...

 

1) In September 2013 I attended a MGCC meeting where-in a senior Council member identified a 'contractual agreement' with a business tendering for the Old Hospital Demolition, and left the meeting, and that business was immediately there-after awarded the tender, greatly profitting that Member;

2) I reported this to the Ombudsman and (then) local Member Don Pegler, and where it was identified in Council's Minutes, etc, and under legislation that report went directly to the ICAC Bruce Lander;

3) between October 2013 and January 2014 ICAC claimed to investigate MGCC for the Demolition Tender and numerous other corruption issues I had witnessed/identified and reported;

4) in January 2014 ICAC 'concluded' it's investigation ,claiming to have identified no problems and therefore no further action taken;

5) when I was 'Charged' for blogging about his farcical outcome, and taken to 'Trial', etc, I proved in Court that the official ICAC 'investigation' of multiple incidents of identifiable corruption within MGCC consisted of a) an unrecorded 30min chat with me in a local cafe, and b) an unrecorded chat with (then) MGCC CEO Mark McShane in a hallway of the Adelaide Convention Centre, and nothing else;

6) there were no public hearings or even canvassing of the community to expose other potential issues and/or evidence, and ICAC did not speak at all to the numerous Council Members involved in the various incidents reported...

 

South Australia's ICAC's official investigation of the entire Mt Gambier City Council, across multiple issues, comprised 2 unrecorded chats and no formal hearings, etc...(and then of course there was that totes hilarious Ombudsman's exoneration of (then) Mayor Andrew Lee for doing private business whilst in China on a Ratepayer-funded Council trip, and then lying about it, etc-Ed)...yep, which we covered at the time in 'Lines Clearly Defines Fine Line By Clearing Lee'...(yeah, that was the 'line' from the Ombudsman Wayne Lines wasn't it, Lee has strayed near to but not over the 'fine line' that would make it corruption-Ed)...yep, so there you have the previous 'actions' of SA's ICAC and/or Ombudsman when it comes to holding this rancidly corrupt Council to account...(and not to forget the years of persecuting you via a wholly corrupt 'Trial'!)...indeed, ICAC has proven itself to be a stout defender of MGCC's corruption, a bastion for the Corrupt...(and an entity for facilitating the prosecution/persecution of 'Whistleblowers'-Ed)...so good luck to ya's if ya' reckon that ICAC is gunna' do anything about this latest corrupt bastardry...    

    

(I note that our mate former MGC Councillor Josh Lynagh hasn't mentioned it at all on his 'local news' website Limestone Coast Community News-Ed)...Josh is of course notorious for routinely running interference and/or disinformation on behalf of Council...(is he still doing the stuff where, as a Councillor, he would claim that his info is/was absolutely accurate 'cos it was directly from Council, but then say that it wasn't actually Council's official position?-Ed)...oh yeah, hilarious stuff, but of course he ain't a Councillor anymore...(and is he still mouthing-off about you/us and deliberately deceiving his 'readers' by denying/contradicting the facts as he knows them, eg, the truths of the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up and the many local politicians, police, community leaders, etc, etc, at al, whom are fully aware and fully complicit in that horrendously corrupt Pro-Paedophile Cover-up?-Ed)...ummm, not recently that I'm aware of, but he has had plenty to say in the past...well, other than actually to my face of course...(indeed, in person he literally scurries past and/or away, eyes averted, even though he knows you ain't gunna' lay a finger on 'im-Ed)...no, but he does know what he's done, and that trying to engage me in an actual exchange based on the facts of his conduct and the realities that he repeatedly denies/misrepresents/defends, etc, that's a verbal massacre that he ain't gunna' survive...as of just now, at the time of posting, 1330hrs local time Sunday 6th December 2020, I have done a 'search' on LCCN using the term 'Aquifer Tours Cafe' and there's nuthin' more recent than 2018, and that was about 'coffee vendors'...

 

Also, the new weekly local 'paper', the SE Voice, they've run a story about it...(well thank gourdness, it is after all front page news, this is a huge story/issue-Ed)...ummm yeah, not quite front page...(oh, fair enough, I guess page 2 isn't a complete disaster when reporting this complete disaster-Ed)...keep going...(page 3?-Ed)...not quite...(4?-Ed)...wellll...(give me that...it's not here at all, what are you talking about?-Ed)...it is, you just haven't dug far enough, try page 19...(19?! don't be ridiculous, this is a hugely important story/issue, they wouldn't bury it on.........oh-Ed)...yeah, "oh"...(and this is just a tepid regurgitation of Council's propaganda, where's the outrage? where's the anger?-Ed)...well I don't know about anger, but it is indeed an unquestioning reproduction of Council's misinformation...(this is a disgraceful joke! page 19 and nothing but dross! outrageous!-Ed)...yep...anyhoos, it's apparently in this weeks The Border Watch, but I ain't seen that yet, so I'll get back to ya's with that stuff...

I'm gunna' pull stumps here, but I guarantee there's a whole lot more to come on this issue...bottom-line, MGCC has knowingly and willingly and wantonly and deceitfully acted to destroy the Turner's cafe-based business, and are openly continuing to act to destroy the other part of the Turner's business, the Aquifer Tours...please remember to check-out that ABC South East Radio interview before it gets deleted...

Tomorrow: Maybe Scott 'Scombover' Morrison's Latest Photo-Ops Propaganda

 

Maybe more about this MGCC Aquifer Tours bastardry, whatevs...I'll just make the rather obvious observation that corruption such as we witness with MGCC, that sort of Institutionalised Corruption occurs on such a vast scale not just 'cos they've got ICAC protecting them, and they know it, but also because this is the standard set by a criminally corrupt Federal Liberal/National government...(and they know that too, and it emboldens and even encourages similar levels/types of corruption-Ed)...mate, that is exactly what's happening...

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