There's A Poltergoost At Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Park - Death Throes Of A Corrupt Council

Howdy dear availees...just gunna' plow right into it today, with this brief but very doggo-related post...

***So whilst I've been doin' this post across the last week or so, so events have predictably moved to overtake my other 'predictions' about MGCC and HCRDP...just gunna' push-on and finish this post with this latest development...I don't do a lotta' 'I Told Yous So' work, not least of all 'cos it usually means something's gone catastrophically wrong for Mt Gambier and/or it's long-suffering Ratepayers, but today it's gunna' be unavoidable...***

What And The Actuals is a great name for a band...(nice-Ed)...but it's not what ya' really want to see playin' at ya' local Council...there's been all manner a' weird apparitions at Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Park...(ah yeah, about that-Ed)...strange, unexplained comings and goings...(uh-huh-Ed)...things, strange things appearing, then disappearing, only to mystically reappear the next morn...(yeah, I know-Ed)...no no, you know what this means don't you?...(yes, yes I do-Ed)...this means HCRDP has a poltergoost!...(I think I can explain-Ed)...can you, can you though?...(someone, possibly all the same person, put shade cloth behind the seat/shelter in small doggos park, and then weeks later there was 5 shade-cloth sheets along big/small dogs park's adjoining fence-line, something about the dust, then the next day it was a coupla' 2m square patches a' fake turf, then the next day the 5 shade-clothes are gone from the fence but there's 7-8 faux-whicker plastic chairs zip-locked to other existing furniture, and then MGCC were there yesterday (*now 2 weeks ago*) and pulled the other shade-cloth down, and last I heard looked like they were pullin'-up the fake turf which had been wire-pegged to the ground-Ed)...so not a poltergoost then?...    

The Supernatural In Smallsville:...(well firstly, it's 'poltergeist' not "poltergoost", and secondly, that what you've done there, that is a shameless rip-off of The Young Ones-Ed)...no it isn't...(it is, and you know it is-Ed)...it is not...(yes it is-Ed)...no it isn't...(oh look, forget it, role the tape-Ed)...       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlaMCWuRyg...okay sure, there are some similarities...(some similarities?!-Ed)...look, whatevs, what's with the musical shade-cloths that someone put-up, MGCC apparently removed, then were back again the next day? what's with that?...(look, there's been heaps on Social Media apparently, eg, here's the link to the Mt Gambier & District Residents and Ratepayers Association Facebook where a Mr Feast is taking credit/responsibility-Ed)...https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092459675693...anyhoos, we here at TMGI dunno' what's goin' on there, but it wasn't us...(it wasn't us-Ed)...yeah, sure, after very careful consideration and with the support of others, we did the Sand-Off-The-Path-To-Along-The-Fence-For-Safety thingy...(orrr yeah, we've done that several times-Ed)...and it's very different and here's why...

As stated, firstly it was improving access to a sand-covered path...(that several hoomans remarked they were unawares even existed-Ed)...indeed, and then addressing/hopefully rectifying a safety issue...(that was injuring/hurting dogs-Ed)...indeed...(as was/is known by MGCC-Ed)...yeah yeah, that's why another gentleman and I decided to do it, 'cos 2 months after I notified Mt Gambier City Council in writing about an injury that my pupper, Seepin' Sack A Satanic Gasses sustained...(and you've specifically asked in writing for sand to be put along that fence?-Ed)...yeah, all that, and 2 months later when I hadn't even had a response from MGCC, after he and I discussed it at length and I said 'whatevs, I'm doin' it'...he offered to help, and together we addressed the 2 fortuitously adjacent problems/safety issues by using our shovels and our wheelbarrows to retrieve the path and place that sand along the shared fenceline where the doggos run...took us maybe 90mins of goin' not really that hard...("fortuitously adjacent"?-Ed)...well the path/sandpit thingy coulda' been at the top-end of the park furthest from the fence, but it was in places only several metres from fill-to-spill...(yeah, good call, that is fortuitous-Ed)...so quite actually 2 birds with one stone...

Second point...(and arguably the premier point-Ed)...arguably, but I/we didn't take one single thing into and/or out of that park that was and/or wasn't there previous like...(ah yes, I can hear your concern-Ed)...yeah, and can I just make it absolutely clear before we kick-off on this 'Adding Things' aspect/context, that MGCC have no-one else to blame but themselves if some-one does do something in and/or to a park that MGCC doesn't like/want, 'cos 1) MGCC went on the ABC South-East Radio 5-6 months ago stating exactly that, they "want people to adopt their local park"...(so ya' can't complain when they do-Ed)...exactly...and 2) MGCC have failed/refused to conduct even the most basic maintenance at HCRDP at what is a very popular, very high-use, high-volume site used by many members of the community/tourists/visitors/etc...(and so people like ya'self have started doin' stuff ya'selves-Ed)...pretty much, and so while I get why people are (a person is?) 'adding' things to HCRDP, I wouldn't do it, and particularly not things like chairs/furniture, 'cos it has the potential to go horribly wrong...

Not just 'cos we live in a highly litigious society, but also for the safety of doggos...(and almost as importantly, their hoomans-Ed)...so I tried talking to a coupla' people about this...(hoohoo and boy, didn't that go well-Ed)...no, no it didn't, they didn't/don't want to hear it, and sooo, that's it...I'm staying right-the-shreck out of it, but I cannot support people adding things like chairs/furniture to dog park and I would not do it...as I said, we live in a litigious society and/or someone could get injured and not be covered by insurances, etc...those are stone-cold facts...my opinion is that MGCC is looking for the least-little excuse to shut-down the HCRDPs, be it retributional, eg, 'cos of the grief that 'Dog Park Attendees' have made for poor ol' long-suffering MGCC, or simply 'cos they're bankrupt...(morally and/or financially?-Ed)...yes, both, one inexorably leading to the other...and this deliberately provocative arrogance that provides no real improvement to the HCRDPs, is exactly the sort of 'excuse' MGCC will use to achieve that outcome...but no matter how politely I've tried to explain it to some of these people, nobody wanted to hear it, they just know better...      

Had one person actually arc-up at me about how they're gunna' address MGCC's woeful maintenance of the HCRDPs, specifically the issue of weeds everywhere, and this person was gunna' poison it...(woah woah woah, spray poison around? ya' can't do that for a whole buncha' reasons-Ed)...exactly, but as politely as I tried to dissuade them, they were adamant and got very narky very quickly...

Exactly how many times have MGCC Councilors/staffers/contractors gone into HCRDP and done their alleged 'maintenance and repairs', or done their li'l 'photo ops', and looked at the path covered in sand...(and mowed around it where it had crossed the path well into the grass on the other side, almost to the fence at one end-Ed)...yeah, all that, and then have just left it like that...did it even occur to anyone to fix that?...(well it was pretty obvious when you looked at it that the path ran right 'round the park, then disappeared under sand for 20m, then magically reappeared on the other side exactly where one might expect it to-Ed)...and ya' should see the state a' the place after MGCC shut it for 2 days in early December 2023 to do "maintenance"...disgraceful...not gunna' get into it now 'cos there's 3-4 posts pending on that topic...

Now, between me and Seepin' Sack A' Satanic Gasses goin' to HCRDP last week, and back again the next day, some(?) Mt Gambier City Council staffers apparently rolled-into Smallsville, turfed-out some of the 'added-by-public' stuff, but it was there again/still(?) next morning, etc...so, just for the record, I'm not entirely certain as to the exact sequence of arrivals and/or departures this past week 'cos, as happened yesterday, multiple times in recent weeks things like the shade-sail canvases appeared, disappeared, re-appeared...(were moved to the correct side of the parks-Ed)...yes, MGCC put the old stitched-up big park 'shelter' canvas up on the new small park posts, then realised what they'd done, took it back down, etc etc...MGCC staffers and/or contractors have been to HCRDPs multiple times these last few weeks and the place still looks derelict and dishevelled...(disgraceful comes to mind-Ed)...indeed...               

And just 'cos I feel like a moving target on this town, for whatevs crap people feel it's appropriate to dump into my life, 'cos that's my entire experience of Mt Gambier...(I like how you explained it to someone else the other day-Ed)...remind me please...(you said, "For my entire adult life I've been a lightning-rod for other peoples bullshit"-Ed)...humph, amen to that brother...so now, we've got a group of 'know-better-than-thou' dimwits sneering and smirking at me at HCRDP and it's absolutely nothing more than exactly what I've come to expect...and believe me, I've gone yaaay-close to tellin' 'em all about it...

And again, just for the record, none of this 'added-by-public' stuff has anything to do with me...I didn't do it, I've advised against doing it, not me, not mine...

***And that dear availees was where I'd got to, when this (below) happened...MGCC have posted their 'Agenda' for their Tuesday January 23rd 2023 Monthly Meeting, and it's a litany of Hugely Increased Secrecy, Massively Reduced Accountability, and greatly expanded capacity to Officially Steal Ratepayers' Money...(not least of all by utilising these proposed HIS/MRA changes!-Ed)...exactly, and what we are witnessing here dear availees, in real time, is the death throes of the irretrievably Corrupt Mt Gambier City Council, the last desperate corrupt thrashings of a dinosaur drowning in the quagmire of it's own creation...(and by "quagmire", he means like actual sinking pit of doom called the FARC (Farcical Aquatic Recreation Centre/Wulanda)-Ed)...Down! Going down! Basement Level Corruption and Self-Interest, No Accountability, Deceit and Dysfunction, We're All Screwed, mind your step... 

I Told Yous So:...and as much as I genuinely don't enjoy being 'right', on this occasion or so many others, there's no other way to put it...I tried to tell these people at HCRDPs what was happening, about MGCC's intent (close HCRDPs and develop site), etc etc etc...and then MGCC comes-up with this...

City of Mount Gambier
Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda
23 January 2024
Item 7.4 Page 11
7.4 QUESTION WITH NOTICE - HASTINGS CUNNINGHAM RESERVE DOG PARK
Meeting: Council
CM9 Reference: AF23/328
Member: Paul Jenner, Councillor
The following question on notice was received from Councillor Paul Jenner.
Question
Recently, I've heard that at Hastings Cunningham Reserve's dog park, members of the general
public have been putting up their own structures. According to a Facebook post by the Mount
Gambier and District Residents and Ratepayers Association, numerous individuals have reportedly
lodged complaints with the Council regarding these matters.
Could the Council provide a detailed account of the complaints received over the past 18 months
and the resolutions that were implemented in response to these concerns within the community?
Response
To be provided at the meeting.
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the response to the question regarding Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Park raised by
Councillor Paul Jenner be received and noted.

***and here's my 'Comment' as originally posted yesterday (Saturday 29th January) on the Mt Gambier & Districts Residents & Ratepayers Association Facebook page, and then copied across to TMGI's Facebook page...***

I'm deeply concerned about the language and intent evident here. Whoever wrote this, they know exactly what lies they are telling and exactly why. This (7.4 Question With Notice - Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Park) is a cynically transparent attempt by an increasingly desperate MGCC to 1) get multiple falsities on the 'Official Record' about what has happened at HCRDP and/or with MGDRRA, not least of all to 2) try and use these falsehoods as an excuse/wedge to attack MGDRRA. This 'Question' very deliberately conflates/misrepresents different incidents/complaints pre-dating "own structures" by months/years. Many people have had plenty to say about MGCC on various 'pages/websites', including on this topic and/or this page, and that is their personal choice. The language very carefully 1) frames the whole question about 'people complaining to Council about other people' and 2) most specifically/cynically "regarding these matters", makes it all about "putting up their own structures". People have complained to MGCC about maintenance many times with zero improvements/repairs. My personal belief remains as always that the desperate MGCC is acting to close HCR Dog Parks as part of their ongoing plans for the sale/lease of HCR for development. I note that only 1 group on that entire HCR site still has a lease with MGCC.

***...and we're just gunna' leave it there...I implore all availees to access the MGCC's Agenda (23 Jan 23) and read just exactly what new and extreme levels of Secrecy and Corruption MGCC is trying to allow itself, including knowingly lying to try and justify closing down the HCRDPs, and using that confected incident/outrage to attack the MGDRRA...("confected"?-Ed)...mate!? through-out 2023 HCRDPs and their users have been a constant source of irritation/inconvenience for MGCC, eg, the SEAWL demo outside Council meeting back in June 2023, and then some random starts rockin'-up to HCRDP (small dog park) and whackin'-up shade-cloth and bringin' in furniture and nailing fake turf to the ground, etc...(so you're sayin' it's a set-up created by MGCC?-Ed)...dunno', certainly looks like it, and they're absolutely capable of that sort of low behaviour, it's who they are collectively and individually...whatevs, confected incident/outrage or just taking advantage, MGCC's intent from here is clear...

Note, MGCC staff went into the HCRDP (small) and started removing the fake turf, shade cloth, etc, but then replaced and/or left it there...(so either way it truly is a 'Confected Outrage' 'cos MGCC knows exactly what's been happening at HCRDP (small), MGCC have been there and not just seen it but put their clammy hands all over it, then left it there...if this 'Added-By-Public' stuff is such a huge concern for MGCC why haven't they just removed it?...('cos MGCC want to be able to complain about/react to it as a faux-justification re their 'Agenda' to close HCRDPs-Ed)...precisely...

This pathetically deceitful Dorothy Dixer from Cr Jenner is 100% about deceiving and manipulating Ratepayers...(yet again-Ed)...yet again, and with an actual 'Agenda' of removing the HCRDPs and developing the entire HCR site...

I Did Try To Tell Yas:...aways back in 2013 I lodged official reports with then Member for Mt Gambier Don Pegler and the Ombudsman, about the rancid corruption evident in Mt Gambier City Council...and my reports went to the (alleged) Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (then) Bruce 'Brews Slander' Lander...ICAC and SAPol (police) then chose to ignore everything I'd just reported, and ultimately everything I've ever reported via this 'ere post, ICAC/SAPol decided instead to come after me via my very own SAPol 'Operation Baritone', SAPol raiding my home (May 2014), 3+yrs of "bizarre trial" (The Border Watch), an openly corrupt Magistrate Ian White, the 3rd Magistrate used, etc etc etc...(so ICAC/SAPol chose to ignore the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up and everything else on here, and came after you instead?-Ed)...and then, having been shown that they were/are a 'Protected Species', MGCC came-up with the disastrous $100m+ FARC Project...

ICAC/SAPol demonstrated to MGCC that they (ICAC/SAPol) would protect MGCC from any repercussions for their rancidly corrupt conduct, and given how definably complicit MGCC Mayors/Councillors/Senior Staff are in the St Martins Child Abuse Cover-up, it's hardly any wonder they're working so hard to protect each other...

And the perfect example is of course ol' mate Cr Frank (thwok!) 'The Jellyfish That Grew A Spine And Roared Like A Mouse From It's Ivory Tower' Morello...

And if you cannot see the direct connection between the levels of Corruption defined by the St Martins Cover-up and the way ICAC/SAPol have acted to 'protect' the Lutherans and then MGCC, etc, then please leave this 'ere blog and ne'er darken our search engine again...for all those dear availees remaining, cheers... 

Tomorrow: More MGCC Corruption In It's Daily Dealings

As we've said before...(often-Ed)...many, many times, it's literally/actually so bad in MGCC, it's almost impossible to write about them/their conduct without using the words Nepotism, Insider Trading, Malfeasance, Maladministration, and of course Corrupt...

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

MGCC Mayor Lynette Martin Gaslights About Mt Gambier's Woeful Public Transport

Howdy dear availees...as it turns out, in writing this intro last, I have therefore already thoroughly written then reviewed the following post...it's alright as far as TMGI posts go, so, um, we'll ahhh let it speak for itself...oh, we'll just set the scene...the noise in my headphones is Mt Gambier City Council Mayor Lynette Martin as per the replay from ABC South East Radio Morning Show, Thursday 11th January 2024 (link below)...I scoff, I sneer, a stifled but still audible expletive escapes my trembling lips...(get on with it you idiot-Ed)...sorry, sorry, here we go...

Here's the link below and just go to 50:05...it starts-out being about this farcical Mt Gambier City Council 2035 Master Plan for Mt Gambier nonsense, and one of the things (The Thing?) MGCC is lookin' at is Mt Gambier's 'Public Transport', and it then cuts to an interview with Mayor Lynette Martin...long story short, the 'new contract is already signed based on current service', but the operators are "getting good data" about what bus users need/want/whatevs...(what, they didn't do any investigation about profitability, etc, before applying/buying/whatevs?-Ed)...yeah I know, but anyways, Lynette's gunna' get right onto the Labour Party and she reckons it's time they invested in Mt Gambier and she's gunna' make sure Mt Gambier gets included in the 'happening some time this year' review of Regional Transport...(so MGCC is gunna' make sure that the largest regional center is included in a 'Regional Review'?-Ed)...I know I know...(ya' know that old saying about pickin' the low hangin' fruit 'cos that's easiest to reach, yeah?-Ed)...yes...(well MGCC is lyin' on the ground, face-up, eyes shut, mouth open, hopin' something falls into their gobs-Ed)...what falls in, Public Policy Initiative fruit?

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/southeastsa-breakfast/breakfast/103289834

When I was 'running for Mayor' in 2014, at the public forum, the 'Public Transport' issue was raised from the floor, and fellow candidates like then MGCC Cr Lee (soon to be Mayor) and Cr Allen said they thought it was all good and groovy, a coupla' candidates said they thought it was okay but improvements are always good, etc...as fortune would have it, it was my turn to go last and I politely let rip, 'it's disgraceful, etc' and trotted-out The Facts as listed below...(which are effectively identical 10 years ago to today-Ed)...indeed and for the 15 years prior to that I've existed in Mt Gambier.........(ummm, "existed"?-Ed)...yeah, just move on...(fair dues, but wasn't there a brief Saturday service back in the late 1990s?-Ed)...might have been, I reckon there was but MGCC pulled-it when the funding was reduced, least-ways that was their excuse...whatevs, for at least the last 20 years, this here below is the Mt Gambier Public Transport Service...

Disclosure: I have very specifically made a point of not going near a bus or talking to any drivers...(regarding this specific post you mean?-Ed)...yeah, for this post, so's not to get anyone in any trouble or whatevs...(and to not be hassling someone in what is their workplace-Ed)...well exactly, and the last time I caught the bus was during COVID19 stuff in 2020 and they actually weren't charging passengers at that time...so whilst I can be confident about certain facts, I don't know the current fee structure, for example...(well it was always pretty reasonable-Ed)...yeah, just sayin', but here's some facts I do know...

In 2024, in Mt Gambier, this state's largest Regional centre, if you do not have ready access to a motor vehicle, you are screwed.

There are no buses to the beach...in Adelaide you can go to Glenelg from Mt Barker (40kms), etc...over a decade ago I thought I had organised with the then local provider, a 5-times daily service to Pt Mac/Browns Beach (30-35kms), for the Xmas/Summer/School Holiday period...I was just tryin' to get a bus to run, the 5-times-a-day was the providers idea...but then the provider stopped returning my calls...as I understand it, an unidentified senior Council Member/staffer(?) went to the bus company and had that plan stopped, I believe 'cos it would have given me positive political credibility...(so someone from MGCC stopped that excellent idea?-Ed)...obviously I cannot prove it here, but I had it actually organised/planned/agreed to (in principal) and then it was stopped...

There are no buses on weekends and public holidays...Xmas just gone, for an example that happens every year, year after year, for enough years to make a decade, twice...(whaaa?-Ed)...20 years, it's 20 years...(ah yeah-Ed)...for example, and as it has been for 20+ years, across Xmas/New Years in 2023, for the period from approx 1700hrs Friday December 22nd 2023 to approx 0900hrs Tuesday 2nd January 2024, across that 10-day period, there was No Public Transport At All In Mt Gambier for 7 of 10 days...(isn't that a Borg construct?-Ed)...what?...(you know, from Star Trek-Ed)...is that some sortta' nerdy in-joke is it? this is serious mate, no Public Transport for 7 days in that 10 day period across Xmas/New Years...(yeah ya' right, it is appalling, and what about the tourists?-Ed)...brilliant point...

Not only does this irrefutably illustrate MGCCs' appalling disregard for the well-being of Ratepayers, it makes a self-mockery of their supposed support for Tourism when there's no Public Transport during the peak of the Tourism season...(well I'll say it again, not least of all 'cos I struggle to believe it, there was No Public Transport in Mt Gambier for 7 of 10 days-Ed)...what sort of retrograde, backwater Council doesn't have any public transport for that sort of extended period, let-alone at the busiest Commercial/Tourism time of the year?..it's an embarrassing joke, the blame for which lies almost entirely at the feet of Mt Gambier City Council, regardless of whom they try to blame...

The buses only run from 0900hrs to 1700hrs (+/- 15 minutes)...and are sequestered for school runs between approx 1530hrs and 1700hrs (+/-15m)...(which is also why the public bus service doesn't start until 0900hrs, 'cos they need the buses/drivers for the school runs-Ed)...so if you live out on my side of town, even with the precious luxury of a bus stop just up/down the road like I have, the first bus doesn't leave town centre until 0930hrs and the last bus at only1645hrs...(so what if you work like '9-5'?-Ed)...nope...(Language Warning)...(attending things after 1700hrs?-Ed)...walk/fly/apparate, whatevs, I don't care and neither does MGCC, you ain't catchin' Public Transport...(maybe one could catch The Flying Fuck that MGCC gives about the well-being of Ratepayers? I hear that runs 24/7/52-Ed)...yeah, nah, unfortunately The Flying Fuck only runs when there's a lucrative MGCC contract to hand to a "suitably positioned" Councillor and/or their family and/or mates...(ahhh, Nepotism and Insider-Trading, my favourite forms of MGCC Corruption-Ed)...need to get to anywhere early-ish and/or get home after 1700hrs? catch The Flying Fuck...(End Language Warning)

And honestly, I don't think Lynette has the faintest idea about that reality...(not a clue?-Ed)...doesn't catch a bus, never will catch a bus, gets a Ratepayer funded luxury car for her and her family to use 24/7 for whatevs they want...(well buses are for plebs like us mate-Ed)...indeed...(hey, remember that totes hilarious time that career Pro-Paedophile Corrupt politician Rory McEwen, as the then Member for Mt Gambier, went on ABC South East Radio and said, and I quote, "I followed it 'round one day and no-one got on or off, the whole thing should be axed"-Ed)...yeah, Rory, whatta' guy, as the elected Member, openly, knowingly, willingly helping cover-up Child Abuse at St Martins Lutheran School and trying to destroy what little Public Transport Mt Gambier did have (still has)...(yeahhh, good ol' Rory, just intelligent enough to be successfully Pro-Paedophile Corrupt in the Pro-Paedophile Corrupt South Australia we are-Ed)...and just intelligent enough to know that if he lies about being on the bus, that's provably a lie, but "followed it around" is a lie no-one can define...(so you're saying he did follow it?-Ed)...no no, every bit of it's a lie, except for where he said he wanted to axe the service, that bit I believe...

And the absolute lack of any attempt at actual journalism involved in this 'story'...(why wasn't The Mayor asked, 'Does MGCC have any responsibilities regarding provision of appropriate, functional  public transport?'-Ed)...to which the answer is?...(well I reckon it's 'Yeah, we do', 'cos I'm pretty sure that local government is responsible for infrastructure like appropriate shelters, decent footpath access to the actual stop, etc-Ed)...and what's that you've got there then?...(oh this little thing, it's just the link (below) to the Sow 'Strayan Woeful, I mean Local Government webpage where it says this (also below), and more to boot-Ed)...gi's us a squizz then...***

https://www.localcouncils.sa.gov.au/services/roads-transport

Roads and transport

Councils manage local road networks, support roads safety initiatives and maintain roads in their communities. Collectively, councils spend around $340 million each year to maintain local roads.

While the state government oversees major roads and public transportation systems, such as buses and trains, councils take charge of an extensive network of over 75,000 kilometres of roads across the state.

Councils handle a diverse range of responsibilities related to transportation, including:

• maintenance of local roads and bridges to guarantee their structural integrity
• construction and upkeep of footpaths and bike paths, fostering pedestrian and cyclist safety
• management and upkeep of bus stops and taxi stands to facilitate convenient public transportation
• regulation and oversight of e-scooter usage within designated areas
• provision of community transport services to cater to specific local needs.
• management of parking spaces and installation of signs for effective parking management
• parking permits and operation of ticket machines to streamline parking processes
• enforcement of parking regulations
• establishment of appropriate speed limits and installation of signs
• traffic management strategies for special events and festivals to mitigate congestion
• implementation of street cleaning initiatives to maintain cleanliness and hygiene
• measures to facilitate safe street crossings.

***Well what about that stop we always used to use where it's grass all around it and the shelter faces South-East, directly open to the worstest, wettesest weatherings?...(that's what I mean about appropriate and accessible, etc-Ed)...well then MGCC is clearly not fulfilling even their basic responsibilities at half the stops in Mt Gambier, what about the stop just 'round the corner that is a sign on a light-post surrounded by grass, no shelter, no footpath, etc?...(for an example that everyone drives past most days, there's a bus stop on Penola Rd right near the corner of Queens Ave, right on the crest of the rise, nowhere to hide, no shelter-Ed)...even stops along Commercial St, Mt Gambier's main thoroughfare, most stops don't even have shelters...(but Mayor Martin gets a $100k Ratepayer-funded luxury vehicle for her and her family to use 24/7/52-Ed)...MGCC is a corrupt disgrace... 

This ABC 'interview' isn't news, this is an advertorial for Mt Gambier City Council, and it's absolutely what I have experienced of the ABC South East Radio...(bar that one dude-Ed)...ah yeah, fair call, he and I have had our ups-'n'-downs, but he has always been genuinely respectful, and that's so far removed from my experience of all the other clowns, stooges and assorted half-wits...(and that one dude from The Border Watch, he was always pretty reasonable-Ed)...okay okay, so apart from that one dude at the ABC, the one from TBW, that other chick, and a coupla' others I just remembered...(ya' know, and all those clerk/receptionist/tradie types who it's not any of their doing really either-Ed)...alright, look, let us approach it like this, as we always have anyways, just be polite, respectful, and when called for, quietly call it... 

And seriously, given that Sandra Morello, wife of former The Border Watch Editor and current MGCC Councillor Frank 'The Jellyfish That Grew A Spine And Roared Like A Mouse From It's Ivory Tower' Morello...(mate! we gotta' get a stamp or somethin' 'cos I'm sick a' writin'-out "The Jellyfish, etc" every time already-Ed)...what, you no longer find it amusing?...(nah nah, gourd bless, it's totes hilarious, just wish I didn't have to write it all out every time-Ed)...tell ya' what, until we get that stamp, we'll take turns, then we share the load whilst both getting to enjoy the ensuing chuckles...(sorted, now what was the question?-Ed)...errr, I'm not sure there was one, ummm...(oh, you were saying about Sandra who's now apparently 'still'(?) running the ABC South East Radio office-Ed)...well I'd been told she left but then she was still there, whatevs...and Frank's inclusion in a post about Public Transport is entirely warranted...(nay demanded-Ed)...'cos it's part of, hey, get me that stamp we had made will ya'...(here 'tis-Ed)...ta', it's because thomp! The Jellyfish That Grew A Spine And Roared Like A Mouse From It's Ivory Tower in his li'l spiel-to-camera in his MGCC Xmas 'Community' hostage video thingy on MGCC's website mentions Public Transport...and I quote, "and of course, good public transport"...

The fact that Sandra Morello was appointed to 'run' the ABC South East Radio defines just how corrupted the ABC is, and most especially in Mt Gambier, and why you cannot trust a single word that emanates from there...for genuine ABC supporters like myself it has been deeply frustrating to watch the Right Wing white-anting destruction of the ABC in it's totality, but my personal experience of the ABC South East Radio has always been one of Pro-Paedophile Corruption, protecting corrupt politicians/mates like Rory McEwen, and attacking and discrediting us parents at every opportunity...(and The Border Watch exactly the same-Ed)...yep, and they all know exactly what they've done and who they've done it to, etc...(and it's why the cross the street to get away from you, etc-Ed)...indeed...another disclosure...(go on then-Ed)...for all I know, that interviewer/journo asked the exact question that I've just crucified 'em for not asking...(but Morello/whoevs removed it?-Ed)...well I was just harking back to our original point, that it's inappropriate to dismiss all-and-sundry just 'cos they're associated with someone else...still, in many if not most situations it's no more complicated than being polite to the messenger, yeah?...

And of course we don't need to include any other Public Transport options in the discussion 'cos thanks to Ol' Mate there hasn't been a train through Mt Gambier for 20+years...(yo Ol' Mate! ma' man! way to destroy socially cohesive public infrastructure for personal gain, alright-Ed)...and even the intercity/state bus services have been drastically cut from when we caught the bus to Adelaide-'n-back like a gazillion times...(well I had it slightly short of the gazillion mark, but certainly nudging triple figures-Ed)...and sometimes it was a dreamy, lazy, panoramic vista-laden float along with someone else driving and the nearest person seats away...(and other times?-Ed)...a heaving sweaty box of mouth-breathing morons I can't wait to escape...(well I don't know what your family Xmas lunch has to do with it-Ed)...hilarious you aren't, and what does one call it when the near-new near-full luxury bus the size of a small cruise-liner, when that breaks down just past Bordertown and the replacement ride for the 250+kms remainder to Adelaide is a 'Bachelor Party Bus' complete with circular lounge at the rear?...(and a very tasteful strippers pole?-Ed)...not that day, no, but previous? yeah, Id reckon...

Tomorrow: Back To Barking-up All The Right Trees

Just for laughs, I knew that Pt Mac residents like to get away when they can, but this snippet from an Interweb search menu suggests that they like to go way away aways, about 5,700kms worth of aways...

Port MacDonnell is the most southerly town of South Australia, and from here it's only a lazy 5,700 kilometres to Antarctica. A holiday favourite for locals ...

Equally hilarious, I believe that 2035 is a moot point-in-time as far as Mt Gambier City Council is concerned, 'cos I very much doubt that 'MGCC' as an entity will exist for another 12 months, let alone another decade...(yaaaay Wulanda!-Ed)...mmm, how are you going with that Sarcasm Font you're working on?...(not well, not well-Ed)...really? well, don't give up...(I'll make it my day job-Ed)... 

Hey, anybody else noticed that MGCC has very carefully, very cynically posted on MGCC Facebook page 21st December 2023 at 6.30pm (1830hrs) this notice (below)...(hang on, if those public holiday/weekend dates are correct in the bit about 'No Buses', that leaves about 7 days to apply, across Xmas/New Years, that's ludicrous-Ed)...yep, cynically and deliberately ludicrous...can't wait to see which 'MGCC Mate' they appoint...(remember when Cr Ian Von Stanke got booted out via the 2018 Local Government Elections and MGCC immediately appointed him the "Independent" chair of MGCC's Development Approval Committee thingy?-Ed)...yep, MGCC, when they're only being 99% Corrupt, it's just 'cos they ain't tryin'...***

City of Mount Gambier

ndotrSseopg3aca6ti20teDatl11mgP2g802ae 6t333 3  mum2:fe 0br89c5,9l1M0  ·

City of Mount Gambier has a vacancy for the appointment of one independent person to its Audit and Risk Committee.

Expressions of Interest are invited from suitably qualified individuals with skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the functions of the committee, including financial management, risk management and governance.

For further information visit http://www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au/.../independent-member...

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

Making A Grand Entrance - My Plan For Blue Lake Sports Park Upgrade

Howdy dear availees...this TMGI 'Re-boot Via The Doggos' thingy I'm trying to do is a bit of a shambolic behemoth now, I've got posts 4wks old half-finished sittin' in 'Drafts', every time I try to finish this post it blows-out to 2 more posts, etc...and really not back in The Bloggin' Groove at all...feel like I'm crankin' out a few good paragraphs relatively easily, but the bulk of it's just an absolute grind...I am apparently well outta' practice at doin' this 'ere blog...so dear availees, please bear with me 'cos these next few posts are gunna' jump about a bit...I'm sure we'll get there, but I really wouldn't mind if we were there already...(pick and peck, pick and peck-Ed)...oh yeah, my typing got real bad real fast as well, so that ain't helpin'...anyway, here we go...

We here at TMGI spent much of last post holding-forth about Mt Gambier City Council's alleged 'Public Consultation', so no need to go over all that again...(I'd like to make one point please-Ed)...fire away...(well, it's all been about Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Parks and the BLSP(Parkland), but there's ne'ery a mention of the messes constantly left along the Rail Lands/Trail or up around the Blue Lake, etc-Ed)...yes, it's referred to in general, but unfortunately it's the case that many dog owners either don't pick-up after their dogs, or often pick-up but then just throw the bag onto the ground...(and around the Blue Lake it seems, often over the fence, into what is technically/legally(?) a 'Secure/Restricted Access Water Resource'-Ed)...yeah, or tie the bag to the fence, etc, it even happens at HCRDP even with the bins right there by the gate...(it's the most fundamentally frustrating thing for many dog owners that not only will they/we bear the brunt as MGCC retaliates against a handful of selfish owners, eg, at BLSPP, but that that handful are highly likely to just continue doing the sweet whatevs they shreckin' want anyways-Ed)...indeed it is...

TMGI can only apologise that we've set sail on this particular BLSPP expedition without doing our mise-en-place, that is, have everything in it's place before you commence...(like first properly researching stuff, eg, when we finally got 'round to actually checking-out MGCC's 'Option 1' for their BLSP Plan, it literally mimics what we've been saying (are about to say) in these posts?-Ed)...yeah, exactly that...I do note though that it too includes a toilet facility at the Dohle Rd carpark which I've included as part of my 'Gateway Entrance Statement Plan'...(yeah, so it does...hang on hang on, back it up a sec, what's that about "bring facilities up to meet compliance and sporting standards"?-Ed)...yeah, well spotted, 'cos that sounds like MGCC quietly admitting that the current facilities do not "meet compliance"...(well regardless of their intent, that's exactly what that says, to 'bring up' to something defines commencing beneath it-Ed)...mate, who knows? intent? sloppy language? whatevs, but that is precisely what it says...

Please note 2 things: 1) that regardless of what MGCC say and/or are legislatively required to do, this Dog/Cat Plan thing (below) is a knee-jerk reaction to public criticism of MGCC's conduct, especially as it relates to HCR Dog Parks and the South East Animal Welfare League...and 2) everything MGCC has proposed is "interim", "possible", and/or "future", but by their own definition "One of the first acts Council proposes to deliver...is...sporting precincts off limits to dogs"...(yeah, well there's a very big difference/distance between "proposed" and "realised", etc, but here MGCC is merely groping at the No-Cost Low-Hanging Fruit of bans and restrictions, etc, to give the appearance of actual action, whilst avoiding actually committing to spending any cash to provide much-needed/improved public facilities-Ed)...precisely, and that's before we even start to try and un-pack MGCC's vastly ludicrous 'Option 2' for BLSPP (see below)...so here instead is my basic plan for BLSPP...

Making A Grand Entrance:...for the main entry into Mt Gambier from Melbourne/Victoria, and not least of all 'cos 'Town Gateway Entrance Statements' is yet another 'issue' that MGCC has raised/dropped/raised/kicked-about a bit/dropped/resurrected/pointed at/dropped/etc...forget what we said in the last post about doin' it on the cheap as it were, it makes absolutely perfect sense to invest reasonably in the corner of Blue Lake Sports Park (Parkland), and particularly at the Jubilee Hwy/Dohle Rd intersection...(well, it is that exact corner that everybody first encounters when coming into Mt Gambier, it is 'The Eastern Gateway'-Ed)...yep, it is the perfect site to invest sensibly in Mt Gambier's best future, and apparently that's what we all want, MGCC included...so I've grabbed 3 different plans/maps of the BLSPP and slapped 'em down here...

 

 

Quick Plan Layout:...32 hectares...Boundaries - left (North-Eastish) is Jubilee Hwy: top (East-Southish) is Dohle Rd: tree line on right along Old Rail Line: bottom (West to Mt Gambier) industrial/trucking yards...Access - off Jubilee Hwy (80kph) centre left: off Dohle Rd (50kph) top right...road (40kph) runs right through, this is critical...Playing Areas - bottom left football/cricket oval with small grandstand/clubroom facilities and a coupla' netball courts and 4 tennis courts (green/red) all surrounded by grassy knoll sloped viewing/camping areas (this is the fenced oval/quarter used for the recent horsing around at BLSPP): right of oval, velodrome + clubroom: right of that, 2 large baseball diamonds and 1 small one in top right corner of that paddock: just visible above that, across road, another small diamond and top corner, large baseball field + clubrooms + adjacent large car park: there's another small diamond barely visible there to the left of the clubroom (white patches)...total 6 diamonds, all cyclone-wire fenced, sheltered dugouts, larger have small stands and commentators(?) booths...light green rectangle/red border is 'water' hockey pitch + clubroom + carpark: semi-circle just above that is 2 fenced softball fields with very small stands/lights: above that, 2 soccer pitches: top left side is 2 cricket pitches, 1 is partly-used astro-turf, bright green rectangle is a turf pitch...   

Top left is Jubilee Hwy/Dohle Rd corner where I would place 'Gateway Entrance Wall', dog parks, 6-8 stall toilets, etc, expanded-on below...

https://www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au/news/blue-lake-sports-park-master-plan-endorsed

Okay, that was fun...having a few issues with formatting these images, but here we are again ...(and there they are-Ed)...yep, and the first is old mate Dog/Cat Plan from previous posts, fairly self-explanatory...the second we've explained, is a fairly old photo but it shows the layout perfectly, just couldn't get it to turn 90degrees...(and the third?-Ed)...the third my friend, that comes from MGCC's Blue Lake Sports Park Master Plan 2023, as per the link provided just above there...meet 'Option 2', being the second of 2 options...(errr, wow?-Ed)...do you mean 'wow, look at the vision, what a great design, etc'?...(no, the other one-Ed)...you haven't even heard the choices yet...(well, it's so not whatevs that first one is, which leaves 'the other', please-Ed)...as in 'what a cynical, farcical joke entirely beyond any hope of actually ever existing'?...(yeah, that one-Ed)...yeah sorry, I'm using that one right now, but I'll give it a good wipe when I'm done and stick it straight back in the rack...(cheers-Ed)...

Mt Gambier City Council's 'Option 2'  is self-evidently a farcical fantasy plan entirely unattached to any financial realities...(let alone MGCC's current 'farcical financial fiasco reality'-Ed)...indeed, but I would ask availees to have a strolling peruse of 'Option 2' and then compare to the second photo...(please remember to turn the photo/image 90 degrees, *or just compare to 'Option 1', now that we have it*-Ed)...it's immediately evident the major reconfiguration and infrastructure required and large areas lost to parking lots...(which, with the expanded sports areas, paths,etc, means there'll be almost nowhere safe/legal you're allowed to walk a dog, let alone run pupper off-leash-Ed)...indeed...(in fact, the Dog and Cat Plan puts 'Dog Parks' where 'Option' 2' puts a soccer pitch, where currently resides an in-use baseball field-Ed)...yeah and 'Option 2' has no Dog Parks at all...

 

And it's just not that difficult, seriously, for example, if MGCC is gunna' put dog parks in that back corner as per Dog/Cat Plan, where there is currently a large, fully enclosed 'in-use' baseball field...(which means somebody's gunna' get kicked-off a' there-Ed)...exactly, wonder if them basey-ballers know, if any body asked/told them, but that's MGCC's current Dog/Cat Plan, so why wouldn't ya' just use that field as exactly perfect as it is as a dog park, right where MGCC has stated they are going to build one...(well 'Option 2' actually closes/removes 2 baseball fields, so why not have one big and one small puppers parks that utilise all of the current fencing, dug-out shelters, etc-Ed)...brilliant, like I said, it's all there...

 

An Immediate And Free Dog Park Solution:...an apology to the current tenants/leasees, but as MGCC has adpted 'Option 2', which effectively removes baseball from the 2 South-Western fields anyway, why not do that immediately, and use one field for big puppers and one for small?   

And again, that is the real shame here 'cos, just exactly as they are now, the baseball/softball fields are perfect for those people who need/want to keep their dogs separate/secure/safe...(and that can be about ensuring the well-being of others and/or their puppers-Ed)...yeah, and are an immediate and very cheap resolution to so many of these issues/problems...(but in or outta' the fields, clearly there are enough doggo owners not picking-up, and it's no wonder that sporting groups don't want dogs on their playing/sports areas-Ed)...sure, and as I said, that's the real shame, we have to consider alternative water-crossings 'cos I'd reckon that bridge is well and truly cindered...

 

'Option 2' also blocks/ceases flow-through of traffic forcing a large amount of traffic into Dohle Rd 'cos many facilities simply can't be accessed-off Jubilee Hwy...(so one assumes MGCC is already petitioning the appropriate authorities to have the soon-to-be-very busy 80kphJubilee Hwy/50kph Dohle Rd intersection made much safer by moving all speed limit zones effectively one section further out of town, ie, BLSPP frontage becomes 60kph and the 80kph simply moves to where the 100kph section begins just-up from BLSPP, etc-Ed)...mate, that's my 'GESP' thing I want, reduce that Eastern lead-up to Dohle Rd to 60kph, making it 1) far more likely that tourists will pull-over and use the wonderful dog park and toilet facilities (as part of the GESP), and 2) make it safe for them and locals to do so...nothing else needs to change, just move the speed limits' one space along...

 

In 'Option 2' there's several large structures to be built, eg, the new footy/soccer clubrooms, a much larger cycling clubrooms, and new courts, a new baseball field where the 'Dog/Cat Plan' has an 'Interim Dog Park', etc...(why is all the parking so far from the actual clubrooms/pavilion?-Ed)...I don't know, not gunna' waste more time dissecting a 'Plan' that is entirely fiction...nobody, and certainly not an insolvent MGCC is gunna' stump-up the many $$$millions this requires...please do note the current long, 50-space bitumen carpark on Dohle Rd at the Jubilee Hwy corner (top right) and the proposed adjacent largeish toilet block/change-rooms structure...(you really want a toilet block there don't you-Ed)...I want it so bad I can taste it...(you can taste a toilet?-Ed)...no, well, that came out wrong...(mate, if you can taste it it's definitely coming out wrong-Ed)...orrr ick! dear availees do not need to hear/read that sort of filth...(rubbish! it's what they come 'ere for, the filth and the smut, the dick jokes, the whole shtick, they love it-Ed)...filthy sickos...(thankyou, I thoroughly vetted them, myself-Ed)...lets' just move on please...

Again, Do Fence Me In:...'cos the vast majority of fencing around the actual baseball/softball sporting fields is in fairly good condition, really only needing some minor repairs...(so perhaps just some routine TLC basic maintenance stuff?-Ed)...exactly, My 'Option 1' is as always to utilise what's there already, and so it is with BLSPP...it's fantastic as it is, I absolutely love it, Seepin' Sack A' Satanic Gases 'ere loves it...(WOOF!-SSASG)...'e reckons all it needs is a few squirrels and it'd be perfect...(woofwoofwoof-SSASG)... and I/we literally wouldn't change a thing...(Woof Woof-SSASG)...I'd splash some cash on required maintenance that would include replacing and/or where appropriate repairing all boundary fencing, eg, on softball/baseball fields very little fencing would need actual replacing, but the shelters/stands/dugouts really need a bitta' that TLC...whereas, the entire trashed Jubilee Hwy section can be replaced with a proper 6ft fence...(at the very least, why not remove the barbed-wire from along the Dohle Rd carpark-Ed)...well I'd replace all that carpark section of fencing along with the Jubilee Hwy bit...(good call-Ed)...

I re-iterate my previous position that the front corner of Blue Lake Sports Park (Parkland) is the perfect position for Mt Gambier's second enclosed Dog Parks (big dogs/small dogs), done as part of a thorough revamp of that entire Jubilee Hwy/Dohle Rd frontage...first, trim all the trees along that boundary by 1/4, top-'n'-sides, and they won't need doing for another 5+ years...next, new cyclone wire fencing right along Jubilee Hwy, and down Dohle Rd to at least the end of the carpark...(yeah, that weird barbed-wire pseudo-security fence thing along the carpark, that can all be replaced-Ed)...absolutely, standard 1m-high cyclone wire fence, and where the dog park section is, standard 6ft fence...as part of the new fencing, a feature stone wall thingy right on the corner of Jubilee Hwy/Dohle Rd corner, with 'Welcome to Mt Gambier' or whatevs...(and it doesn't need to be 3-stories high, but the 'Gateway Welcome Statement' MGCC is/was pursuing-Ed)...spot on...and the public toilet structure as envisioned above, but with change-rooms added if/when affordable...

Now it may appear at this point that this post just randomly sto...

Tomorrow: I Finish That Thought...Or Do I?

Yeah, c'os that was getting way long I've basically chopped it into 2, and I'll tidy-up that half and post asap... 

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

My Plan For Blue Lake Sports Park Dog Parks...Ahem

***as of today, Monday 1st January 2024, I've had to expand this single original post to 3, make that 4 separate posts, that have gone to join the other 3 partially-completed posts in 'Drafts'...and then it's part-way through also morphed into a post about how to quickly, efficiently resolve multiple issues, and all at a very minimal cost utilising multiple existing facilities...given the multiple changes/expansions to posts we'll do our level best to keep it coherent, cheers...

Here's The Thing:...(ooor not The Thing? really? bang outta' the gate, The Thing?-Ed)...Dear Mt Gambier City Council...(oh good gourd 'ere we go-Ed)...or somebody who reads this and has their number, whatevs...Dear MGCC, please do not conduct an alleged 'Public Consultation' specifically about, for example...(doggos?-Ed)...why not, about doggos...don't get all pomp-'n'-sanctimony about listenin' to Ratepayers about doggos and then when Joe Public, for example...(you?-Ed)...why not, when I go to the trouble of attending your alleged 'Public Consultation' and politely, respectfully, intelligently explain what I would like to see happen, for example...(some proper bitumen paths? current paths cleared of dirt/bark/sand/weeds? sand along the fence? some basic repairs/maintenance? a proper shelter that keeps the rain off rather than collects it?-Ed)...all that and so much more, and as told to and/or asked of Council by more than just I...most specifically and repeatedly MGCC was asked to not replace the blown-apart shade-sail structure with another shade-sail...so have your traditional wild guess as to what these geniuses did?...(ooo well it's a toughie isn't it?...I'm gunna' go with my first instinct though, they whacked-up another shade-sail?-Ed)...bingo, but it's not even 'another shade-sail', it's the re-patched original sail...

So dear MGCC, don't table multiple Motions about improving Transparency and Accountability, eg, re-establishing the Committees you've previously cancelled/disbanded so as to avoid keeping appropriate Minutes, etc...and then reject/vote-down those Motions...(therefore avoiding the aforementioned Transparency and Accountability-Ed)...exactly, and I spent 2 excruciating hours at that specific MGCC meeting...disgraceful...'Secrecy' is why Council disbanded those Committees and it's why they refuse to re-establish them...so, MGCC, please don't do that, let-alone whilst running a parallel gas-lighting campaign about your alleged obsession with 'Public Consultation'...and most especially, don't invite me to give my opinion/advice/experience, pretend to be interested in what I'm saying, then not just ignore me but go and do the exact opposite of what I've just said/asked...don't do those things and then get all precious and faux-offended when people...(like you-Ed)...like me call you incompetent liars...(well actually I think they're every competent liars-Ed)...no no, I meant they're 'Liars' who are, oh, it's a joke, aha, yes, very well done...

MGCC held their alleged 'Public Consultation' re the Hastings Cunningham Reserve Dog Parks then went ahead and did exactly none of the things they have been repeatedly asked to do, but did eventually do exactly the one thing they were repeatedly asked/advised not to.

And this follows-on from the MGCC letter to a dog park user, none of which has happened...(and at almost every juncture MGCC have turned issues into problems and immediately into conflicts-Ed)...as I've said previous, I find it hard to believe that MGCC's actions re HCR Dog Parks and it's patrons are anything less than vindictive and retributional...(well it would rather neatly explain the levels of inaction and/or incompetence we've seen MGCC exhibit on this one very minor issue-Ed)...indeed, it's very frustrating and very, very unnecessary...anyhoos, said my piece 'bout 'Public Consultation'...(the do's and the don'ts, mostly the Dont's-Ed)...on with the blog...

Howdy dear availees...here at TMGI we're having all sorts of fun trying to get all this MGCC/HCR/Dog Park stuff into some semblance of a coherent order...these posts have been started/stopped/started/re-jigged/stopped/etc for over 3 weeks now...regular availees of this 'ere blog will be aware that I have in 2023 tried to unravel myself from TMGI and 'issues' in general, and this is partly why...occasionally we'll just bang-out a post, but usually it's days if not weeks collating/double-triple checking/etc...(which can then lead to all manner of sync problems, as evidenced below, where it's abundantly unclear as to exactly what day we're referring to anymore-Ed)...yeahhh, it gets a bit that way, so's, we've gone through and spread this into multiple posts, and a coupla' already done, and where necessary and/or possible, I'll signpost the sync errors/issues...(well let's g-g-g-go then-Ed)...after you sir...

It is my personal belief that MGCC has been/is deliberately allowing the HCR Dog Parks to fall into disrepair, and that the proof is self-evident in the current dismaying state of disrepair...'cos they're broke? 'cos they want to punish uppity dog park users for questioning Councils' actions/inactions? whatevs, don't really care why, but I believe that Council, as desperately broke as they are, want the dog parks gone from HCR...and even if that's just to cut costs, this re-fuels the bonfires of my concerns about that MGCC 'Closed to Public' meeting from early 2023...(the one titled "Update Hastings Cunningham Reserve Area and Public Housing"?-Ed)...yeah, that one...(and then there's the litany of weasel-worded deceits/denials/dismissals that MGCC has spewed-forth on literally every issue to do with HCR and/or the Dog Parks-Ed)...if they've bothered to respond at all...

Why Mt Gambier Needs At Least Three Dog Parks:...'cos some people have limited transport and/or maybe mobility issues, etc, so they can't drive/walk several kms to get their doggo to park...(obviously this will become an even more urgent issue as Mt Gambier grows and so does the demand for facilities-Ed)...yep...and HCR Dog Parks are great but they're not big enough to meet this demand...(and also that there are always at least 2 available should the third need to be closed for major maintenance, eg, re-sowing the lawns-Ed)...and it's all just sitting there waiting to happen and likely never will...(well there's the cost, however insignificant, where the shreck is a broke/insolvent MGCC gunna' get the funds to come-up with 2 new parks? they can't even afford basic maintenance on the park we've got at HCR!-Ed)...yeah, well, like I said, 'deliberately' can be for more than one reason, eg, Council chooses not to fund/maintain 'cos they've bankrupted Mt Gambier for decades to come and there ain't no money for frivolous follies like dog parks, but they can also be retaliating for perceived and/or actual criticisms...it's pure conjecture, only MGCC truly know why they are behaving the way they are towards the HCR Dog Parks and the people who use, even rely, on those parks...I don't know exactly what land is available where around Mt Gambier, so, 3 parks where I know they could go tomorrow...(1) the current HCR Parks, of course, just expanded...2) the Blue Lake Sports Park (Parkland)...3) the park MGCC promised, in writing, over 2 years ago at Conroe Heights...

(MGCC lists 'Off-Leash Areas' as being the entirety of Hastings Cunningham Reserve, Blue Lake Sports Park (Parkland), Corriedale Park, Northumberland Reserve at the South End of the Blue Lake, and Don McDonell Reserve, which is the big park bit I reckon in Conroe Heights-Ed)...yeah, well, that's all well and groovy, but only one of those is actually a dedicated, securely enclosed area isn't it, and that of course is HCR Dog Parks...(and that's why people use the baseball diamonds/fields at BLSPP-Ed)...it is, so they can run their dogs...(yeah, HCR Dog Parks is great and everything, but it needs to be much bigger and with far less obstacles-Ed)...which MGCC have also had explained to them also as part of their alleged 'Public Consultation' on all matters Petty...(well I and many others don't actually think it's petty at all to care about doggos and/or others and/or their doggos!-Ed)...no I agree, I meant 'Petty' as being all matters relating to pets, as per MGCC's 'Dog and Cat Management Consultation Thingy' what they is allegedly doin'...(oh-Ed)...

Right then, here's that "proposed interim...possible...future" map/plan, again, that MGCC has presented for BLSPP...see y'all below to discuss/dismiss it...    

Personal Responsibility:...is always a given...pet owners, all pet owners, must be responsible for their animals and their animals actions, including especially with environmentally-destructive cats...with dogs that obviously includes controlling your dog around other doggos/people/animals/etc, and regular walking/exercise and picking-up after them...and despite their bests efforts, some hoomans need to provide a safe, wide-open but fenced area...(yeah, and HCR Dog Parks look reasonably big until you get 10-12 dogs belting-around in there-Ed)...exactly, then it's very clear how small and cluttered the site is with various obstacles...(and also some doggos can't handle the crowds when it's busy like that-Ed)...absolutely...some owners have expressed to me their concerns around their doggos interactions with other doggos, especially at busy times, so they try to keep them separate...and on it goes...

Bottomline, doggos are an important part of many people's lives, and most people are trying to do right by their mutt and others around them...(others, others clearly don't give a damn about anyone but themselves-Ed)...indeed, as is 'Human Nature'...(for example, there's one clown who rolls-up at BLSPP with his dogs, gets out, stands there literally watching them crap on everything, then gets in his car and drives-off, leaving his dogs' crap everywhere-Ed)...yeah, 2 people have identified this person to me, but I've yet to run into him...here's hoping...and it only takes a coupla' idiots like this to give MGCC all the ammo they need to denigrate all dog owners as irresponsible...now for this post we're gunna' focus specifically on the BLSPP, then cover some other doggo alternatives/options in the next post...

Do Fence Me In:...('cos I'm a great doggo with super recall, but just occasionally I might just SQUIRREL!!!!!-SSASG)...OI! STOP! OI GET 'ERE!, etc, etc, you get the point...(a 'squirrel' sir?-Ed)...what?...(a 'squirrel' sir? in Australia?-Ed)...ooo, I'm gunna' punch you so 'ard...anyways, I get that it's a little more complicated than just whackin'-up some fences and a decent shelter and a tap, but actually, it also really isn't, it really isn't particularly difficult, especially say at BLSPP...(but surely not the unwieldy and costly "proposed interim future" nonsense that MGCC is pushing, as per above map/plan?-Ed)...no no, we're looking at the corner of Jubilee Hwy and Doule Rd, on that map/plan it's the top right-hand section of BLSPP...(you mean where there is already a large bitumenised, safe, 50 space off-road carpark? just off Dohle Rd there? and 3 entrance gates, etc?-Ed)...why do you insist on making statements of fact but framed as questions?...('cos it really annoys you?-Ed)...touche...anyways, yeah, along Dohle Rd there is already a fantastic carpark immediately adjacent to the main Melbourne/Victoria Jubilee Highway exit/entrance to Mt Gambier...

Yes, But Who Will Think Of The Tourists?...it's a fact 'cos I've had these conversations with visitors/tourists numerous times over recent years, that 1) HCR Dog Parks are great, well at least they were, and 2) they were part of if not actually the reason the people had paused in Mt Gambier rather than somewhere else, albeit whilst on their ways to elsewheres...(and once they've paused they may linger longer, splash some phone app, I mean cash, and even stay a while, maybe even a night or 2-Ed)...and could there be anything more welcoming and engaging of visitors/tourists than their first impression of Mt Gambier being a smartly presented Parkland with top-notch dog park facilities, I mean, right there...(put artworks in the fence and that-Ed)...what?...(like at the Rail Lands and stuff, put flat cut-out sculpture thingies in the fence, something like that-Ed)...sure, great idea...(and maybe a modest but readable 'Welcome to Mt Gambier'-Ed)...whatevs, some tarted-up cyclone wire fencing, relatively very simple and pretty much exactly what Council plans to do anyways with their 'Proposed Interim" and "Proposed Future" Dog Parks as per their map/plan, and the BLSPP gets a basic but much-needed new frontage...... 

The exact configuration can vary, but you could utilise that entire corner and a long section of highway boundary to create extensive dog parks, and not even encroach one inch on the adjacent sports oval...(which apparently doesn't get used that often anyways-Ed)...apparently, but it's a moot point if there's no need to take-up any of that space...(oh yeah, it really only requires some fencing and a coupla' old bus shelter-style seats, and bam! you got ya'self a Dog Park sir, a spanky new Dog Park-Ed)...well you also need a water source...(well the sports grounds have irrigation/sprinklers so there's some sortta' water pipes near there somewhere, and there's toilets, albeit aways across near the hockey club rooms-Ed)...excellent...so we have fences/shelters/water/toilets, next!...

Taking The Lead:...(hang on hang on, many doggos need to run and for various reasons their owners can't, and many doggos are alright or even great with recall/return/etc, but many aren't, and like you've joked, even the best boys and girls can be Fluffy Bunny Pursuit Zombies if the right stimuli happily hops across their path-Ed)...which is why, it would be a perfect excuse to conduct some much-needed nay necessary maintenance/upgrades by replacing that entire section of busted-up useless fence along Jubilee Hwy...(walked it again this morning, why oh why would you put a 1m-high fence with no wire for the bottom foot of it?-Ed)...gourd knows mate, and alongside an 80kph section of Jubilee Highway, with 2 cricket pitches facing exactly that way, it's ludicrous...(and encouraging people to walk their dogs there 'off-leash' is potentially very dangerous-Ed)...yep, but anyway, put a new but standard 6ft cyclone wire fence from the BLSPP entrance off Jubilee Hwy right around to the Dohle Rd carpark with a parallel fence at 20-25m wide and 100-150m long, which would provide a very long run for bigger active dogs, but still leave a whole area of trees at the 'turf cricket pitch' end (top centre right on map/plan)...sorted...

(Ya' know, anybody who hasn't met ya' might be forgiven for thinking that you actually try to research and plan these things, not just chuck abuse at MGCC and a few other poor unfortunates-Ed)...and that's 'cos I do...I've walked that boundary several times and visualised exactly how little needs to be done to build 2 large park areas (big/small) along it, with potentially a very long run for bigger dogs and still plenty of room for a decent-size 'small dog' park...(well if ya' wanna' get fancy, there's plenty of room right along that Dohle Rd boundary fence for potentially a coupla' separate parks/runs for people with problematic dogs and who want to keep their pupper away from other doggos but still exercise it, etc-Ed)...sure, in a context where the perfect facilities already exist, ie, several large enclosed baseball fields, but a handful of dickhead dog owners have managed to thoroughly screw it up for the rest of us by not picking-up their handfuls...

This is from Council’s General Manager Corporate and Regulatory Services Jane Fetherstonhaugh.

“Due to ongoing issues with people not picking up after their dogs, council plans to work with leaseholders at Blue Lake Sports Park to make the sporting precincts off limits to dogs,” she said.

“Instead, we plan to create designated off leash areas and a separate dog park on the site for pet owners.

“In addition, council plans to capture requirements for dog facilities as part of master planning for Hastings Cunningham Reserve, in consultation with users.”

Definitely Not Legal Advice:...but I can't help wondering who exactly is gunna' be responsible if someone is effectively forced by MGCC to stop using the relative safety of the baseball fields and their dog runs out onto the 80kph section of Jubilee Hwy or off along Dohle Rd, etc?...smell smell smell piss smell piss what? SQUIRREL!!!!...and like a rat out of an aqueduct, they're solid gone man...who is going to be responsible if Council forces doggos out of the enclosed areas of the baseball diamonds?...(if I may, devil's advocate and all that, but unfortunately, if/when dog owners are banned from any and/or all of the sports areas, it will be dog owners who are to blame-Ed)...yeah, we've covered that, and many people can walk their doggos off-lead, etc, but many people can't, eg, you can't run a 6-month old puppy off-lead anywhere...(yeah but they still need to run and should be around other doggos as much as possible-Ed)...well, I'm just sayin', when MGCC wants to be so specific and controlling and genuinely intends to ban people from having their pets run safely at BLSPP, then MGCC need to consider the potential safety/legal pitfalls...  

The real beauty of TMGI's Jubilee Hwy/Dohle Rd Dog Parks Plan is that it can be started tomorrow if MGCC wants...you don't need to figure-out anything exact of the dog parks lay-out to start replacing that pointless 1m fence...(which actually runs around into Dohle Rd but 20m short of that carpark, changes to a 6ft cyclone wire fence with those bent-over tops and 3 strands of barbed-wire, and that runs all the way along Dohle Rd-Ed)...yes, it's quite bizarre that barbed-wire bit 'cos 1) there's gates through it, and 2) 20m away you can just step-over the 1m fence...(anyways, that whole section of fencing needs minor repairs and it'd be preferable to re-fence that whole carpark with something a little less intimidating, but it's otherwise fine, and the Jubilee Hwy refurbishment can be started/completed while the dog park plans are drawn-up/finalised-Ed)...it is literally as complicated as doing the fencing, with a mind to where your water access is, then doing some minor plumbing and whack-in some shelters...put a proper disability-access graded bitumen path from the carpark, etc... 

(Just quickly, there's been lotsa' that stuff comin' outta' MGCC, lotsa' subliminal and not so subtle denigration of 'irresponsible dog owners and poorly behaved dogs'-Ed)...yes, as though it's freakin' HCR Thunderdome out there...(and there are clearly irresponsible dog owners leaving their doggos' crap layin' about, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that out at BLSPP stout young yeomen are having to piggy-back elderly peasant women to safety through raging torrents of liquid turd-Ed)...a slight exaggeration, but we all get the picture...just thinkin', I haven't seen a proper set-too at dog park for probably 2 years...(yes well, you did promise to behave yourself didn't you?-Ed)...hilarious...I've seen a dozen times where dogs do that parallel snarl bark 'respect my authority' stuff, my dog included, we covered that in the previous post I reckon...there have been incidents, and no doubt, there will be in the future, eg, I know of one dog that isn't de-sexed and all the male dogs are arcing-up to him and that dog has been bitten twice...(so's, just exactly like people then?-Ed)...I think that's probably where they learn it from, yes, from their hoomans...(ooo, and there was that snake bite a coupla' weeks back-Ed)...and indeed Ed, which brings us directly to...

Shedding The Skin In The Game:...which on that day just over 3 weeks ago was, yet again, me and my mutt Gassie...(named I'm sure for the classic tv hound 'Lassie'-Ed)...if you like, sure, and we were, along with 5-6 other doggos and their hoomans, in the Big Dog Park, when a lady abruptly left...we sortta' noticed 'cos it was kinda' unusual, but what no-one realised at the time was that the dog was already very sick, and the owner took it straight to the vets...long story short, dog returned a 'positive indicator' to one of several tests for snakebite, and anti-venom was given...now I was initially very sceptical...(not least of all 'cos we were there and no-one saw a snake-Ed)...indeed, but with the weeds/grass 4-6 inches deep across the park, there coulda' been a dozen snakes in there...so I've waited until I've spoken to the owner, and having heard the dogs' symptoms, the vets response, etc, it appears that indeed the dog was bitten by a snake...don't know to what degree MGCC has been informed, but it was/is all over local social media apparently...(yeah, that's where I first learned of it-Ed)...and this is a hopefully very rare but still perfect example of why proper actual maintenance is required...

And yes a dog was hurt in the making of that last paragraph and all concerned nervously laugh about it now the doggo is 100% and tearin' it up back at dog park...point being, the very minimal, basic maintenance that MGCC should be doing is to keep what remains of that actual grass and the extensive clover and weed infestations at a suitable height, say, 2 inches max...(and obviously given the wet/hot/cold/wet/hot weather we've been having these past several months, mowing needs to be done far more often than during Winter-Ed)...indeed...and snakes are inevitable in Australia, literally anywhere, (everybody together now) that's why we take precautions...(like keeping the lawn mowed as short as possible-Ed)...my point exactly, when poor maintenance means the grass is so long there's a snake in the park and no-one sees it, then it is an issue of Council responsibility...

I was also in HCR Dog Park yesterday morning, the grass was mowed earlier last week but it's already 3-5 inches across the park and there's foot-high weeds along parts of the fenceline where a large snake could easily be concealed...like several others, I've taken to walking the boundary fence when I first get there and kickin' the weeds, etc, but didn't yesterday 'cos there were already multiple dogs there...

Gunna' just randomly pull stumps here 'cos this gettin' long and the next post sortta' continues on from this point...(and which precious stooge from Council was mouthin'-off about walkin' their dog off-leash wherevs whenevs they feel like it-Ed)...yeah, I think there was words exchanged between the Mt Gambier and Districts Residents And Ratepayers Association and Council on that, and I reckon it was Cr Max Bruin... 

Tomorrow: More Good Boys And Girls, Yes They Are

No outro today, too tired, too annoyed, too sad, et tu dear availee?...with the state a' the world, dog park minutiae is personally very cathartic...(and I mean, how happy was that other mad pupper to see Seepin' Sack A' Satanic Gasses rock-up to dog park-Ed)...absolutely, doggos clearly form bonds with each other and need to be able to do that in a safe environment, and decently maintained enclosed dog parks are the simple solution...(so why is it all so hard?-Ed)...nah nah nah, next post mate...(fair enough-Ed)...

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