Clr Larry Whipper who has long been on the record raising concerns about the proposed Leisure Centre concedes that the facility would probably bring a lot of joy to members of the Wingecarribee Community, but is concerned about the way we are proposing to finance it.
“To enter into an expenditure, which is conservatively estimated at around 16 million dollars, without the funds to do so, is in my opinion "dangerous financial planning". I think we can predict that this cost will blow out”!
“Relying on land sales is, I believe not only risky business, but also inappropriate, particularly when a number of these are classified as parcels of community land. We have heard the arguments that the sales will only add up to around 20 acres or so in total. We are also told that that there will not be any "complete sale of parks and reserves and that where sales do occur, the remaining parks and reserves will be upgraded thus adding value an amenity”.
Although this may appear good in theory, Clr Whipper said, “the fact is that our shire is growing considerably and if we do not maintain, enhance and increase our area of public space, there is a threat that our residential areas will” bleed together as they have in many other urban and suburban areas. I believe that this would go against the grain of community expectation”.
“We continue to hear many arguments supporting the construction of a Leisure Centre being promoted as the voice of the public. Calls from the public, questioning the sale of public land, or the watering down of Council services to pay for a Leisure centre have not been met with the same acceptance by Council!”
“The champions of this cause continue to sell the virtues of the leisure centre and, I bear them no ill will because of this, but I do feel it is only one side of the story. I am sure that when submissions are called for the sale of land, we will begin to hear a lot more on the proposed financial model we have earmarked to fund the leisure centre.”
We are continually told, that the sale of public land is a good thing and that it is merely the sale of an asset for the replacement of an asset (no sleight of hand). Surely we need to re- think this logic, as we are not talking “apples for apples” here!
I for one cannot understand the wisdom in selling of land, which is not only valuable socially, aesthetically and psychologically, but which will also appreciate significantly over the years as land became more scare and land prices soar, for a monolith, that will continue to depreciate and burden the whole community with maintenance cost that will cost us dearly.
The Leisure Centre is a great idea, but can we afford it and is it worth the financial and social cost that we will no doubt have to continue to pay and pay and pay for!
If you are interested in knowing more about Wingecarribee Shire Council go to http://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/ or for a list of properties proposed for sale go to www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/files/4392/File/Reclassification_of_Properties_List.pdf
Public hearings on these land sales will be conducted from 5th-20th February next year.
1 comment:
Larry, you have put some work into your blog. Thankyou for publishing the info. I have to wonder what sort of rationalists think that a hugely expensive centralised leisure centre is of greater benefit to the shire's residents than our current decentralised leisure areas spread across the shire conveniently for all.
A big built leisure centre complex is not a substitute for open space. The two types of leisure areas are mutually exclusive. Small accessible areas of open space must not be traded off for this facility which is a potential white elephant and financial liability. If it has such merit let private enterprise take it on.
I note that the list of land to be rezoned for sale is virtually all described as parks or reserves and most have names. If these pieces of public land were of no value to the public I doubt that they would ever have been assigned a name which indicates an important purpose for the land. Parks and reserves are places for leisure freely available to the public, put aside for safe keeping, for posterity.
Public reserves and parks can never be got back once gone, many have mature trees that are irreplacable. Were our forebears so shortsighted to have kept these open space areas? Many may have been donated for the stipulated purpose of a park or reserve for future generations. What they left us is an invaluable legacy not a $16 million liability as the Leisure Centre may shape up to be.
Hasn't the Council made statements about global warming? Aren't dispersed parks and reserves more readily accessible to people without having to drive there? Aren't they places that being close by can be got to by a mother walking a pram or a child riding its bike? Thus they are even more important when in a suburban setting.
Wasn't the land in Robertson recently rezoned community in the last LEP? Would this have been done if it wasn't in the public interest and hadn't been well considered by the town planners? Now they want to change it back to sell it? If they did that surely some of the proceeds must go to sealing that section of road, because since North Street was sealed Meryla Street takes much more traffic than it ever did and the dirt road is very badly drained and potholed. It would of course add two more residences with cars using the road, making five on that side of the road. They should also create another access behind those blocks as many people from this quarter of the village use this section for pedestrian and bike access to the school and playing fields. These two things should be made conditions for the sale of these lots land if they manage to rezone it.
Larry, have you thought of doing a Dissent item for Stateline with Quentin Dempster for when it resumes next year?
Post a Comment