Launceston's City Deal funding for redevelopment of the CBD – Brisbane Street Mall and Civic Square – seemingly means that meaningful community consultation and engagement points to Town Hall's community disconnect.
With the price of the disconnection come the rumours of "costly monumental stuff ups" it seems. So bad are they, talk of a request for a "forensic audit" would seems to be a way ahead if this Council has found its gonads and is prepared to fess-up to the stuff-ups.
The Council has said that its reviewing 'project delivery' and we have to hope that it will include a review of Civic Square, Brisbane Street Mall projects along with the Riverbend Park project. This current crop of alderpeople aught not to be blowing their trumpets so loudly under the circumstances.
If they imagine that they have a future on Council they need to pray very hard for their constituency's inability to divine the difference between up and down. Especially as its a skill they themselves have spent no time acquiring as demonstrated by the CBD development debacle and it projected aftermath.
It is more than apparent that the Mayor's specialist team 'spin doctors' is able to 'get the Examiner on board' with Town Hall's 'marketing imperatives'. Even so, The Chamber of Commerce's EO has called out the Mall for being “an underwhelming blank canvas”. That's not the kind of thing the Mayor and his merry band would like to hear.
An apparently bemused ratepayer has written to The Examiner saying “kindergarten children could do better”. The Mayor's marketing team failed to head that one off!
Given that Launceston's former General Manager, according to Town Hall sources, last year, before work commenced, brushed aside concerns in regard the risk hazards embodied in elements of the proposal for The Mall. One has to wonders what the Council’s risk officer did about this advice. Also, did the alert get to the aldermen and if it did and they too ignored it, why?
Business people, if you ask almost any single one, will readily tell you that the Council "just does not listen" and all too often it costs them big time. It seems that Council is unable to countenance 'engaging with the community' on anything the community is expected to pay for. Council has the power to force them to pay, so why bother with the niceties. Just go through the motions!
Relying upon experts from almost anywhere else, as this Council does by default, and has, usually turns out to be expensive and then there are always those uncomfortable questions. Questions that this Council answers with, "it is commercial in confidence". Surely not!
If Launceston was ever a 'leader' right now all this demonstrates that the city is a follower. Trouble is this lazy lot of alderpeople have been following a 'dumb-bum piper' down a blind alley.
The Council’s sloppy planning, and its disinclination to engage in meaningful research, quality research, inclusive research, has reached the point of being indefensible.
Far too many businesses in the CBD are struggling far too much. If this crop of aldermen were underperforming dairy cows they would be so many sausages in no time at all. There is little doubt that it's time for a mass cull. No quarter needs to be given.
The responses coming from Town Hall are just not good enough. The ways and means for their replacements to be proactively engaged with their constituents must be found.
That is a project that must start in November! REMEMBER, there is a $20Million debt to be covered somehow.
Trev of Newstead
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