There needs to be a full Parliamentary enquiry into the proposal for the establishment of a new LINC building in George Town. For a start, there has been no proper survey of the needs of George Town users of the LINC services. The LINC proposal is for a library, adult literacy program and an on-line centre. This is what is being catered for by LINC services in other towns.
George Town already has a library. It already has an on-line access centre. There have not been adult education courses in George Town for many years, mainly because the type and cost of courses were not suitable. Instead we have the School for Seniors that has operated successfully for 12 years. Many other groups such as Neighbourhood House, Lighthouse Regional Arts, and Wattle Group offer a wide range of courses in the town, as also does the On-line centre. Even the adult literacy program recently established in George Town is not new. My wife ran it here for 7 years, and she did not need a $6,000,000 building to run it in.
There has been no consultation with any of the users of these LINC services in this town about the proposal to move these facilities 100 metres and place them together with a Child and Family Centre in the proposed new development on Regent Square.
There is no doubt that George Town does need a Child and Family Centre, but why does it have to be in Regent Square. It is claimed that if it is not close to the supermarket and Chickenfeed young parents will not use it. What an insult to the people of George Town! What an insult to the enthusiastic group of parents in our town campaigning for it!
In no other town in Tasmania except Queenstown has it been suggested that the two be combined with the LINC. In Huonville, East Devonport, St Helens, Beaconsfield, Ravenswood, Chigwell and Clarence Plains the two services are not together. It makes sense in Queenstown because the complex also includes the Council offices, the Polytechnic and the Tasmanian Skills Institute. That is not the case here. The LINC is more than a kilometre away from each of the TWO skills training centres in the town and from the Grade 11-12 programs run by Port Dalrymple School. This spreading of learning facilities for post school learning is a waste of the taxpayer's money and simply will not work.
George Town already has a library. It already has an on-line access centre. There have not been adult education courses in George Town for many years, mainly because the type and cost of courses were not suitable. Instead we have the School for Seniors that has operated successfully for 12 years. Many other groups such as Neighbourhood House, Lighthouse Regional Arts, and Wattle Group offer a wide range of courses in the town, as also does the On-line centre. Even the adult literacy program recently established in George Town is not new. My wife ran it here for 7 years, and she did not need a $6,000,000 building to run it in.
There has been no consultation with any of the users of these LINC services in this town about the proposal to move these facilities 100 metres and place them together with a Child and Family Centre in the proposed new development on Regent Square.
There is no doubt that George Town does need a Child and Family Centre, but why does it have to be in Regent Square. It is claimed that if it is not close to the supermarket and Chickenfeed young parents will not use it. What an insult to the people of George Town! What an insult to the enthusiastic group of parents in our town campaigning for it!
In no other town in Tasmania except Queenstown has it been suggested that the two be combined with the LINC. In Huonville, East Devonport, St Helens, Beaconsfield, Ravenswood, Chigwell and Clarence Plains the two services are not together. It makes sense in Queenstown because the complex also includes the Council offices, the Polytechnic and the Tasmanian Skills Institute. That is not the case here. The LINC is more than a kilometre away from each of the TWO skills training centres in the town and from the Grade 11-12 programs run by Port Dalrymple School. This spreading of learning facilities for post school learning is a waste of the taxpayer's money and simply will not work.
Peter Cox
6 comments:
Mr Cox
You are absolutely correct. There is a large, committed and passionate group of community members who have been working tirelessly towareds the building of a Child and Family Centre in George Town since the project was announced in 2008. I thank you for recognising this fact, as this is so often overlooked.
Again you are right, it is insulting to these really intelligent people to think that the only thing they considered about the location of the Child and Family Centre was its proximity to the supermarket and Chickenfeed. It is simply not true. What they did consider was the best location to ensure that ALL families in George Town would have the best possible access to the Child and Family Centre.
So they asked our communities families and parents what they needed to ensure the Child and Family Centre would be successful. The overwhelming majority of families stated they wanted it built in a central location close to exisiting services they already use, with the majority of those specifying the proposed site.
We need to take the time to ask families what their vision for our community is, and recognise that their voice is as important as anyone elses and deserves the same consideration.
George Town Parent.
Here here say I!
I totally agree. It's time the Mayor and ALL the Councillors started talking to the people they represent - and I mean the WHOLE community - listening to their concerns and reflecting what's best for EVERYONE.
Bring on an inquiry!
This whole project looks pretty shonky.I reckon that if you look closely enough someone somewhere needs the project to go forward but it doesn't look like it is "the community".
What looks like the agenda is here is the community pays and someone somewhere else gets a benefit, maybe almost all the benefit.
ALL the community needs to consulted and listened to!
Does anyone remember the TV program "Grass Roots"?? If you do and you smell a rat it is possible that it has pi**ed in the corner somewhere or even somone's pocket.
Yes, I agree there are a few rats in this process, Rodger.
But "Grass Roots" has nothing on "The Librarians" in this case!
George Town Parent is obviously part of the ONLY group in the whole COMMUNITY who HAS been consulted.
AND that's only about the CFC part of this HUB and only about 70 (young)FAMILIES were surveyed we were told in a population of almost 7,000!
Most people see the need for a CFC, but who did they ask whether George Town NEEDED a LINC?
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the General Manager who DON'T listen to their community anyway?
We already have a newly refurbished Library that the COMMUNITY has and will continue to pay for decades!
When are they going to LISTEN to the rest of us - we are still FAMILIES even if we are over 40?
One of the 'Forgotten' Voters who won't forget at the end of October!
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