This year is of great importance to George Town, as it is the bi-centenary of Governor Macquarie arriving in the town in 1811, and producing a town plan for the young settlement.
200 years later it is probably the best example in Australia of a Macquarie town, as the basic town centre layout is still intact. The main feature is the large Regent Square which was designed to give the people a significant recreational space. Now the Minister for Education, Mr. McKim, and his department, has decided that the square should be desecrated and a Hub built in one corner of the square.
This is equivalent to the Minister announcing in Hobart that the Education Department is to build a LINC in Hobart in Franklin Square or St David’s Park – just imagine the outcry from the people of that city.
Although Mr. McKim must be aware that this is a controversial issue, he has not been to George Town to discuss the matter with concerned people, but sends departmental staff, who have a different agenda. The Greens are supposed to be the watchdogs for our natural and cultural heritage, but have failed miserably in this case.
George Town is a long way from the latte-drinking set of Hobart, but issues of great importance to the people of this town should not be discounted or ignored. The State Government is also supposed to be saving money – this will not be achieved by removing resources from currently under-utilised buildings in the town to fill the new Hub.
The Department is also trying to circumvent planning regulations by underhand methods such as changing the names of Training Rooms and Child Care Rooms to Meeting Rooms in their revised plan.
200 years later it is probably the best example in Australia of a Macquarie town, as the basic town centre layout is still intact. The main feature is the large Regent Square which was designed to give the people a significant recreational space. Now the Minister for Education, Mr. McKim, and his department, has decided that the square should be desecrated and a Hub built in one corner of the square.
This is equivalent to the Minister announcing in Hobart that the Education Department is to build a LINC in Hobart in Franklin Square or St David’s Park – just imagine the outcry from the people of that city.
Although Mr. McKim must be aware that this is a controversial issue, he has not been to George Town to discuss the matter with concerned people, but sends departmental staff, who have a different agenda. The Greens are supposed to be the watchdogs for our natural and cultural heritage, but have failed miserably in this case.
George Town is a long way from the latte-drinking set of Hobart, but issues of great importance to the people of this town should not be discounted or ignored. The State Government is also supposed to be saving money – this will not be achieved by removing resources from currently under-utilised buildings in the town to fill the new Hub.
The Department is also trying to circumvent planning regulations by underhand methods such as changing the names of Training Rooms and Child Care Rooms to Meeting Rooms in their revised plan.
John Watts, Low Head
No comments:
Post a Comment