When we started our campaign for genuine community consultation on the dud GovHub before any deals were done, there was the warning that Bendigo Council would become nothing more than a branch office for the State Government.
Well we’ve rattled council and RDV into some belated consultation on GovHub but still this Bendigo Bunch ploughs on, hell-bent on destroying our proud, passionate and independent community.
The latest disaster initiated by council is cancellation of the Bendigo Health Fun Run that has raised tens of thousands of dollars each year and brings so many in our community together.
Organisers would have lost significant sums of money instead of raising funds for our hospital and its important work for the community had they buckled to council demands this year on street closure barricades, bollards and more.
Bendigo Council we understand is the only council in regional Victoria to bow to State Government pressure by introducing some new counter-terrorism events policy, adding massively to the bills faced by local event organisers.
The Bendigo Bunch is turning our city into a fortress any time our community wants to come together and celebrate – ugly concrete barriers at every intersection, cages down streets and highly-paid crowd controllers holding stop signs.
Even local RSLs were forced to carry extra burden when ANZAC Day was commemorated back in April. We hear around the traps there have been other big events in the municipality affected and their future is in jeopardy unless council backs down.
One of our sporting friends tells of going to a council briefing for event organisers earlier in the year and attendees talking of the risk for sustainability of their events because of the State Government imposed policy with a big bill attached.
And our mate has looked outside Bendigo for advice and discovered council might just have pulled the wrong string in interpreting what is meant to happen for vehicles in events at major events. Heaven help[ us if the old Austin red fire trucks are ever banned from Rosalind Park at Easter.
There is supposed to be some type of review and consultation driven by government on the counter-terrorism events policy but despite a request from some major sporting groups in Bendigo for information on when and how the consultation will take place, not a single boo from the Bendigo Bunch.
Sounds so much like council consultation on GovHub – unless you agree, they don’t want to hear. Perhaps they just don’t care about the community any more?
The Bendigo Bunch agenda is more focused on pandering to their puppet masters the State Government and trying to curry favour with the United Nations.
They’re splitting our great community, ruining wonderful events, stuffing community spirit and how can we forget, acting as thought police. C’mon the crowd chants, Bendigo Council doesn’t need the rejects from the AFL as behavioural awareness officers.
We are really sad to say that this current council, the Bendigo Bunch, is the worst ever in our history and one working overtime to stop our community coming together.
The Bendigo Bunch – attacking our rights and freedoms, betraying our past and future, full of blind eyes and deaf ears to what the community says. And consultation comes only when rattled.
