There’s still no more money for parking in Bendigo’s CBD after the visit by Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday.
Forgetful Dan must have left the cheque book in Ballarat when his government had handed over $2 million to our provincial rival’s council to improve parking as part of a GovHub in that city, a GovHub without any council involvement, money or land.
Yes, $2 million for 1000 additional car parking spots over in Ballarat, not a cent again for Bendigo as the dud GovHub project here spirals into chaos and rejection by residents angry they have been betrayed without consultation, the Bendigo Bunch have meekly bowing to the Big Boss from Spring Street by selling the city’s home, handing the cheque back to government and agreeing to becoming a high-rent paying tenant in GovHub.
There are already that many cars and more at government offices in Huntly and East Bendigo each day that will find their way into Bendigo CBD if dud GovHub proceeds. Up to 1000 extra cars and nowhere to park – planning incompetence at its worst in Bendigo.
Or does the Bendigo Weekly know something we don’t? The editorial on Friday suggested moving the troubled Mitchell Street bus stop to Lyttleton Terrace. Talk about shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic!
Interesting though that some of the government’s business units are snubbing GovHub. Like picking teeth from chooks, information is slowly coming out that many of the 1000 office desks are nowhere having a likely occupant.
Coliban Water has rejected GovHub tenancy as has North Central Catchment Management Authority who says they are happy out in Huntly in buildings they own, a sound business approach they should share with the Bendigo Bunch.
And then there’s still the missing 45 jobs in the 100 new jobs promised by Jacinta Allan, the leader of the Big Boss’s regional cheer squad who has carved an unrivalled reputation for betraying Bendigo as she continually struggles with mathematics.
Now the GovHub snub by Coliban and NCCMA joined with our earlier revelations that VicRoads vehicle testing and agriculture specialist services will in fact be in Adam Street and not Lyttleton Terrace, blasts Jacinta’s claims of a one-stop shop for government out of the water faster than the gushing flows of the Bendigo Creek in flood.
GovHub partner the Bendigo Bunch is now in a dither as angry grows against their sell-out to Spring Street, abandoning local independence.
It’s a sure bet the Big Boss is not happy that the sugar-coated GovHub sales pitch has been an abject failure, unable to be swallowed by Bendigo residents until they see the business plan and are given a meaningful say on whether the project should even proceed.
Did he have secret talks while in Bendigo with Mayor Margaret O’Rourke, reading the riot act to lift her game? Or were they more focused helping Margaret’s upcoming attempt to have a fourth consecutive term as mayor out there spruiking the Spring Street agenda for Bendigo?
It’s time the Bendigo Bunch stopped being complicit in betrayal of Bendigo and demand that the Big Boss brings his cheque book to Bendigo the next time he can spell our name a
and punch it into google maps for directions.
