CEO NIEMANN – JOKER OR RIDDLER?

The timeline to Bendigo’s fall from the lofty position of respect and honour can be charted over the chaos that has characterized the Bendigo Bunch for more than 10 tortuous years of disaster, debacle and straight out dumb decisions.

We’ve seen councillors being blindly led like walking the Bendigo Creek after the bewitching hour of midnight, stomping on pumpkins and ruining any chance of the vegie turning into a gold gilt carriage taking residents into a more prosperous future.

Now the current Bunch – three exceptions of course who are a wake up – are being led down a mine shaft deep than any every sunk in the golden history of Bendigo and handing over our hard-earned dollars, land and buildings for Jacinta Allan’s dastardly dud GovHub, a multi-million dollar debacle co-designed by Bunch CEO Craig Niemann.

The so-called genius behind selling out on Bendigo to Ms Allan’s Spring Street cohorts is now under so much pressure from the local MP who covets imposing her no-consultation style of government on the whole state that he is getting rattled and rumbled.

His PR disasters on dud GovHub all year are now taking a toll. Only weeks ago his staff put out a social media edict that the days of dialogue were over on GovHub.  Shut down democracy, free speech and the shutters in the Lyttleton Terrace building he is organizing to have demolished as member of the dud GovHub project control group.

 But this week he responded to one our letters, finally, advising that council is committed continuing to engage with the community and will address questions and requests for information when received.

Sounds like a backdown to us! Did he have to gain approval from the local MP before sending the letter? Shame the same level of commitment was not practiced with some consultation in the community before the in-principle decision to back in February to sell off our assets.

We also raised Mr Niemann concerns that councilors in voting to betray Bendigo may have had a conflict of interest. All denied of course and even stating that there had been legal advice that they were in the clear.

Well Mr Niemann, show us that advice. Or will you and the Bendigo Bunch refuse to release it just like you have hidden from the community any business plan, if there is one, on selling the Lyttleton Terrace land and buildings.

Speaking of the sell out, notice how the latest council promos about relocating to Hopetoun Street for customer service inquiries have deleted reference to the GovHub?

Bit too sensitive is it? A bit like no known sightings of Mayor Margaret O’Rourke at any event for a months that may risk engagement with concerned citizens about GovHub. Remember, she did not even turn up when Ms Allan and sidekick Mr Niemann unveiled plans for dud GovHub that will make the State Government any easy $25 million dollars or so at our expense.

All we can say Mr Niemann, the questions will keep coming as long as the Bendigo Bunch keep upm the pantomime of jokes and riddles.

Why? Because #bendigodeservesbetter