Elected representatives – whether local council or state and federal Parliaments – carry huge responsibilities to make decisions in the best interests of people today and tomorrow.
They are charged with getting it right. If they don’t the wrath of residents, ratepayers and taxpayers is unleashed and those elected representatives cannot cry foul in the face of justified outrage and anger.
The processes to date of the City of Greater Bendigo (aka the Bendigo Bunch) and the State Government in trying to ram through a dud GovHub scheme for Bendigo without consultation are drawing anger and, comparison with the greater level of care and stewardship of our city and suburbs by earlier councils.
Here is what two former respected MayorS of Greater Bendigo (one also a stalwart of good governance in former Borough of Eaglehawk) have to say about GovHub:
I will just ask all councilors to remember one thing – you are there for the ratepayers of our municipality and it is highly important to remain independent from government influence.
Willi Carney
This is a crazy proposal which I say in my capacity as a qualified property investment advisor. Property is a long-term investment where you buy, renovate and never sell.
Alec Sandner
Very sage advice for the current City of Greater Bendigo councilors who are very quiet at the moment on the rising costs of GovHub and the impact on the city’s finances and our assets, our finances that must be more wisely managed.
Senator Sarah Henderson was quoted in the Bendigo Advertiser on Saturday calling for an independent inquiry before the land is sold, and said it was "almost unprecedented that a council could go about selling one of its biggest assets without any sort of independent financial analysis".
It's a bit like if you decided to sell your house, and then rent it back for 40 years, and then after 40 years end up with nothing.
We don’t won’t Bendigo to end up with nothing when council “gives away” the municipal offices and land in Lyttleton Terrace to the State Government.
