LET COUNCILLORS KNOW WHAT YOU THINK
Recently the Griffith City Council Rose Garden Working Group reconvened a meeting to plan the installation of a rose garden on the vacant block of land, on Jondaryan Avenue next to the Visitors Centre.
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As I was a member, I planned to attend and convince the group and council to abandon the rose garden plan, divert funds already gained to either other Garden projects, or some other worthwhile project on the site, such as a new Art Gallery.
I didn't make the meeting as I was sacked by the convenor of the working group, Cr Zappacosta, for expressing in public, and to a council meeting, views contrary to those of the working group.
Thus, I now have more freedom to speak my mind re the rose garden. I, and the New Art Gallery committee have received much support for our opposition to the rose garden from Griffith people.
They have given many reasons to support their views:
- Why have a new garden, when the council can't maintain and improve their current main gardens. They were very critical of the embarrassing state of our Memorial Garden. That's with due respect to our city gardeners, who have resource constraints.
- Why build a garden in the CBD, when our landscaped entrances to the city badly need revamping.
- The cost: the vast majority of Griffith residents are shocked and appalled at the projected cost of about $600,000. That's about twice to three times what it should cost.
May I add some other reasons to oppose the proposed garden, that come from my experience in the past as chairman of the famous Cowra Japanese Garden, and Cowra Tourist Corporation which manages the rose garden around the Cowra Visitors Centre.
Firstly, the proposed rose garden, or any ordinary garden, at the Jondaryan Avenue site will not attract any new tourist / visitors. You need to have a national or even international regarded garden for that to occur. The investment of about half a million dollars will yield no return. This will not be the case if an art gallery is built on the site.
It will attract thousands of visitors / tourists and their dollars. Right from the beginning of the rose garden idea in 2018, it has been the personal dream of one councillor, who said at the time, he would give us a rose garden. Council, at that time voted yes, but by only a fine majority. Now three to four years later, a majority of councillors in private discussion, have expressed their opposition to the rose garden.
The rose garden idea for the Jondaryan Avenue site, since its inception has been ill-conceived. No serious thought given to alternatives. The management and planning by council and its working group has not been in accordance with best practice. There has been no professional analysis of the site to assess its suitability, and no cost benefit analysis.
There may well be unforeseen costs needed to make the site suitable to the chosen garden design. There are other sites in Griffith, Yenda or Hanwood were a new or revamped garden would be very welcome.
I propose to the people of Griffith; let's tell the Griffith City Council not to proceed with the rose garden on Jondaryan Avenue, disband the working group, and let the people of Griffith and the new council determine what is best for the site next the Visitors Centre. Ring councillors, write a letter or email and express your view.
Brian Sainty, Griffith
IS THE SYSTEM WORKING THE WAY IT SHOULD?
What has gone wrong with the 2021-2022 water allocation with all the rain? The dams are full or nearly, the rivers are running a banker with the natural rain flow.
With all the carryover of water from last season, 2020-2021 in the dams, there is no room for this season's allocations, does it make sense?
July 30 Burrinjuck 100.8 per cent, Blowering 100.3 per cent, Hume 79.6 per cent.
General security for Murray three per cent, Lower Darling general security 100 per cent, Murrumbidgee general security 30 per cent, now up to 50 per cent water allocation.
Then one picks up The Weekly Times: our governments have welcomed foreign investment in water. Canadian pension funds have purchased more than $4 billion of Australian farms and irrigation water, and the Murray-Darling Basin Water entitlements has hit 841,000 megalitres - more than is held by some of Australia's largest irrigation communities.
About half the Canadian investment funds' entitlements are held on the unregulated river system in the northern basin, granting them the right to floodplain harvest even more than their listed entitlement during a wet 2021.
The Australian Tax Office has given foreign investors a ruling last year they can "disregard any capital gain made from the sale of water allocation rights", a move that NSW MP for Murray Helen Dalton should be reversed by the federal government, and local companies have to pay GST on water entitlements.
Australia remains one of the few countries in the world that sells water entitlements to overseas governments and foreign investors.
Fran Pietroboni, Griffith
HAVE YOUR SAY!
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