Just the idea of rezoning parks is getting people offside.

Many believe Council is ignoring the young in the community by signalling a possible recreational space sell-off.

While Council has been supportive of the BMX and skate parks – with money set aside for more improvements to these facilities – they are for a specific user group.

And not all young people play organised team sport - they still enjoy playing in open spaces, spaces that aren’t Belmore Park or Victoria Park, which are in Council’s sights.

Parks play an important role in the makeup of community. They are a meeting place and a facility for leisure and exercise.

Cr Robin Saville said himself there is no money in the budget for upgrades to play equipment. Why is that? Where is the money going? There are millions of dollars sitting in a bank account somewhere from the sales proceeds of Goulburn Airport.

Council will soon get its handson about $700,000 from the sale of Goulburn South Caravan Park.

Money is there. It should be used before any notion of selling more vital ratepayer assets is entertained.

Once a slab of recreational land has been sold, it’s gone for good.

It’s point well made by letter writer Pamela Watts, a strident advocate for the ratepayer.

“Many towns and suburbs would love to have the open space and parks that our city enjoys and yet we have a council that wants to sell off this priceless asset,” she wrote in a letter three years ago (and paraphrased in another that’s yet to be published).

“Remember, once sold, gone forever. It is not as if there is a shortage of home sites within the boundaries of Goulburn ...”

Too true.

The Heart Foundation has said parks are as important as ever in light of Australia’s appalling childhood obesity stats.

One in four Aussie kids are either overweight or obese. It’s a national scandal.

At the very least, if Cr Saville’s idea does gain traction, it’s absolutely imperative there’s an iron-clad guarantee that property sale proceeds are re-invested into recreational areas.

CALLS by the business community to scrap Sunday penalty rates are based on the unsubstantiated belief that consumers “expect” Sunday trading.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, headed by chief executive Kate Carnell, is planning to apply to the Fair Work Commission to have Sunday penalty rates cut across restaurants, catering, retail and pharmacies.

“Right now we want to shop weekends, we want to go out to a restaurant on weekends, we want the services that we need, get our haircut, go to the butcher’s ...,” Ms Carnell told ABC radio.

We’re sure there are many people who would argue to contrary ... that Sunday trading especially is overkill.

And we question her claims that reducing penalty rates would actually increase employment opportunities.

Would you work a Sunday on normal time rates? Tell us what you think here