Put up or shut up
It’s rare that an individual creates or solves problems in our community. Whether it’s abandoned trolleys, over-development or demolition by neglect of old buildings, it’s the broader community doing nothing or little about the problem, that allows the problem to grow.
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Then, once the problem is out of control, some authority or agency steps in with some extreme measures, against individuals, to fix (or, as history shows, suppress) the problem.
Take our heritage buildings as an example. They are our number one asset. It’s what Goulburn is most famous for. We’re primarily promoted as ‘the First Inland City’: come appreciate our heritage.
Some readers may have gone back to the TV or gardening by now, because it’s also fair to say our heritage buildings’ impositions on individual owners and neighbours are our biggest liability. Somewhere in the middle is the truth.
We as a community need to either put up or shut up when it comes to solving our heritage buildings problem.
Shut up is easy. We (ie. the council) just need to say out loud that heritage preservation and promotion is too hard, abandon it and then focus our endeavours, hopefully united, on something else.
To put up is harder, but we already have a great foundation. We have about 250 significant heritage buildings in and around the city. In the past 50 years (and a few days) we’ve lost about 90 similar buildings. See where this is heading? Some of these have been for the better, like the Goulburn Hotel; some for the worse, like the Hoyts cinema.
Where to from here? We (ie. the council) are clearly in no man’s land managing ‘our’ heritage buildings, so we must establish a clear position of action. Either get out of it or get right into it.
So, simply drop the ‘FIC’ hype; or like many other really progressive communities have done, acquire community ownership and control of our otherwise individually owned, unkempt, significant old buildings and maintain them and trade prosperously on them (as a whole) for broad community benefit, well into the future.
Neil Penning, Goulburn
Proactive is preventative
Anyone driving by St John’s will notice the grass and weed heights on the grounds. For the most part the overgrown vegetation is now green, but in a month or two, when summer vents its full fury, the vegetation will dry off and the entire site will be a fire hazard waiting to happen.
Preventative measures need to be taken to reduce the fuel load, the risk of fire/smoke on neighbours to St John’s, and to make life a little easier for our fire brigade.
It is within the council’s power to direct the owner to cut the grass/weeds to reduce the fire hazard, or for the council undertake the work on the owner’s behalf and provide the tax invoice to the owner accordingly.
It is within the council’s responsibilities to be proactive in taking preventative measures to reduce the risk of fire in the city. The state of St John’s property requires urgent remedial attention.
Carolyn Clancy, Goulburn
No ‘Church of Australia’
It is the Australian way that no individual is denied the right to do what others take for granted. This principle was put in place by Arthur Phillip in 1788, who on arrival ensured that convicts were allocated the same level of rations as the guards and crew.
It is enshrined in the constitution and restated in the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act of 2013 where it states:
The objects of this Act are as follows: (a) to recognise the right of all individuals to a dignified interment and treatment of their remains with dignity and respect; (b) to ensure interment practices and beliefs of all religious and cultural groups are respected so none is disadvantaged and adequate and proper provision is made for all
Our constitution guarantees both freedom from religion (there is no official ‘Church of Australia’) and freedom of religion (everyone is free to practice the religion of their choice). The establishment of a cemetery is a legitimate use of this land at Marulan and these people are not asking for the council to provide them with anything that would not be provided to any other owner. But the council has spent $300,000 so far trying to deny them their constitutional rights. This money should have been spent on worthwhile projects such as preventing the ridiculous situation where, after being bypassed, trucks once again rattle down the main street of Marulan at all hours of the day and night.
Just as an aside: all of you good folk who attended Sunday services in the chapel at St Patrick’s cemetery can rest easy as the above mentioned Act of Parliament is silent on this matter.
Mick Shea, Goulburn
We will remember them
At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Armistice ending the First World War came into effect and the fighting on the Western Front stopped.
Almost 300,000 Australians served on the Western Front, where more than 45,000 lost their lives and more than one-third of those have no known grave.
During the First World War the Anzac legend was born, which helped define the character of our young nation.
Sadly, this was not the last time that Australians have been called upon to fight, and die, for the values and freedoms that also define our national character. More than 102,000 Australians have died serving our country in all wars and conflicts.
On Remembrance Day, we honour each and every one of those Australians. At 11am we fall silent, not to glorify war but to honour the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who serve in defence of our country.
