About 30 people attended the Southern Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) on Thursday morning at the Council Chambers.
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There could have been one of three outcomes: an approval, a deferral or a dismissal.
If approved, this would have been one of the biggest decisions in Goulburn in the past few decades.
The most recent open council meeting on the proposed PAC drew a crowd of up to 200, a contrast to dwindling numbers on Thursday, where seven speakers addressed the panel, two of whom were unregistered.
We’ll “take it on the chin”, Mayor Bob Kirk said following the final decision, as council director Matt O’Rourke and fellow staff digested the decision.
Close to $700,000 has been put into this project by the council, and years of consultation and hard work.
The knockback was not a knockout blow, however. It is important to note the council has no intention of giving up, and plans to address the five points the JRPP needed clarifying.
It is no secret that many in this community do not want a PAC. They cite parking, traffic and heritage concerns; but we need to question the short-sightedness of this disapproval. Putting aside the benefit to the arts, there is a bigger picture to see.
The council is pushing for Goulburn Mulwaree and its surrounding region to grow. Infrastructure, new developments, another university presence and the predicted residual migration of Sydney residents will wash up on our shores. This district will be unrecognisable to some in 30 years.
For those who are worried about parking, which was the most consistent complaint, we encourage you to think about the bigger picture this city has drafted, and understand projects similar to the PAC are only going to continue.
Nerriga out in the cold
Poor old Nerriga, huh? Rejected again by big sibling Goulburn Mulwaree.
Despite a community of interest with Goulburn and a desire by Nerriga residents to come into our area, it all comes down to money.
They can’t raise enough rates for Goulburn Mulwaree to cover the services out there, including maintenance on roads and landfill. But Nerriga residents say with more services, more ratepayers will move there.