The new Wollongong council has just held it's first meeting - and already a contentious idea has surfaced that will cause many ratepayers to choke on their breakfast cereal !
It is being suggested that this city needs a " Mini Gateway centre " on Bald Hill, the Mecca for para-gliding enthusiasts and the northern entrance from the National park.
Nothing fancy ! Just somewhere to get a cup of coffee and a snack bite - and where tourist information will be dispensed. The only problem is that is precisely how the monstrous - money wasting " Gateway Centre " at Bulli Tops began life - and once suggested all sorts of interest groups added their demands - and like Topsy - it grew.
We ended up with a badly planned monstrosity that can not be accessed by those coming from the south without driving miles past and doing a " U " turn - and having visited the centre - can not proceed north again without a long drive back to the city centre.
Gateway included Jumbulla - an " Aboriginal Discovery centre " - that was an abject failure and now lays vacant. It only attracted about four paying customers a day. This " Gateway centre " was never a paying proposition - and now the cost of keeping it floodlit at night to deter vandals is an ongoing cost to the city.
It is said that those who are not prepared to learn from history are destined to repeat it ! About the last thing we need is another Council planned and operated money losing white elephant - on Bald Hill.
Let us hope that Greg Petty, that true " independent " who seems to have the pivotal position between party politics on council can use his wisdom to head this idea off at the pass !
The logical way to deal with this subject is to suggest that council would consider an approach from private enterprise to create a small facility on council land at Bald Hill. The cost of construction would be entirely met by the proposer - and the site would attract just a nominal rent from council in exchange for tourist information being distributed.
What that would attract would be a purely commercial enterprise. Most probably a coffee kiosk with snack food facilities that would deliver a profit for the operator - and provide a welcome service for the crowds this iconic scenic point delivers.
Councils are not good at planning and building commercial operations. Leave that to the people who have the know-how to read public interest and demand - and provide accordingly.
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