It seems that the debate over Wollongong Mall is never ending. Money has been allocated for refurbishing but the design pleases few people - and the question of a closed mall or a traffic flow defies resolution.
Unfortunately a force of nature indicates a natural decline for Wollongong Mall.
Crown street - before the Mall - was a seedy street of ageing shops, rapidly being replaced by a new, vibrant shopping centre in Shellharbour - the geographical centre of the twin city complex.
Property owners in Wollongong established the Mall as a desperation move to try and halt this degeneration. It lacked " soul " - was short of parking facilities - and totally failed to establish a night scene.
Wollongong is wedged between the escarpment and the sea. Population growth can only expand south of the city and we already see the migration of shopping to where the people are. This is evidenced by the concentration of big discount stores in Warrawang. Not a single store of this nature now exists in our city centre.
The Mall - in the form of a regional centre - will continue, but in a slowly reduced form. It is inevitable that the business migration will continue to expand south of here because that is where the future population will be housed.
We need to face the fact that Crown street is no longer the geographic centre of this region !
Monday, 7 June 2010
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Ever widening asbestos claims !
James Hardie Industries must be bracing for a fresh round of damage claims after a court awarded $ 326,000 damages to a motor mechanic diagnosed with Mesothelioma. This deadly lung disease was caused by his work in fitting asbestos brake linings to motor vehicles.
The award will open a whole new round of claims because just about every garage and service station in the country would have been involved in relining brakes - and that would involve grinding and fitting the pads - and blowing out the dust residue with compressed air.
Unfortunately even a single exposure is enough to start the disease process - and that usually takes about twenty years to make an appearance. Asbestos was only recently replaced as a brake lining, hence there is a huge pool of potential claimants waiting in the wings.
This raises the question as to whether James Hardie can survive to meet it's obligations - or whether it will also be a casualty of the product that made it rich !
The award will open a whole new round of claims because just about every garage and service station in the country would have been involved in relining brakes - and that would involve grinding and fitting the pads - and blowing out the dust residue with compressed air.
Unfortunately even a single exposure is enough to start the disease process - and that usually takes about twenty years to make an appearance. Asbestos was only recently replaced as a brake lining, hence there is a huge pool of potential claimants waiting in the wings.
This raises the question as to whether James Hardie can survive to meet it's obligations - or whether it will also be a casualty of the product that made it rich !
Saturday, 5 June 2010
Ongoing disasters !
This week delivered more ongoing political disasters !
Cancellation of the Metro scheme will cost the state close to half a billion dollars in compensation claims. Consider what this wasted money could have done to the underfunded Princes highway - or our deadly twenty seven mile stretch of Picton road ?
Two more state ministers left their portfolios. One quit because caucus cancelled a plan to improve the focus of juvenile justice thinking - and the other was asked to resign because a benefit in office was not reported - as regulations require.
It seems that this rabble masquerading as a government is in terminal decline - and yet it must serve in office until March next year.
The phrase " rats leaving a sinking ship " comes to mind.
Cancellation of the Metro scheme will cost the state close to half a billion dollars in compensation claims. Consider what this wasted money could have done to the underfunded Princes highway - or our deadly twenty seven mile stretch of Picton road ?
Two more state ministers left their portfolios. One quit because caucus cancelled a plan to improve the focus of juvenile justice thinking - and the other was asked to resign because a benefit in office was not reported - as regulations require.
It seems that this rabble masquerading as a government is in terminal decline - and yet it must serve in office until March next year.
The phrase " rats leaving a sinking ship " comes to mind.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Gas heaters !
The death of two young boys in Victoria raises urgent questions about the safety of gas heaters - particularly so because there are concerns about unflued gas heaters throughout this state's school system.
So far little tangible evidence of these deaths have been forthcoming. The public has a right to know - in fact a need to know if the heater in question was unflued - and the circumstances that led to death.
It has been suggested that carbon monoxide poisoning was the likely cause of death and that the young age of the boys made them more vulnerable than their mother - who survived the accident.
We have started the winter season and huge numbers of Australians will turn on unflued gas heaters in the next few months to warm their homes. It is essential that they be informed of any risk - and advised on what steps to take to reduce that risk.
The education department claims unflued gas heaters in schools are safe - provided that certain rules apply. What we need to know is precisely what those rules are ?
This has been a tragic event causing death and the only sensible outcome is to bring unflued gas heaters into public focus and explain what risks they pose - in plain language that the ordinary person can understand.
Anything less is unacceptable !
So far little tangible evidence of these deaths have been forthcoming. The public has a right to know - in fact a need to know if the heater in question was unflued - and the circumstances that led to death.
It has been suggested that carbon monoxide poisoning was the likely cause of death and that the young age of the boys made them more vulnerable than their mother - who survived the accident.
We have started the winter season and huge numbers of Australians will turn on unflued gas heaters in the next few months to warm their homes. It is essential that they be informed of any risk - and advised on what steps to take to reduce that risk.
The education department claims unflued gas heaters in schools are safe - provided that certain rules apply. What we need to know is precisely what those rules are ?
This has been a tragic event causing death and the only sensible outcome is to bring unflued gas heaters into public focus and explain what risks they pose - in plain language that the ordinary person can understand.
Anything less is unacceptable !
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Rising water levels.
Concern has been raised over the future viability of Wollongong University's " Innovation Campus " at Squires Way, Fairy Meadow. It seems that there is a thirty centimetre disparity in the levels predicted by global warming on flood levels for this site.
The plan calls for twenty five buildings worth many million dollars - and so far four have been completed with a floor capacity of 35,000 sqm. It is expected that over 5,000 people will work at this site.
The people who live and work in the adjacent suburbs - and who have sunk their money into homes - will be more than interested in this flood projection.
If rainfall and rising sea levels are going to make the Innovation Campus an unviable proposition, what happens to the home owners when the water rises ?
The question in many people's minds must be the approval of more new homes in areas that the experts predict will be subjected to rising water levels. Should this be allowed if the future is doom for beachside suburbs ?
Its time councils and politicians came clean on this issue - and devised clear building guidelines.
The plan calls for twenty five buildings worth many million dollars - and so far four have been completed with a floor capacity of 35,000 sqm. It is expected that over 5,000 people will work at this site.
The people who live and work in the adjacent suburbs - and who have sunk their money into homes - will be more than interested in this flood projection.
If rainfall and rising sea levels are going to make the Innovation Campus an unviable proposition, what happens to the home owners when the water rises ?
The question in many people's minds must be the approval of more new homes in areas that the experts predict will be subjected to rising water levels. Should this be allowed if the future is doom for beachside suburbs ?
Its time councils and politicians came clean on this issue - and devised clear building guidelines.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
A " bland " Mall !
Wollongong mall is not an interesting place to visit outside of shopping hours - and given the impression from the drawings of the government architect - it will become even less interesting after the modifications are complete.
The " birdcage " will be gone and the mall will feature huge areas of open space - to give security and prevent undesirables from " lurking " .
Unfortunately these changes will do nothing to change the reason that the mall is a failure. It simply lacks a reason for people to go there outside of day time shopping hours !
The shops are not interested in night trading - and there are no restaurants or night activities to draw people and add vibrancy.
We might as well face reality. Whatever changes are made to the mall it will remain dormant at night because the restaurant strips have been established in Corrimal and Keira streets - and that is where the action is !
The only sensible plan would be to continue to retain it's pedestrian feature in daylight hours - and open it again to car traffic at night !
The " birdcage " will be gone and the mall will feature huge areas of open space - to give security and prevent undesirables from " lurking " .
Unfortunately these changes will do nothing to change the reason that the mall is a failure. It simply lacks a reason for people to go there outside of day time shopping hours !
The shops are not interested in night trading - and there are no restaurants or night activities to draw people and add vibrancy.
We might as well face reality. Whatever changes are made to the mall it will remain dormant at night because the restaurant strips have been established in Corrimal and Keira streets - and that is where the action is !
The only sensible plan would be to continue to retain it's pedestrian feature in daylight hours - and open it again to car traffic at night !
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Justice denied !
It seems strange that when elected councillors of the same political persuasion as the state government are found to be corrupt - the entire council is removed and the affairs of this city put into the hands of three administrators.
It is reasonable to assume that persons so appointed by the state government would share a similar political outlook and have had cordial previous dealings with the administration involved.
In other words - the corrupt are simply replaced with stooges who will continue to do the bidding of their political masters.
Unfortunately there will be repercussions that will endure long after the stooges depart - and one of these will be the fate of that magnificent civic treasure - Gleniffer Brae.
Without public consultation Gleniffer Brae may be sold - and once out of council hands it will be lost forever.
There seems to be not the slightest notion of justice when the city of Wollongong is punished for the actions of a corrupt few - and those few remain free years after the event.
It is reasonable to assume that persons so appointed by the state government would share a similar political outlook and have had cordial previous dealings with the administration involved.
In other words - the corrupt are simply replaced with stooges who will continue to do the bidding of their political masters.
Unfortunately there will be repercussions that will endure long after the stooges depart - and one of these will be the fate of that magnificent civic treasure - Gleniffer Brae.
Without public consultation Gleniffer Brae may be sold - and once out of council hands it will be lost forever.
There seems to be not the slightest notion of justice when the city of Wollongong is punished for the actions of a corrupt few - and those few remain free years after the event.
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