Wollongong council is discovering what a labrynth it has entered in trying to decide how to spend half a million dollars on a piece of " art " to feature prominently in the Mall upgrade. The very word " Art " has multiple meanings to just about every citizen of this city - and getting even a few to reach common agreement would be an impossible task.
The quest drew thirty three submissions and these were eventually short listed to just four. After consideration, council has decided that none of these are really suitable for the task. It is back to square one in selecting a focal point for the Mall.
The usual thing that figures large in promoting an area image is the type of industry involved. Most Australians think of coal and steel when they think of Wollongong, but we are also a farming district and it is quite possible that coal mining and steel making may fade in the coming years. Wollongong could become a very different industrial city by the turn of this century.
We have a university that is punching well above it's weight. Perhaps this innovative institution is the future and Wollongong will become a university city known for excellence. Education is a world growth industry and Australia is already riding the wave of a fast emerging Asian middle class seeking the tools of life for their children.
It would be tragic to waste half a million dollars simply because housing some sort of " Art " in the Mall has been included in the concept. At best, this was an idea that required further examination, and now the prospects of success are not encouraging. If local talent is not forthcoming, it would suggest buying something that is already world famous and locating it here is the next option - and that hardly seems to serve the intended purpose.
Half a million dollars is a handy sum of money. It would be interesting to ask the citizens of this city for their " wish lists ". What would they like to see in the new Mall that could be achieved with that sort of price tag ?
There is every chance that we would be swamped with suggestions - and they will range from the ludicrous to the imaginative - and possibly one or two will strike a chord that results in something new and exciting emerging that starts a trend.
It seems that the money is there - just waiting to be spent. All we need is the right project, and the way to make this the " people's Mall " and bring shoppers back to the city is to involve the citizens in the decision making process.
Forget " Art " ! That was an idea from yesteryear. Lets tap the ideas and aspirations of the people of today !
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