Tuesday November 24th will be a day of reckoning for both the community and of our councillors when the vote comes to support staff recommendations to close the Batemans Bay Community Centre to the public and allow it to be leased at market rates.
Ex Councillor Allan Brown offers "All the present nine elected councillors need to ask themselves why the present community centre is located where it is.
"They need to ask why it's designed the way it is with additions such as a purpose built sprung floor in the hall for dancing.
"They also need to ask does the Community Centre serve to the community it was designed to serve and is it still properly serving the community"
"And of course the community owns it, doesn't it ? A history lesson about the present community centre for all the councillors could be a very good thing right now.
"They might learn that history already has Council "stealing" the original Community Centre in Orient Street that was on community paid for land and in a community erected hall built with volunteer labour and donated materials".
"When Council sold this original centre the community demanded that a new centre be built rather than the profits going into Council's pockets. It was not their to sell and the title was only held by them in trust".
"This wasn't the only time Council broke the Batemans Bay community trust. Blandford House comes to mind and the promised town green".
"Council staff say that the community should go to Hanging Rock. The question councillors have to ask is why haven't the community gone there. Why is it underutilised? And what sort of alternate is a basketball court?".
"Are the finances of Council so badly managed that they need to sell the farm?"
"Where is the business case from staff to show how much more they can receive each year from leasing".
"If under - utilisation is the issue then maybe the Council should lease out the Council Chambers in Moruya because they have been empty since December last year".
Above: are the finances of council so bad they need to sell the Batemans Bay Community Centre to cover the running costs of the new pool? Is it time to put the guitar case out?
