Glenorchy City Council candidate, Kristie Johnston, today expressed disbelief at the Council’s decision last night to approve an additional $400,000 of funding for the Glenorchy Arts and Sculpture Park (GASP) Project.
Mrs Johnston said “I’ve regularly attend Council meetings as a member of the public and have recently witnessed over $1million worth of ratepayers money being poured into GASP without question.”.
Mrs Johnston said “Anyone who has seen the weed laden footpaths and overgrown roadside vegetation throughout Glenorchy and suburbs knows that Council are making tough decisions about service provision.”
“How can Council on one hand claim that the financial pressures warrant the significant rate increases we have seen over the last few years, and yet on the other they can throw a million dollars at a questionable “arty” project on the Montrose foreshore.”
“What also annoyed me (at the meeting) was that not one alderman asked what the financial implications would be for ratepayers.”
“If elected I pledge to ask the hard questions on behalf of those of us that who are actually providing the money through our exorbitant rates. A quarter of current Aldermen don’t even live in this Municipality,” she said.
Mrs Johnston questioned the rationale for the commitment of $1million by Glenorchy City Council. “I’ve spoken with businesses in Moonah and Glenorchy and they would like to see Council investing in projects that would see a revitalisation of the main CBD corridor to attract people away from the Brooker Highway.
“Instead of listening to the concerns of business it appears that Council have given significant funding to divert people away from our CBD.
Families I have spoken with during my doorknocking tell me that they would have preferred, if there had to be any development of the Montrose Bay Foreshore, that a fenced and secure playground with more play equipment, barbeques and importantly more public toilets would be a far better investment that local community could benefit from”.
“GASP concepts are icing on the cake if everything else is going well, but are not a priority when financially the Council is doing it tough. Council should have been more rigorous in their assessment of this project. I am now concerned that because the tough questions weren’t asked before the project commenced that Council are now in the position where they have no choice but to keep haemorrhaging money for this project or have a half completed project. This is a costly lesson for Council, one that ratepayers cannot afford to repeat” said Mrs Johnston.
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