If an honest assessment into a costing of saving the Tamar Basin from oblivion it would certainly end once and for all the controversy that has been dragging on for decades.
Among the many follies in Launceston that have been stuffed up people’s noses, the Tamar River saga would rate as the highest ever deliberate city disaster.
Not since the 1950s has this river received any respect whatsoever and many many millions of dollars have been spent against its name but none of these millions have reached its target, as is so obvious today with the number of reports and studies carried out would be enough to pave the now strangled streets of Launceston and the continuation of oozing of meaningless rhetoric could only be eclipsed by the toxic brine now festering in the river bed.
Launceston City Council has held itself up to the ridicule it well deserves, but now when the public’s worst fears have become a reality it has been handed to a less than vibrant state government to ponder over with its troubled ranks well and truly holding a fine record of anti progress.
The Tamar certainly won’t be the only cost shock for the city, now looming is the serious issues of major ongoing losses on other (at present hidden) failures that come under the heading of Inveresk financial burdens, this includes the ‘Aurora Stadium’ revealing a hidden downside which is blamed for directly contributing to the huge downturn in attendance at all state football matches.
TV coverage of all local and state games verifies that attendances are nil, only bodies there are the players themselves and not even a dog is interested despite the wall to wall propaganda pressed home by all forms of media in the state.
Worth a mention too is the recent public swimming baths, (extreme in its needs) has already indicated that wisdom played no part in its planning already showing losses close to a $500.000 in its first 9 months of operation and of course this includes the initial novelty factor so a substantial ongoing burden can be expected from this had to have luxury.
Then of course we have entered into the next test of sanity, the “Dicey Dykes” programme a predicted $65 Million gamble to build levee banks around an already destroyed Tamar river.
There seems no way of stopping this expensive onslaught into long term catastrophic burdens of debt driven by today’s high ignorance factor the provision of very poor advice.
There has to be an awakening period if Launceston is to progress from its present doldrums, the city has become a turnoff to its people in so many ways that its whole survival in its present form must surely become the challenge of the century.
It is true to say Launceston can only survive if it dares to move into the 21st century by looking to relocate the retail centre of the city to provide modern facilities that are now left so wanting and badly needed for its fast dwindling public shoppers and is generally regarded today as not a nice place to visit for too many growing reasons.
It’s sad to bear witness to the failings in all fields of Governmental bodies in now what must be referred to “Tasmania, Australia’s State of Crisis.” Thanks to all……!!!
