While Lord Mayor Clover Moore is on record as opposing the sniffer dogs (see post below), unfortunately her council seems to favour local organisations such as the Kings Cross Partnership who reel in ratepayers' and sponsors' money but never get their hands dirty with any of the hard issues like this one, or the recent traffic issues around the Cross City Tunnel.
Council and the KX Partnership happily splash about $millions of our money in an endless fantasy of turning the Cross into a 'mother-and-child retail strip'. One can picture the sweet little toddlers, wide-eyed, walking past the semi-naked search victims while their mothers tug their little hands saying, 'come on dear, there's a lovely frock shop just down the road'.
This is why home-grown arts projects, events, and street entertainment are seen by many locals as a more effective way to attract a different mix of people to the Cross. Realistically, we have to attract people who can tolerate the trappings of fascism going on around them. If we attract people, the retailers will gradually return, beginning a positive cycle rather than the present negative stalemate.
In addition, smaller everyday initiatives like placing a much-needed district map and a public 24-hour-access noticeboard in Springfield Plaza would be an inexpensive way to give people reason to linger in the Cross, changing the people mix and evolving the character of the Cross rather than trying to obliterate it. Half the population of Potts Point walks by this town focus every day en route to and from the station, the last true daytime people-magnet in the Cross.
This is an obvious starting point in the strategy for revitalising the Cross, but one Council and the KX Partnership seem determined to avoid. After all, it might lead to dancing! They, rather, spout the patter of big development, the one-size-fits-all answer to all problems in this venal town, with '$52 million worth of development in train' along the strip according to Clover's latest Bligh News. Mostly nightclubs, you will find, and nothing to do with daytime activity.
Clover Moore has denied multiple requests for the noticeboard citing 'issues of curatorial control'. A district map in this tourist centre is apparently too difficult because 'the contractor who did our maps went out of business'.
Curatorial control? Over a public noticeboard? My letter to Clover questioning this and asking for a meeting was never answered. Can't install a map?
Pah-lease! No wonder I get annoyed.
Picture: A thick blue line with a nice puppy dog welcoming the mummies and their kiddies to the Cross. Get real please!
2 comments:
Clover only wants people power when others are in charge. When she is the Leader, everyone else has to follow her or be excommunicated.
She is a sad person.
What possible problem could they have with a noticeboard? It's a no brainer in my book. Clover seems to be doing some good stuff and this does not fit the picture.
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