Selling assets to fund leisure centre

This all relates to the reclassification of lands owned by the ratepayers of the shire to fund a $23 mil "leisure centre". Land to be sold off is a childrens playground in Cherry Lane in East Bowral which as council puts it "is surplus to council requirments....and is totally under utilised...". How can they take the view that a childrens playground is surplus to our needs and underutilised! This is just one example.

Council has shown nothing but contempt for its citizens in not taking any of our views into consideration re the reclassification of lands. This contempt follows right more…

I agree totally with Nick Cleary's comments.

Additionally, I'd like to draw attention to a letter in today's SHN - written by Patricia Drysdale of Bowral - in relation to Wingecarribee Shire Council's proposed sell-off of parks and reserves for the funding of a facility that would only be used for an elite few in the community. Her last paragraph stating, " ... Council has shown little sensitivity by amalgamating the parks and reserves issue with a total Shire Rezoning issue of considerable magnitude and on which the microscope of public scrutiny must be focussed."

Furthermore, and in relation to a multi-million dollar Leisure Centre (which would only be used by an elite few, at everyone's expense), I am opposed to the concept on grounds of sustainability. A large centralised heated swimming facility is not an appropriate response by the community to address Climate Change!

More residents are going to benefit from the green spaces - playgrounds, virgin bush, accessible fields and facilities than a multi-million dollar leisure centre which would be for a few elite sports people, travelling in their gas-guzzling, greenhouse gas-producing vehicles to an out-of-town high dependency building.

Spend far less and improve the decentralised facilities we already have that are accessible to more people. There are 42,000 people in the Shire to be considered - not just a few hundred.

council is not able to answer all the main questions, eg: will it be later, if not at the start, run privatley

what role has state gov got in all areas, including recent investment news, and future levies, or future sale of.

what will the resevre price on park land be and what about councilers that retire.

nobody understood the how and what of our last council elections

Please be aware that the entire process is out of kilter.

a) The decision to proceed has been made and is inflexible.

b) The decision to sell assets has been made and discussion on assets reclassification and sale is underway now.

c) No financial plan, and not even a business plan is yet available.

d) I have not seen any risk analysis on the website.

e) I have not seen any alternative structures or layouts.

Council is going through process out of necessity, and proceeding to bulldoze ahead by referring to the "silent majority" and by ignoring those who do take the time to voice their more…