Contradictory messages on community centre
To say I was astounded today to read in The Ballarat Courier (Thursday 25th May) would be an understatement. "Mr Neville Ivey, Council Community Development Director, said no decision had been made regarding the future of the Kohinoor Community Centre."
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A Club Activity Group, which I represent at present, had been meeting monthly at the Kohinoor Centre for the past 11 years. We received an invitation to attend a meeting at the centre on December 12th, 2016 to inform us of a decision by Ballarat City Council on the centre. There were approximately 20 different group's representatives present that used the hall weekly or a few times a year. Many of us present were very surprised how many different groups used the centre regularly. We were informed by the Ballarat City Council officer conducting the meeting, that the Ballarat City Council had decided the Kohinoor Hall and other small halls in surrounding areas were going to be put on the market and sold.
The Kohinoor Hall whether sold or not would not be able to be used after 3rd March 2017. The City Council officer, when asked if any of the groups represented at the meeting could still use the hall after the 3rd March 2017 if it was unsold, said categorically, "No one would be using the hall after that date". The people present were asked to list their needs and requirements for a hall and the Ballarat City Council officers would endeavour to find another hall to hire to assist in the transition.
Given this contradiction in messages from council is it perhaps a change of heart?
Joyce Robinson, Ballarat
Cancer protection should come first
I am a volunteer firefighter and have stayed quiet through the changes at the CFA and I thought I would continue to remain quiet. As a volunteer firefighter, I am not against the split as I believe once we have gone through the process, it will allow the CFA to be a better organisation and volunteer and career firefighters will be able to work alongside each other without been on their tippy toes. I have been a volunteer with my local CFA brigade as a firefighter for just over a year but I have been a member for six years and the CFA is my home away from home.
I believe the changes will bring better fire services to Victoria and make Victorians safer. I was happy to remain in the back seat and let all the opinions flow on around me without putting my two bob in, but with the news that broke today I now feel like I had to speak up and say I feel like volunteers are been used as political footballs.
Yes, volunteers were, and some still are against the Andrews Labor government, but they have fallen below the line now by putting the cancer compensation in the same bill as the split. I believe this is a way for Mr. Andrews to get the split through the parliament or kick us volunteers in the guts. I will continue to support the split so career firefighters for both CFA and the MFB are put into a new firefighting body called Fire Rescue Victoria, but I do not support that the Labor government have decided to put the cancer bill in with the split. As a volunteer, I agree it is time for the EBA dispute to finish but I do not agree that the government have to put volunteers' health on the line to get a bill through parliament.
I hope the Labor government decides to change the split and the cancer bill into two bills. No matter what your rank, whether career or volunteer, we will always put the safety of our communities first.
Ethan Brown, Trentham