Ballarat bike plan giving people a fair choice
IT’S a terrible disappointment to see Josh Morris MLC and Cr Amy Johnson arguing against state government investments in Ballarat's infrastructure.
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The proposed changes to Sturt Street would make Ballarat's streets safer, and would encourage more people to choose walking or riding a bike over driving. Mr Morris ought to realise plenty of people would prefer to ride a bike to work or uni and that many would encourage their children to walk or ride to school, or even ride with them; if only it were safer to do so.
Mr Morris knows full well this plan is not some vast government conspiracy to stop people driving cars. It's about giving people a fair choice, something the Liberal party used to believe in.
Obviously there are a number of aspects of the plan that concern people, and with good reason: Sturt Street is a rare gem that should not be altered without careful consideration to all its users.
The new path will have an enormous positive impact on the street, opening the park up to new users and providing a tourist route from the city to the lake precinct.
In addition, modifying some intersections will go a long way to ending the unacceptably high number of collisions in the area.
That Mr Morris and Ms Johnson find one collision per month an acceptable number shows they are out of touch with community expectations.
- Matt Briody, Ballarat Bicycle Users Group spokesperson
I was disgusted to read that Ballarat councillors will vote on their own pay rise What a cheek! I thought this issue would be handed to an independent umpire to decide whether the councillors should get a wage increase and if they deserve a pay rise. I can remember when these new crop of councillors campaigned and pledged they would be frugal with ratepayers' money. In my opinion, if this council vote for a pay increase for themselves, don't complain to the ratepayers they need to put rates up this year because the coffers are a bit short. My advice: live within your means like we have to.
Geoff Rundell, Ballarat