What will Become of Her Maj?
Last night, the Mary’s Mount Centre in Sturt Street was full with people listening to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. This is a lovely venue and the concert was a great demonstration of how Ballarat people want to attend theatre. Sadly Her Majesty’s with a larger venue and stage, wais in darkness.
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In 2016, the council spent $1.148 million replacing the seats, carpets and regenerating the floors and renewing the heating resulting in a far more people friendly environment. I have difficulty understanding when such extensive work was done only two years ago, the present problems were not detected and a full estimate of costs done.
In 2017 there were thousands of people using the venue; up to sixty students and their instruments on the stage,, troupes with up to forty ballet dancers, amateur theatre groups and the Sun Aria. Now the theatre is unsafe and empty.
The closure has far reaching implications for Ballarat. Theatre employees with their hours slashed,restaurants around the theatre precinct feeling the effects of a reduced clientele. The effects on South Street have already been felt and will continue into the future. There is a wonderful theatre organ sitting in the orchestra pit. What will happen to this amazing piece of theatrical history? When I look at the very slow progress on the Civic Hall, I wonder if Her Majesty’s will ever open again.
Joyce Currie, Ballarat.
Rising power Prices
Is anyone else angry at the recent announcement by AGL that their profits went up by 194%. What a slap in the face for all Australians, many of them struggling to pay the excessively high electricity and gas bills that have been forced on us by greedy wholesalers and retailers. To add insult to injury our gas is sold overseas for prices far less than we pay here.
Shame on those politicians who sold off our gas and electricity companies and shame on all current politicians for allowing our gas to be sold overseas and our electricity prices to rise sky high. There are many in the community who cannot afford heating and cooling or struggle to keep ahead of the excessive rises in gas & electricity charges.
Promises were made that selling off the gas & electricity companies would bring lower prices due to competition. Has anyone seen lower prices recently? What to do? Swamp your state and federal politicians with letters of complaint. Start up a petition to have controls placed on gas and electricity wholesalers and retailers limiting price rises to no more than CPI. Demand immediate action to lower current prices, remove all the discount rubbish which just confuses and hides the real prices. People power is the only process that will get results.
John Blanchard, Wendouree.
Thought bubble?
I read with interest the story headed V/Line pushback (The Courier) August 7th where Minister Jaala Pulford attempted to pour water on the very positive suggestion by Matthew Guy at the Committee for Ballarat round table dinner that VLine Headquarters should be relocated to Ballarat. I suggest that her comment that it was just a ‘thought bubble’ was indeed pathetic, more so because she and her government were beaten to the punch by his announcement.
Paul Jenkins, Alfredton