As seems flavour of the month, Cr Johnson was trying to re-write history and stepping away from her endorsement of the project, citing the larger than expected final costs.

Councillor Samantha McIntosh, then Mayor, was subject to the same financial information provided to all councillors when this decision was made.

While acknowledging the costs, she is standing by the project, not running. As Councillors, they regularly acknowledge the operations are the business of the Officers, not Councillors. So how is that the former Mayors responsibility for the apparent cost blow out?

She is right to highlight that this is an investment in our past and in our future - for jobs, for families, for nature, for our Gardens precinct, for our community.

What price do you put on giving our children an education?

Community donations contributed tens of thousands of dollars to this project. Such philanthropy symbolises the broader community's understanding of the importance of the cottage.

Unfortunately, another project scorned on Monday by Cr Johnson was the Lake Wendouree fountain.

This was also of historic importance and attracted community funding of $30,000 - about half the project's costs.

This funding came from us.

We gave it so proudly knowing the impact it would have as a thing of simple joy and beauty for the lake. It is a meeting place. It is photographed every day.

It was something we thought we could do for the community, to give back.

We called it the Life and Hope Fountain: Water for Life and Light for Hope. There is a plaque at the site expressing these sentiments.

We couldn't think of words more appropriate for a regional community especially in these strange and challenging times.

Yet Cr Johnson has berated Cr McIntosh for her folly with such a project.

Madam Mayor, at the time, did not come up with this plan. We did. And we approached her with the idea as a project that we thought would revive an historic and treasured part of our lake history, a living memory for so many.

It also expresses an understanding of the cultural and aesthetic value that fountains, statues and public art works provide to a community. We are more than bricks and mortar.

So, it was with sadness that we read Cr Johnson's attitude to the fountain and public benefit projects such as the Gatekeepers Cottage - both enabled by significant community contributions.

We are grateful to Councillor McIntosh for her work on these projects - and her understanding of what they mean to a society that cares and thinks about it's past, it's future and its people.

It would be disappointing if attitudes, such as those expressed by Councillors mentioned above, were to bring about a hesitation or cessation of philanthropy to this beautiful city.

Let's remember, the Ballarat Art Gallery - then the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery - was also founded on philanthropy.

Imagine our city without these things of culture and beauty?

It's hard to.

That's why we say thank you to Cr Samantha McIntosh for understanding these things - and making them happen.

Associate Professor Michael Stubbs and Malcolm Roberts, Ballarat

$501,546 is a large amount of money in anyone's language and yes, it is a lot to spend when prior estimates had been only a fifth of that. However, it's not as if Council has built a replica of the cottage, This is the real thing and restoration costs are eye-watering at any time.

I should know, my partner and I have renovated /restored seven historic homes over the past 15 years and not once have we been within coo-ee of the original estimates. Look, I know many people say this half million could have been better spent but it's too late now. Council is a tad precious with its protestations. They should have been more vigilant.

Now, how much will it cost to demolish those hideous cream brick lavatories next door? And that includes the new ones? What eyesores!

Jonathan Emes, Alfredton.

Immediate past mayor, Samantha McIntosh claims councillors didn't know about cost blowouts and time delays on the Gatekeepers Cottage. So too for the scandalous, untendered $850,000 for the Creswick Rd Car Park.

That is simply not credible.

Councillors get reports and attend regular briefings. They routinely wave through the quarterly financial reports coming to council, without asking any questions. Self-imposed ignorance is no defence. Their job is to ensure we get value for money.

Minutes of private briefings (called assemblies) are tabled at council meetings. Scrutiny of the lists of topics discussed shows how often these projects were listed. Again, councillors routinely wave these through without comment or question. If they can't recall a briefing, they can always ask. But they don't.

Councillors haven't done what the public elected them to do - be the Gatekeepers that Cr McIntosh acknowledges they should be.

John Barnes, Brown Hill.

I am bewildered by the exodus of honesty and maturity by some of our councillors over the Gatekeepers Cottage.

Councillors Taylor, Johnson, Harris, Maloney and Hudson seem desperate to divorce themselves from a decision they all made.

The shrill resignations from reality beg one question what were they doing in Council meetings?

Their job was to ask the financial questions then, not attempt an aloof innocence now.

Their confected outrage towards Councillor McIntosh is bizarre at best.

Yes $500,000 is a lot of money - but it is a generational endeavour, a seed that will grow.

Other council projects involving big dollars may not be so kind to ratepayers.

In relation to the Gatekeepers Cottage, Mayor Taylor said We shouldnt have done it. Based on the amount of money that was spent, we shouldnt have gone into the project.

Isnt this the same man who fronted the cameras at the Creswick Road carpark when it opened? It started at $180,000 and has now cost $850,000.

Should we apply his same logic to the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka? It still costs ratepayers more than a million every year.

As for linking Cr McIntosh to the former CEO Justine Linley therein lies another disappointing effort by six of nine councillors who were desperate to sack first and put natural justice a distant second.

Local Government should be about putting the people first, not politics.

If councillors want to be political, there are opportunities at State and Federal level.

John Montana, Ballarat

I am pleased the gatekeeper's house has been preserved and relocated but how did it cost so much to do so. We need to see the costs itemised and published.

There also needs to be an effort made to generate income from the building in the future.

Alison Jobe, Ballarat North.

How can you value this cottage worth $500,000.00? Waste of Ratepayer money.

Greg Armstrong, Wendouree.

As usual someone made a lot of money from contractors who tendered for the job or it didn't go to tender. People should be held to account for spending rate payers money and why it was so over budget.

Nick Martinich, Ballarat.