Opinion: Gatekeepers Cottage a wonderful community asset | Letters to the editor

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.

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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 shouldn't have done it. Based on the amount of money that was spent, we shouldn't have gone into the project".

Isn't this the same man who fronted the cameras at the Creswick Road car park 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.

READ MORE: 'IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED': MAYOR BLASTS OVERBUDGET COUNCIL PROJECT

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 write in response to your article dated August 1 regarding the restoration of The Gatekeepers cottage.

The article mentioned that a Rotary Club had donated $5000 to the Gatekeepers Cottage project. The club in question was the Rotary Club of Ballarat West.

Whilst we accept that the final cost of the project was higher than initially forecast, we believe that the fully refurbished cottage is a wonderful community asset for Ballarat.

READ MORE: FROM $100K TO HALF A MILLION DOLLARS: HOW THE GATEKEEPERS COTTAGE COSTS KEPT GROWING

Community uses include:

• Ballarat Botanikids uses the cottage to educate young children from all sectors of the community about the Ballarat gardens and the surrounding environment
• Wheelchair-accessible connections between fernery, Adam Lindsay Gordon Cottage & Gatekeepers
  
• Including access to new adult bathrooms/toilet block
  
• Outside accessible production and events platform
• Promoting the protection of tangible and intangible history, sustainability, recycling and restoration of historical buildings

We believe the estimated yearly upkeep of $10,000 is a minor cost considering its value to the community.

Ross Huntington, President The Rotary Club of Ballarat West.

We accept that the final cost of the project was higher than initially forecast, we believe that the fully refurbished cottage is a wonderful community asset for Ballarat.

Ross Huntington

I would like to bring to attention the great, unattractive expanse of "paved" area in Creswick Road, which seems to be unattractive even to parked cars, as they seem to be very reluctant to use it.

A pity, as it reportedly cost half as much again as the Gatekeepers Cottage, which is preserved, attractive, useful, and has historical value as well.

Yvonne Smith, Warrenheip.

Whilst I ticked the unsure box in The Courier survey about the restored Gatekeepers Cottage and the costs blown out of proportion, I feel that it was a good idea to remove and restore the house somewhat as it has historic significance to Ballarat but in saying that it did cost far too much money and took far too long to restore.

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Obviously using taxpayers money where it could have been used for something urgently needed like roads etc.

What I would really like to know, and in which we have not been told, is what will this historically restored and expensive cottage actually be used for and will it help to pay back some of the money that was used in the restoration?

Christine Whelan, Sebastopol.

I write in support of the relocation and refurbishment of the Gatekeepers cottage in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

It is beautifully restored and an asset to the gardens' attractions now and in the future. It is - and always will be - value for money.

Sometimes we focus too much on budgetary issues and overlook preservation for future generations to enjoy.

Margaret Giles, Creswick.

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