Resources Shared?

With the holding of the Bundaberg Show in the middle of downtown Bundaberg I happened to reflect upon the events that are held in this City that have their own venue, with that venue being used once or only a minimal amount of time throughout the year, yet at great ongoing cost to the citizens and ratepayer's of the City. 

The Bundaberg Show at the 'Showgrounds' once a year, with perhaps two or three other major events to support the usage.  Agro Trend grounds, once a year.   Salter Oval, yes, Rugby, Cricket during season but really besides an event or two, how many spectators, not participants, spectators, are there at any one sporting event at Salter Oval?  It will certainly take some event to fill that expensive new grandstand!   The only sporting field to be used to capacity is the 'Football' (soccer) grounds Martens Oval.

Then there is the Bundaberg Race Track, perhaps the most under-utilised piece of flexible recreational property in the City. 

Now remember I am not commenting on the number of times grounds are used for training, practice etc its the major events that I want to concentrate on. So what's my point?  Well its seems that there is a glaring ongoing opportunity for Bundaberg City Council to be a broker in developing the Bundaberg Race Track into a truly multifunction facility that enables efficient and effective use of a major facility in the City.  With the size of the grounds, the track development, lights around the track, space inside and immediately outside the track, a grandstand, catering facilities, parking, toilets etc,  it is a multipurpose facility much under utilised and 'going to waste'.  The problem is that everyone wants their own space, their own 'shed', and base line, doesn't want to share.

Imagine, if you will, one multifunction facility that held the local races, gallops and dogs, the local show, the Agro Trend, Special Events (such as the Crusty Demons).  The cost savings to not only Council but to community Groups would be immense through not doubling up on car parks, lighting, stands, facilities.  Just imagine the events that could be drawn to the City if we had 'one' major even venue to cater for all 'major events' from dogs, to concerts and major NRL, AFL games within a real multipurpose, cost effective community friendly facility.  All it takes is the vision, the leadership and the will to make it happen.

There is no reason why any community should have to shoulder the cost of maintaining a range of individual recreational/community facilities that are grossly under-utilised.  Especially when there is a facility, The Racetrack, that with some careful and meaningful negotiations could accommodate them all.

Perhaps the old 'but its ours' demon is in full flight in Bundaberg and that it will take some real Leadership at Council level to gather the 'self ownership' forces together and work out a real shared resource agreement that is for the benefit of all in Bundaberg region and not a hand full of vested interests.

And the use of the Showgrounds and Agro Trend grounds,  if ever a sensible shared arrangement of the Racetrack be achieved?  Well thats another Personal View for another time.

This is my personal view and I welcome your feedback

Mal

Let's Get Real About League

From the outset let me state that I support the CQ Team application, and disagree with recent comments by Artie Beetson, however it seems there is a real gap in the pathway from juniors team to NRL within local League competitions. 

There is a big step between the local competitions and that of moving to a nationally based team.  Sure we have represenative teams and the Queensland Cup but perhaps though there is a need to have a higher level weekly regional competition that can feed into a Queensland Cup and then National CQ Team.  

Sure we have current outstanding young players moving to the national arena,  yet there are many more, given time and the right 'pathways', that could reach a higher level than just local comps' and the odd representative team. 

I would suggest that serious consideration should be given to the development of a Wide Bay League competition, this would be a made up from teams that could include Bundaberg, Northern Districts, Maryborough, Gympie, Rockhampton, Kingaroy. This Regional League would be fed from the current local competitions.  A weekly Regional League creates a higher standard of competition not only in opportunities for players but also for spectators of the sport.  

The Wide Bay Regional League would then feed into the Queensland Cup competition as the Wide Bay Team.  If such a regional competition was established then the creation of a highly competitive Central Queensland team would be more of a reality and be supported by highly skilled local players through enhanced skill development pathways as well as a greater number of supporters.

Though perhaps not popular, is that the Regional League games would be the main event on any weekend and the local competitions are the lead up as early pre game events.

This is my personal view and I welcome your feedback

Mal

Re-Presenting Your Interests

Welcome to the 1st Edition of 2010 A Personal View.

It is certainly timely to launch A Personal View amongst the controversy of two QLD NLP politicians resigning from their party to become a 'coalition of independents'.  Mr. Messenger (Member for Burnett) and Mr. Mclindon (Member for Beaudesert) have launched themselves into a virtual unknown future through removing themselves from their party machine (National Liberal Party) on the platform of the need for our community to receive re-presentation unfetted by Party Politics and the power of the faceless party machine.

The right of our community to have an elected member to 're-present' the majority of our community is indeed the role of our re-presentatives, of course this includes all levels of re-presentation, Local, State and Federal.   Through time and money this re-presentation has been lost to the Party Machine interest, those that have the funds and resources to saturate the screens and pages of the paid media to provide an 'image' of trust, compassion and legitimacy.

Many of our community are mesmorised by party politics, including myself in the past.  The Party's offer the vision for the individual to have a say within the party machine, local branch input, the ability through state/national conferences,  to challenge the existing policies to make a difference and to feel good about the process.  However the reality is, only found out through time, that there are only two types of groups are in control of all political parties and one of those is not the individuals at the branch level. 

The first is the 20/30 year olds  who have risen straight from school to university politics then through natural osmosis to party intern, through junior then senior posts within Ministerial offices.  Following a successful period in the mainly testosterone filled environment,  they are preselected to a safe seat, of either party. 

The second are those that are parachuted into positions because of the past sporting or other community achievements and therefore are beholden to the machine for their existence and would not contemplate risking their 'comfy existence' by rocking their gravy boat.  I can count on one hand the amount of 'ordinary' folk that I have personally known who have gained pre selection for political seats and then gone on to have won their seats.  Most 'ordinary folk' whom  are preselected are done so into seats that have a real 'no show' at winning, they are encouraged, cojouled through promises of future gains or through some false party 'loyalty'.  Remembering that the 'Party Loyalty' is built up through the pyramid sales approach of riches at the end of the rainbow that all party's 'promise' their brethren.

There are those, of course in the any Party, who like Messenger, that have not followed the 'normal' political path, he is of the 'ordinary folk' and therein lies the trail to Mr. Messengers current situation.  He is not within the 'boys club', he entered the arena as an 'ordinary folk' and is not beholding to the party for packing his parachute, nor has he completed his ministerial apprenticeship or completed his 'time' in the pyramid sales of party branch politics.

So why have I used the term re-presentation throughout.  Because it is the whole basis of our democracy, it's not just representation that we should expect of our elected officials.  We should and demand of them to re-present our majority view and therefore they are re-presentatives, to ‘re-present our views’.    And this is what, love him or otherwise,  is what Mr. Messenger is doing for the the constituents of the seat of Burnett.  And perhaps there are other elected re-presentatives at a State level close by whom should also consider Mr. Messengers lead.

This is my personal view and I welcome your feedback

Mal

Mal McCullough

Email: malmccullough@gmail.com