General Manager of Armidale Dumaresq Council Shane Burns bore the brunt of community outrage last Thursday evening during a public meeting at the Armidale Town Hall over the future of the Armidale Visitor Information Centre (VIC).
Over 170 fired-up, concerned Armidale residents attacked the council’s “Review of Armidale Visitor Information Services” report, that outlines nine options which include moving the existing VIC to NERAM or The Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place or the Airport or to the Armidale Ex-Services Club, all of which were unanimously rejected by residents who made it perfectly clear to council that the only option was to leave the VIC at its present site. However, options that allowed for this still included cost saving measures that were considered unacceptable by the majority of residents at the meeting. This included relocating a scaled down VIC to the bus shelter area and leasing the existing VIC building. This was seen as particularly outrageous to the community members at the meeting.
“There was a strong feeling in the room tonight to keep the Visitor Information Centre where it is,” said Armidale resident and ex-Mayor of Armidale Rosemary Leitch.
“Perhaps there are various activities and changes to be made that would improve the access and the goods that are sold.
“It was virtually unanimous that the Visitors Information Centre should stay exactly where it is.
“I am perfectly certain that the councillors who are here, and the ones that I have spoken to are almost unanimous I think, in appreciating the feelings within the community that the Visitor Information Centre should stay where it is.”
The validity of Council’s estimated cost of $300,000 to the community of the current VIC, as well as the need to fund, at the expense of VIC services, the 10-year Economic Development and Tourism Strategy which is estimated to cost ratepayers $500,000 per annum, were all attacked throughout the meeting, with groans of ‘we have seen it all before’ reverberating throughout the meeting.
Residents eager to get their point across to council fired question after question at Shane Burns and Tony Broomfield, Project Manager, Tourism, Marketing and Economic Development, which included: “Why is the council not doing all it can to make the current site the best site, that it ought to be within the constraints of its finances?’; ‘How much is it going to cost us to have the Visitor Information Service that everyone in this room wants?’; ‘How much are other institutions within council costing and why are we not looking at these also to save money?’; and ’Has a study been made of the cost effectiveness and benefit to the community between the Visitors Centre and any proposed marketing campaign?’. These, along with numerous other questions, were put to council.
Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Armidale Dumaresq Council Jim Maher, who chaired the meeting, is adamant that no decision has been made and that the community’s concerns will be taken on board.
“It is quite clear that the people at this meeting do not want the Visitor Information Centre to be moved from its current site,” said Jim Maher.
“People raised a range of arguments as to why it should stay where it is.
“Whether it stays where it is remains to be seen.
“People have been given the opportunity to make a submission, the closing date is midday on November 30, 2011.
“Then it will go before the Economic Development Committee and also come to council.
“Council will provide the opportunity for people to speak of their submissions at the council meeting and then councillors will have the opportunity to ask questions of those people.
“Ultimately, the decision will be made by the councillors.
“It was a pretty strong meeting and the overwhelming view, I believe, is to leave the Visitor Information Centre where it is, but maybe it doesn’t hurt to look at the operation.
“Are we doing things as well as we can? Does it need expanding? Do we need more technology there? Do we need to sell merchandise or not? Do we need to sell tickets for buses and trains; and what can we do better for providing opportunities for people to book accommodation?
“It was a healthy meeting and people within this town have a great attachment to the Visitor Information Centre, it is in a wonderful location but there has been suggestion about moving it to NERAM, which could do with the passing trade.
“It has been a great public forum, some people were angry and some people expressed their concerns.”
Story: Jo Harrison
