I refer to the shocking announcement that the Armidale Dumaresq Council (‘ADC’) General Manager proposes to seek the rezoning of most of the Armidale High School Farm and about half of the playing fields as industrial land that ADC would then develop for a profit.
Ratepayers may consider using their votes at the ADC elections on September 8 to protect this important public asset.
Below the line, vote at least “1” to “10” for the Independent candidates of your choice to give Armidale a 21st century future.
Ideally ratepayers would avoid Group B and Group D that appear to be the incognito Torbay National Party candidates apparently keen to exploit this “huge opportunity that is being missed”.
Ratepayers must consider whether this proposal is a down payment to the new faithful of the Torbay resuscitated National Party attacking our Tony Windsor MP (New England).
A better solution would be to utilise the considerable acreage of church or private school owned land that presently makes no contribution to the ADC rates budget.
Perhaps it is time for these organisations to pull their community weight by donating their unused acres to assist ADC to balance the budget allegedly put out by the computer eating about $900,000 from the balance sheet.
So, consider the suitability of the remaining TAS Brown Street East site wasted as a rarely used rifle range and farm paddock; the seldom used O’Connor athletics field with the very fast track; the NEGS back paddock adjacent to the existing industrial area; and the old highway frontage at PLC.
Alternatively, ADC could sell Fort Rusden Street and negotiate a peppercorn rent for the former St Ursula’s Convent where staff could visit the beautiful chapel every morning to pray that the ADC finances balance for the day.
Jack Arnold,
Armidale
