Local Government elections

The date for the local government elections has been brought forward a fortnight to 13 September 2008.

Lakeside Road parking

Council is considering a proposal to alter the parking arrangement in Lakeside Road Eastwood from angle parking to parallel parking. After exhaustively consulting affected residents (four times over about three years) and receiving the same response each time, Council staff recommended that angle parking remain (Option 2), with improvements such as sealing to prevent gravel washing into the adjacent Eastwood Park and stoppers so that cars would not bump the grandstand when they park.

None of the affected residents want Option 1, which changes the parking arrangement to parallel parking. Despite this and despite the fact that no-one in the community has asked for the parking arrangement to be changed, one councillor has been driving this change as a personal project.

The reasons for supporting Option 2 in my view are:

• The affected local residents have requested that the current arrangement be retained
• No-one in the community has asked for Option 1
• Council staff have recommended Option 2
• The parking is untimed commuter parking, so it is accessed only twice per day (morning and night) and does not generate significant pedestrian traffic, so there is no need for a footpath as provided in Option 1. All other commuter parking near the railway is 90 degree with no footpath behind
• if Option 1 is adopted parking places will be lost or relocated further away at the expense of parkland
• On Saturdays the loss of convenient parking will be felt by sporting users of the park
• On Sundays and evenings the loss of convenient parking will be felt by the nearby Uniting Church congregation, some of whom are elderly residents.

Councillors are elected to represent the views of the community not to zealously push pet projects that are opposed by locals and supported by no-one. This bullying behaviour by one of my fellow councillors must be opposed.

Back again

Back again after a long break from blogging. Just before Christmas 2007 I was hit by a car while cycling. Injuries were fairly minor compared to what could have happened, but full recovery has been prolonged and been the main focus for the last eight weeks. Almost there. Ankle ligaments are still not fully repaired, but good enough to walk, cycle and now run (carefully). The real test will come in early March when bushwalking in Tassie. A couple of trial walks with pack have been OK provided care is taken with foot placement.