| Editor: Mr. T. Redmond Ph/Fax: 0264581402 PO Box 50 Bendoc
3888
Email: bendocpa@acr.net.au Produced by Bendoc Community House and the Bendoc Progress Assn. Inc |
|
BENDOC WHEEL
|
Media Release 9 April 2001
Bendoc RTC on HOLD
Bendoc Progress Association Inc
Funding
$91,560
Location
Bendoc, Vic
Project Summary:
Government funding will be used to establish operate and a Rural Transaction
Centre in Bendoc, which will service the people living and working in the
local district. It is anticipated that the following services will be provided:
public Internet, access to government services and tourism information;
Internet Café; interactive Centrelink website, and face-to-face
bi-monthly contact with a Centrelink officer; serviced offices for visiting
BENDOC RTC PROJECT PUT ON HOLD!
On the 6th December 2000 in a joint media release issued by Senator
Ian MacDonald, Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government
and John Anderson MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Transport and
Regional Services, stated that Bendoc was had been successful with its
grant application for funding to establish a Rural Transaction Centre within
its town.
The Bendoc Progress Association Inc. with great pleasure that their
months of hard work had paid off received the announcement, with the knowledge
that the real work of establishing the Centre and making it viable would
be the next challenge.
As soon as the contracts with the Commonwealth Government were signed
by all parties and the grant funds made available the next stage was progressed
to.
The contract for a mobile home from Clifton Mobile Homes was signed
and the first payment made. On the same day the Bendoc Progress Ass. Project
was contacted by phone only to be told that a hold was to be put on the
project and no further funds were to be used. The reason given for this
action was that objections had now been received from approximately 16
Bendoc people, some of whom are employed by the NRE and therefore are short
term residents, declaring among other things that they believed that the
project was not viable and that it should not go ahead under the management
of the BPA.
After much discussion by phone it was proposed by the RTC caseworker
Ms A. Brewster that it would be best to come to Bendoc and interview the
objectors and the supporters. This meeting occurred on 7th March 2001.
The process began at 10.30am and did not finish until around 8 pm that
evening. A letter of support was presented with 77 signatures by
the BPA. This seemed to carry very little weight as Ms Brewster said that
the Project would only continue if there was one hundred percent support
from the Community. "This would be an impossible task to achieve anywhere.
The only outcome from this meeting, in the opinion of the supporters was
that the Project had been put on hold due to a clash of personalities that
had been brewing in the town for several years. The objectors believed
that the money would be better used for a town water supply yet in the
same breath declared that the town was not going to grow and had no need
for a Rural Transaction Centre. What Government is about to issue funding
to provide a town water system when the proponents of this idea are readily
saying that they don’t want progress and don’t need any more services in
the town?" Project Coordinator Tony Redmond of the Bendoc Progress Association
Inc.
Continued on Page 2