Bob McMullan tries card trick on Gungahlin offices

It’s all very well for you, amarooresident, but talk to the business owners and you will find them struggling.

Walk through Gungahlin Place in the afternoon and tumbleweeds blow past. I don’t want more of my favourite local businesses folding because the government can’t be bothered providing the necessary density.

As president of the community council, Gungahlin Al gets to hear first hand the concerns of the local business owners.

Gungahlin Al in my experience is more mindful of traffic issues than most, having done more submissions and lobbying to correct past problems and avoid future ones than anyone else in Gungahlin.

I Live in Belco, work in Woden. Love to work in Gungahlin…I am sure all the business in Gungahlin would like to have a 500 office workers to feed, water and entertain too. Does Bob have the pull to make it so? Probably not. Probably never did. So why did he promise it??

As a Gungahlin resident of some 14 years standing I couldn’t care less if a government department moved out there and would actively oppose it. I like my little part of the world the way it is and have enjoyed watching it grow slowly but surely over that time, without the artificial injection and congestion of hundreds of office workers who would only marginally benefit the town centre during the day, without adding any benefit to the community life of the town.

I don’t buy the employment argument either. If you were to force a department to move they will bring the vast majority of their workforce with them, leading to a relocation of jobs rather than a creation of jobs. It would take years for those jobs to be filled by people who actually live in Gungahlin. I don’t think you can just disregard the feelings of the existing workers of any government dept that’s forced to move either, or the extra travel and time commitment that a move would place on them.

As for the Gungahlin Al’s argument regarding defence, in case he hasn’t noticed they already have large purpose built facilities around the airport. I would have thought taking leases close to your existing structures makes much more sense than locating them on the other side of town.

Woohoo! A new pub!

But back to topic – can anyone confirm the whispers I’ve heard about Bob not being preselected again? I mean, has he been preselected for the next election yet, and if not, will he be?

JessP said :

Hmm a politician who doesn’t keep his promises. How unusual! You can promises ANYTHING at an election……we only have to look at our esteemed PM to see how that works!

I actually believe the majority of people get involved in politics for the right reasons – to help their communities become better places to live in. But unfortunately such breaches of faith as Bob’s outweigh the good intentions and leave people feeling betrayed.

I guess the problem is that they don’t tend to be prosecuted (morally/publicly as opposed to legally) for their breaches. And come ballot time people tend to forget such things and vote the way they always did – as common in this town as anywhere else.

So I intend to make sure come ballot time that people in Gungahlin remember how Bob McMullan let them down.

Skid, as I have said here before, and I have said above, it is logical for Defence to look at offices in Gungahlin:

1/ Thousands of Defence staff already live here due to the high (and rapidly growing) numbers of DHA homes, thereby reducing objections from existing staff about a move.

2/ There is capacity within the organisation that over time those unhappy with the move could shift to other parts of Defence that are closer to their homes. (E.g. how many staff in the Bruce offices live in the Belco area now?)

3/ The department is far too large and multifaceted to be in just one area.

4/ The reduced commuting and resulting emissions would be a significant contribution towards the department’s GHG obligations, esp compared to where all the poor buggers get jammed in the “Majura Rd parking lot” every morning and arvo.

5/ The costs of new A-grade accommodation in the 40ha proposed business park between Hamer Street and Kate Crace St straddling Flemington Rd will be a lot more cost effective than redevelopment in the city.

6/ Being a ‘counter-flow’ commute direction, people travelling to Gungahlin from elsewhere for work would have very quick and easy commutes.

7/ Gungahlin already has everything workers need: shops, groceries, cafes, restaurants, medical services, gyms, banks, hairdressers, and plenty of each to chose from. And very soon there’s a pub coming, an $18m community health clinic, a $20m aquatic and gym centre, there’ll soon be playing fields right in the town centre.

8/ The alternative Defence locations have virtually none of these to provide a positive working environment for their staff.

You know it makes sense…

Who?

The reality is that neither local or federal ALP need to do anything for the ACT. Need PS jobs in Gungahlin? Bad luck – people here all vote Labor anyway, so the ALP is much better off spending in a marginal electorate where money can buy the votes that actually count.

All we need is for the ACT to vote in someone, anyone, other than the ALP for one term only, and then watch our fortunes change.

They should be spreading all these PS offices all over town anyway, and then leave them there for a decade or two so people can see the sense in moving (eitehr their job or their house).

Does Bob even know where Gungahlin is?

f300 might be able to ask him. I’m sure those two great minds could think up of all sorts of fantastic ideas. How about Government offices in Richardson or Kambah? f300 would only need to navigate the tyre swans and EB Falcons to a potential employer.

As for Gungahlin, I’m glad it is free of Government departments. I quite like having my work place down south in Woden while living in the north. It makes you appreciate Gungahlin so much more.

Not quite Imho

F300 still lives with Mummy and Daddy. The Real World is a tv show on mtv she sometimes watches.

Used to be that I supported Bob. Used to be that Bob had a voice and carried weight in the Labor Party and the community. Somehow after years of loyal (but misguided)service,Bob only squeaks and is ignored by the local and Federal ALP and no longer delivers for his constituents. Quit while you can break even Bob.