Hi Rioters,
Unsure if you’ve been following the epic drama over the border in Queanbeyan.
In a nutshell, we’ve been clamouring for a cinema for 18 years, and it’s come to the boil for the last 6 months. Over this 6 month period, council has been provided with an opportunity and a space to build a cine-complex.
It’s been put to council, and for some reason it’s been rejected YET AGAIN. With some council members rejecting the proposal on the basis that an MOU has not been submitted by the provider- Metro cinemas. This despite (from my late interest this week in the Reel2redtape affair- the only “gates” I’m interested in this issue being a entering the cinema with my ticket pronto) information, presentations, cost estimates etc being presented to council for the last 6 months. As much that can be provided under an MOU without encrouching commercial in confidence information.
A cinema is what most Queaneyanites want and has been raised in many consumer surveys as a hot issue. Over the last month there have been 2 separate pages on Facebook, each attracting about 1200 likes, a petition of 500 signatures, and just this wednesday 9 out of the 14 public presentations at the local council meeting were over this issue. Not that you would think that there is so much public support FOR a cinema if you just base it on the usual Canberra Times and Queanbeyan Age reporting.
So the latest is that certain council members are stonewalling- yet again- on the issue, by adopting the “death by committee” approach. This despite that they’ve had 6months to 3 years to review feasibility studies; cost benefit analyses etc and if they had any concerns over the provider in this case Metro cinemas who have localities in Bathurst and Burnie- or having a cinema here- then surely this would have been raised 6 months ago.
It begs the question- why the delay? One of the council members was on 666am on wednesday night stating that he had no idea about Metro cinemas or that a cinema is warranted in the region. Really? You’ve had 6 months, and you can’t be bothered calling your equivalents in Bathurst or Burnie? You’ve not read the consumer surveys, it being such a hot topic on social media, and the 9/14 presenters this week who were passionate about the issue. You were;t there at any of the presentations that Metro cinemas provided etc. You weren’t there at any of the meetings??? It’s quite curious!!
Why the face-palm, the disrespectful sniggering amongst certain councillors while residents were providing their presentations at the meeting on Wednesday? Why disregard what residents of Queanbeyan have wanted- a cinema- yet again? Groundhog alright!
Who or what interests are they protecting? Why are these councillors not doing their job as representatives of people who have voted for them, but instead “doing a job” on the town itself?
We all want a cinema here, and we don’t want it further delayed by the usual stonewalling. Death by committees etc etc. What’s really going on? A bit of digging around by Canberra Times or Queanbeyan Age which they’ve not been interested in doing-because it requires actual work- might unearth the real reason.
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