From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 7 June

I have never been one to back away from a stoush. I will stand-up for my rights regardless of the consequence; however, some fights are not worth the bother.

THE hoo-ha of opposition to an electronic billboard atop the Kevin Paisley building in Sturt Street is too silly by half. Bewilderingly, the City of Ballarat councillors have now voted to take themselves VCAT and will be required to pay double legal costs.

The fight to save the Civic Hall building, which is now one of the finest in the city, was justified. While I had never sighted an integrity report, and I am not an expert on Art Deco architecture (although I do have just enough knowledge to be dangerous), it was patently obvious this building should not be razed. The councillors were grossly mistaken in their assessment. The people of Ballarat spoke and the old-girl (well, not so old) has been restored to her former glory. A magnificent building, it stands to be appreciated by the generations who will follow after.

The proposed desecration of the magnificent Sturt Street Boulevard caused my eyes to widen, and the heat of my blood to rise. I took the decision that nothing was going to tamper with that glorious design which sets Ballarat apart from other regional cities. A bicycle track down its centre was too ridiculous to contemplate, and tantamount to architectural and environmental vandalism. Only a Philistine would proffer such a proposal. Praise be, that nonsense has been scuttled for all time, one hopes.

Sadly, I shall not be around in 50 years; however, I say with certainty that, in the distant time beyond the year 2070, men and women, who are now children, will curse those who took the absurd decision to sell the land surrounding the glorious Ballarat railway station; land which will be needed to accommodate the new railway platforms of a major regional city. The sale was an act of pure folly.

To be arguing that an illuminated sign on top of the Kevin Paisley building (circa 1970s?) will be a distraction for motorists is, categorically, one of the silliest things I have heard, ever! Firstly: if the proposed sign causes drivers to lose concentration then, self-evidently, they should not be driving. They should surrender their licences, immediately. They are, obviously, a menace on the road and a danger to everyone, including themselves.

Secondly: Ballarat is not some sleepy, little hollow. It is a significant regional city, whose raison d’être is directly linked to its exponential growth. It is not difficult to envisage it 100 year hence. It will be a pulsating metropolis with an urban sprawl to be envied.

The assertion that an illuminated sign will destroy the heritage precinct is specious; pure baloney! Would you say the same thing about Piccadilly Circus in London, and Times Square in New York city? Have you ever visited Tokyo? At night, you need sunglasses! Let us not become trapped in a Victorian Italianate time-warp. The protection and conservation of Ballarat’s glorious heritage, of which tracts been destroyed and replaced with some of the ugliest buildings in Christendom, is imperative. What surrounds Her Majesty’s borders on architectural criminality. Few regional cities have such an assortment of beautiful timber dwellings. It is one of the delightful characteristics which makes Ballarat unique, and truly appealing for tourists. However, there is more to this city. The combination of the old and the new is an important part of any city’s attraction.

Let us commit our collective vigour fighting for, and saving, those things which truly matter. I promise, on my life, a Sturt Street electronic billboard is not the precursor to the end of modern civilisation. Rather, it is an indicator of embracing progress.

Roland can be heard on RADIO 3BA, every Monday morning, 10.45 and contacted via [email protected].