From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 30 August

The maxim tells us: look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves; conversely, you have to spend money to make money. It seems to me, both are erroneous!

BEFORE arriving at a conclusion we need to consider context (a much maligned word in recent times and used ad nauseum as an escape route by politicians), and the prevailing circumstances.

Ballarat is undergoing one of the most fascinating stage of its development. In 100 years hence, much of today’s urban landscape will have disappeared. The city as we know it will be, fundamentally, unrecognisable – major landmarks notwithstanding. It is the inevitable march-of-time, and an ever-increasing population. One must smile wryly at those residents who bleat for it to remain constant, devoid of population growth and change.

To look-back, nostalgically, and to glow in the roseate hue of a visit to a happy-time past, is normal; however, perpetually pining for the days of yore achieves nothing. Living in a constant time-warp is stultifying.

In the future, the cutting down of trees for building timber will be environmentally unsustainable. The planet needs a canopy of trees, urgently.

I am neither anthropologist nor urban scientist, but gut-instinct would suggest that, in the years ahead, many of the timber cottages and houses which make Ballarat an architectural gem will be razed, out of necessity. Only the best will be spared. They will be replaced by multiple dwellings to accommodate a much larger, and ever-growing, population, and to curb urban sprawl, which is fast becoming the scourge of Australian capital cities. Ballarat will be reminiscent of many European and Asian cities; and we need to remember: Australia is part of Asia, not Europe.

The hoo-hah surrounding the cost of renovating the Gatekeeper’s Cottage is understandable; however, it reveals more about the inadequacies, even the incompetence, of local government than it does about the merits of saving the cottage, which is, indubitably, a gem! It deserved to be saved, and those who fought for its preservation are to be applauded.

At the same time, voters and ratepayers have every right to be disquieted by the municipality’s shoddy accounting procedures, but to argue financial waste in restoring the cottage is a spurious, hoary old chestnut. The gardens, and its glorious environs, will be there long after we have departed the mortal coil. Those who follow will salute its being spared from destruction. Thanks to Julie Bradby, and her dedicated team, the cottage has returned home.

In the same way, the historic railway gates should be restored and moved to the Botanic Gardens, ensuring they, too, will survive for all time. Be under no misapprehension: the gates will, in the distant future, be relocated. The increased flow of city traffic will render them anachronistic and the root-cause of major traffic congestion. This is not about today; it is about tomorrow, and way beyond.

The Civic Hall, whose demise was almost sealed by the Ballarat council, is now one of the city’s finest buildings. Public opinion was diametrically opposed to the council’s hubristic strategies and they were forced into capitulation. The voice of the people prevailed.

When the late Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, provided $1.3 million funding for the National Gallery of Australia’s purchase of Jackson Pollock’s painting, Blue Poles, countless Australians, many of whom had never visited a gallery, dissolved into an apoplectic frenzy, frothing like rabid dogs. Their fury was boundless. Forty-five years later, the painting is insured for $350-million. We – and by that I mean you and I – own a painting now worth at least $200-million. It was a stroke of genius investment.

Recently, in the best philistine tradition, the Liberal Victorian Senator, James Paterson, idiotically called for it to be sold to relieve existing government debt! Perhaps we should burn books for heating?

Now, to complete the undertaking, all we need do is restore the singular possessive apostrophe in Caretaker’s Cottage.

Congratulations!

Roland can be heard on RADIO 3BA, every Monday morning, 10.45 and you can get in contact with him via [email protected].