From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 4 June

You watch; you listen; then shake your head, incredulously, asking of yourself: “Are the lunatics in charge of the asylum, or am I hallucinating?”

ALWAYS, it is easier to belittle than to acclaim; however, there are those moments when we need to step-back, take a deep-breathe, and, as Fagin says in Oliver, “review the situation”.

Inevitably, with population growth and edging, urban development, the demands of, and problems for, government increase exponentially. It would be folly to underestimate the degree of difficulty required in the infrastructure planning. Conversely, that is the reason, based on campaign promises, governments are elected; however, minor parties, independent members coupled with preferential voting has affected a modification. Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer unpredictably delivered Scott Morrison to government.

At the risk of repetition: It is only when one comes to live in regional Victoria, one realises the depth of the challenge, and the seeming lack of willing to bring about fundamental change. By definition, or even common sense, the essential modus operandi for Melbourne does not automatically translate and work for large, country cities.

In 1972, the late Sir Rupert Hamer, Premier of Victoria, initiated a decentralisation plan. He recognised a dynamic shift; the serious imbalance between regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne. It remains an on-going conundrum, and one which needs attention.

The initiative is memorable because the Melbourne Theatre Company delivered a cast, on a state government supported tour headed by Googie Withers and Frank Thring, to play The Cherry Orchard and An Ideal Husband in every town and scout hall in Victoria. It was a phenomenal success!

The importance of maintaining vital infrastructure is self-evident; however, the planning does need to be meticulously cognisant of the cities’ events calendars. To have scheduled a clash between VLine maintenance and one of Ballarat’s most important weekends is disquieting, and profoundly disappointing. It demonstrates, categorically, an unforgiveable indifference to any regional city’s fiscal dependency on major events, and the consequential business it generates therein.

The Ballarat blunder has ramifications for all major regional cities, and indicates a serious lack of consultation; a degree of ineptitude; a want of regard; and a total absence of operational understanding. While the error in timing does not appear to have affected crowd numbers, it did manifoldly worsen the degree of inconvenience for those visitors travelling to and from.

The machine is cumbrous. That Ballarat, Bendigo, and Geelong, do not have their own departments of transport, locally based, designed to deal with the cities’ specific wants and needs, and with direct access to the minister, is something which should be rectified. VLine is recalcitrant. It ignores valid

and urgent requirements. Public servants preparing desktop studies for cities which they may not have visited is inadequate, and hubristic. The need is more nuanced and should be solved not from afar, but in situ. QED!

Public transport is the life and heart of every city, and too often its importance is misjudged, even ignored. There is too much platitudinous posturing for too little result. Capital investment does not, and of itself, constitute improvement. It would be interesting to know the percentage of those decision-makers utilising the system, on a regular basis. One photo-opportunity trip across the city doth not make for a public transport user!

Oxymoronically, the politicisation of politics has resulted in fewer successful outcomes. Debatably, the premier’s ubiquitous, steel-grip has wrought an atmosphere of apprehension, and, seemingly, a hesitancy in the readiness of local members to advocate on behalf of constituents.

Roland can be contacted via [email protected].