Letter to the Editor: News that was not quite right

In a recent article in The Miner the story on the Ballarat Station carpark development quoted Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard stating that the new three level carpark will have parking for 405 cars. What he didn’t say was that this is less than the existing car paring available now and will not in any way provide for commuter parking needs for the longer term when the need will be more like 1000 spaces.

The report also went on to say that Geoff Howard said that the second stage development is a four-star hotel which is simply not true. What is proposed is serviced apartments or flats which will tower above other buildings and be sold to investors. The complex is to be built for Quest and is certainly not a hotel. As to the comments on the Goods Shed restoration and how it will activate the space borders on the farcical. No business plan to demonstrate this has been released despite repeated requests and with no parking and therefore lack of passing traffic it simply doesn’t stack up as a viable proposition. There is already a glut of vacant shops in the CBD and because it is proposed doesn’t mean it will work. If the Government listened the Station could still be a modern, all accessible transport hub for the City that provides for a growing population.

It is interesting that the Member for Buninyong has become the spokesperson for the Station despite it not being in his electorate. Why is Sharon Knight the Member for Wendouree so silent and not taking a lead as she is still the sitting member for the area?