WE will have to just wait – that is the message from the City of Greater Bendigo council as the city braces itself for the annual car parking crunch.
Yesterday it was exactly one year since the council signed a memorandum of understanding with Tony Knox, the owner of the Rivers site in Hargreaves Street, to proceed with the multi-million dollar, multi-deck car park development.
Then-mayor Rod Fyffe said the memorandum paved the way for a formal legal agreement to be drawn up, which would allow designs to be finalised and the the permit process to begin.
It is understood a legal agreement has not yet been signed.
Fast forward to earlier this year and current mayor David Jones was in little doubt work would begin this year.
"We now know that construction will commence in the second half of 2006," he said.
Council chief executive officer John McLean said that would not happen. "Everybody is very keen to announce this as soon as possible," he said.
"It is a simple matter of working through the complex negotiations and agreements."
When asked if it was a matter of just waiting and seeing, he said "sure is".
Christmas is notoriously a terrible time to find a park in Bendigo.
Sandhurst Ward councillor Wayne Gregson said things were moving. "There has been a lot of progress in the past year," he said.
"I would have liked it to be built years ago.
"I don’t think it is in anyone’s interest to delay it one second longer than it has to be."
Cr Gregson said staff and councillors were disappointed with the delays.
"Not one of us is not frustrated by it," he said.
"I am content all parties are pursuing it with goodwill.
"Because it is so complex there is no way to short circuit it."
