| By Weekly Reader
Mall work is a waste of money
Okay, well I’m only 16 but it’s stupid. The Hargreaves Mall was fine before, why waste all the time and money on it? Not only has it made the mall look ugly but so hard to get around. (I’m at BSSC and when there’s a rush at lunch there’s a b-i-g rush.)
Yeah, it was fine; maybe a little touch-up here and there on it, make it look new, might have made it look nice.
But the City of Greater Bendigo council should have thought about things more before they went ahead. It seems they are more worried how many people come to Bendigo and how to make the numbers bigger and bigger. They should be looking at the smaller things that are much more worthwhile like helping children in Bendigo get a better education, helping the numerous old people’s homes, and the Bendigo hospital always can do with a hand from time to time.
Personally I would rather visit a town that has a great community feeling about it with the education, hospitals and other local businesses at a high standard and hey it might not be the best looking around but the community would make up for that. Rather than go to a town with a big long thing in the middle of the mall and still have bad education and hospitals.
The Greater Bendigo council seem to be thinking too big for themselves. The $500,000 could be used out of Australia to help starving children in third world countries or even help stop poverty in our own!
We are now in a century where everyone seems to be thinking way too big. We should be looking at the small things.
And as I and all my friends and the rest of the population our age will be the next leaders of not only this town but the country, we should have a say about what goes on.
The leaders of today should be more considerate about what they are wasting their money on.
I don’t want to grow up in a town that’s more worried about its looks than its people.
And in a year, the Bendigo Hargraves Mall will be old and there will be a new phase. Not only now is it wasting time and money, it’s a big eyesore for Bendigo.
I think people should have more say about what goes on around here and the Greater Bendigo council should think more about what they are doing not today but what is going to happen when it becomes the same old mall.
And one more thing: if the Greater Bendigo council was so great, wouldn’t they have cut down on the cost and made it more interesting?
Well that is just my opinion on this issue.
Kate Flynn,
Bendigo
Make Nessie a dragon
AS A Scot, now residing in Bendigo, I would of course be chuffed to see an Antipodean representation of our fabled Loch Ness Monster, as some view the planned ‘worm’ sculpture, adorning Hargreaves Mall and snaking her way down between the trees.
We already have here what is, I believe, the world’s largest dragon Sun Loong, so why not also the world’s largest monster? (Granted, it is
minus a head on the current plan but I am sure that minor omission could be rectified).
Another addition, and quite an important one for a true representation, could be a suitable shallow waterway, perhaps on one side of the Monster and running the length of the Mall.
With Bendigo’s recent access to recycled water, this channel could provide Nessie with a more appropriate habitat and also add a welcome counterpoint to the expanse of concrete and paving as detailed on the plan, as well as providing a reflective mirror for the trees and a cooling aspect for pedestrians and shopkeepers.
Not to mention the attraction of a paddling area for small children on hot summer days.
An alternative suggestion would be to further enhance the proposed sculpture to prevent confusion with either worm, monster or giant dog poo. To hark back to my reference to Sun Loong, why not make a few changes and convert the thing to a true Bendigo icon, the Imperial Dragon? With the addition of a head, tail and some scales, etc., I am sure a worthy result could be achieved, giving residents something unique to truly call their own and add to city pride.
Taking this idea further, and to incorporate some fun and whimsy for our younger population, a small climbing wall could be added to the structure, perhaps using scales as footholds, plus bars or climbing frames at intervals and maybe small cubby holes set into the sides. To further enhance the dragon’s appearance and add colour to the Mall, the whole sculpture could be painted in subtle rainbow or golden hues.
In no way do I wish to show disrespect to the artist of the winning design, but I do feel that this is a wonderful opportunity to really put Bendigo on the map with something unique reflecting the glorious past, present and future of this fine city with a true central focal point for residents and visitors alike.
Lyn,
Golden Square
Monster would be a place to visit
Re: Hargreaves Mall monster: My feeling is that if this sculpture is tastefully situated between trees and shrubs, it could become as famous as its enigma in Loch Ness.
It may be folklore but when I have travelled around Loch Ness during the last 25 years, it has
created fun and excitement as everyone looks for a glimpse of the monster.
Why not a similar reaction from the many tourists’ children who will visit the mall in future?
It certainly is a different concept on a play area. Children like to crawl around in hidden places. If the structure has lots of optic-fibre lighting and maybe sounds of the deep, it would bring it to life.
Children have to be catered for as well as adults. Maybe more so.
I am old fashioned and love to shop around flowers and shrubs and pretty eating places (maybe these can be incorporated). Yet I know the importance of children being stimulated while mums shop.
I also feel that Bendigo could become a featured place to visit for children when they hear that we have a monster.
It’s a fun sculpture and very different. It will have a use as well as being looked at but it could make us a favourite tourist attraction.
We have to give it a go to find out. Surely life is about trying to create anything that will benefit our economy. Also we still need to be contemporary in our designs of the future. They will also one day be our past. On special days we can still add to our attractions with our clowns, face painters, musicians etc.
The mall can be a place for everyone to enjoy for many years to come.
Jean “Eve” Paradise,
Bendigo
You have got to be kidding
FIVE hundred thousand smackers of ratepayers money for a 100 metre large yellow coloured concrete irrigation pipe, cut up into buckled sections that looks like half buried rubbish left out in the bush.
This is for our children to happily play on and shoppers and traders to love in our Hargreaves Mall? Ya gotta be kiddin’.
Competition among local artists for a winning design? Eh? You need striking design, practicality, presentation, affordability and a nod from everyone, not some artist’s boring doodle thing for a permanent structure. The out of date council we put up with wouldn’t have a clue.
My hastily designed sketch would use transparent plastic water tanks joined together to form the dragon’s body that children can safely play inside and be seen. The dragon’s mouth is also a halved sculptured plastic tank fitted onto a light weight steel frame supporting a tank neck and head that’s not accessible to children.
Imagine children from Ballarat ... the looks on their faces when they see this beautiful, majestic, coloured dragon to play in and even the moving red coloured polystyrene flames coming from the mouth look cool and the moving wings would be a memory never to forget for any tourist.
At the tail of the dragon is a covered display area featuring photos and information on our beloved Sun Loong, the Easter Fair, trams and other activities Bendigo has to offer.
A dragon statue playground situated in the mall would cost a third of the other eyesore (another Yellow Peril?) and the bulk would go into a stunning elevated transparent plastic tube walkway, that goes across Pall Mall, through the conservatory into the park, finishing at the fernery that leads to the Golden Dragon museum.
My original dragon design has copyright and the Weekly has my written permission to publish the sketch if required.
Irate ratepayer,
Cal Gully.
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