‘Pot shot’ rankles

I REFER to Mr Hanning’s letter in last week’s letters column titled “A Better Way”.
Mr Hanning, taking “pot shots” at hard-working traders who are affected by the current situation on the south side of Berwick Village, or the passionate volunteers of the Residents, Ratepayers and Friends of Berwick Village who are genuinely concerned for Berwick’s future is not the way forward. Business owners and the broader community have a right to know what is happening in their village, particularly when it affects their livelihood and they should not have to be members of the Berwick Chamber of Commerce or any organisation to gain this information. If you had done your homework before taking the bullyboy approach (which is no way to win friends and gain members) you would have known I am a past vice-president of the Berwick Chamber of Commerce and during my time in office the chamber had almost triple the number of members it has now. At that time the chamber was extremely pro-active in communicating with all businesses, and tackled the hard issues. Perhaps you need to reassess the situation closer to home before pointing the finger at everyone else.
While I support the suggestion that more promotion and marketing is needed for Berwick, it is not the magical answer. Potential customers and visitors to one-off events will not return if they are confronted by empty shops, difficult access and rundown areas such as that on the south side of the village. For Berwick to attract new businesses and regain its unique ambiance and charm, this and other major issues must be addressed first.
The deteriorating situation on Berwick’s south side has been going on for far too long. The council and indeed chamber of commerce have had ample time and opportunity to help address this issue, at least in the short term but unfortunately this has not occurred. Going to the press was a last resort to bring this concerning situation to everyone’s attention and to that end the move has been entirely successful. The public is extremely supportive, everyone is talking about it and now the chamber of commerce is sitting up and taking notice.
For the record before going to the press several avenues had been followed by the RRFBV (no smoke and mirrors involved) to obtain information in regard to the Southside complex and its surrounds. Our concerns were raised with Cr Moreland and he advised that the developer (Australand) “are considering a number of options” for the Southside complex and surrounds and council should have a decision on how they are going to proceed in the next few weeks. Unfortunately we have been hearing this since 2008 and this ongoing situation is totally unacceptable. As business owners we are paying ever-increasing high levels of rates for very little return and we all deserve better.
I spoke personally with a current long-serving committee member of the Berwick Chamber of Commerce in regard to this alarming state of affairs and I was advised that the chamber knew no more than anyone else in Berwick and had not received an update from the developer (Australand) in several months.
It was hardly a covert operation to contact the leasing agent for the Southside complex. The agent’s “for lease” signs with contact details are bewilderingly plastered in several locations within the complex, even though they have advised the shops are no longer being made available for lease. There was no trickery needed to gain the facts.
The developer was contacted by the reporter and invited to comment or provide an update but did not give the courtesy of a response.
We also worked very closely with VicRoads and their contractor during the Clyde Road upgrade in regard to the ongoing access to the south side shops. Both were very positive in their response and took all steps within their power to make improvements, including liaising with council on this issue. Any outstanding problems in this area are the council’s responsibility of which they are aware but to date have, unfortunately, not been addressed.
What has happened to the community spirit in Berwick where people worked together for positive outcomes no matter what group they belonged to? Disappointingly, too many have allowed egos, politics and self-promotion to get in the way. If all parties are genuine in their concerns for Berwick’s future, they will put personalities and differences aside and just get on with the job at hand.
The RRFBV warmly welcomes anyone to join and appreciates the support, however we are more than happy to assist with any major issue that is affecting Berwick Village, member or not. So Mr Hanning, if you would like to consider a more pro-active approach, you are welcome to meet with me in person at any time.
Annette Aldersea,
President,
Residents, Ratepayers and Friends of Berwick Village.