Street is just 'crappy'
Glenrowan residents are embarrassed by project
Sally Evans
06 February 2008
source: nenews.com.au

CONTROVERSY continues to plague a $1.8 million council project aimed at revitalising the historic tourist town of Glenrowan. Despite a grand opening in September last year, local residents Gary Nichols and Debbie Yole say the job to improve its appearance is simply not done.

They say the project has dragged on for more than two years, and the main street is still marred by unfinished kerb work and unsightly orange bunting. Work that has been completed as part of the initiative has since been neglected, with large weeds growing on the infamous siege site, while new footpaths and drainage systems have been washed away in heavy rain.

Ms Yole said local residents were fed up with the project, and embarrassed by the mess that has been left. "If it’s going to get done, do it and do it right," she said. "The community is sick of it looking crappy. "This is a tourist town and it’s embarrassing for the locals when tourists come here and say, ‘don’t go to Glenrowan, it’s a total mess’."

Mr Nichols said council was just partly to blame for the state of the town, with locals also having a lot to answer for. "The work that has been done out the front of the shops, the shopkeepers aren’t looking after it," he said. "There are gardens out there that haven’t been watered and rubbish hasn’t been picked up because the shopkeepers don’t care.

"They’ve been given something and they’re not even looking after it."

The town was struck another blow last week after dozens of newly planted trees on the site of Ned Kelly’s last stand were destroyed when an old gum tree was cut down.