COUNCILLOR Bobby Bourke has expressed his frustration that plans for the old TAFE building are not progressing.
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He said yesterday it had been close to three years since Bathurst MP Paul Toole announced the NSW Govern-ment would be offering Bathurst Regional Council a freehold lease for the historic building and surrounding land.
Cr Bourke said council agreed it would accept the building, but nothing has happened since.
He wants to know why nothing has been done and whether council does, in fact, own the building now.
“I’m getting the feeling council is happy to let it ride so it doesn’t have to do anything,” Cr Bourke said.
“I was told we don’t own it yet and I want to know why we don’t own it.
“This has been going on for way too long. There’s too much red tape somewhere.”
Cr Bourke said he had had talks with Mr Toole, who is also the Local Government Minister.
Mr Toole said he is looking into it, Cr Bourke said.
“Let’s get it done or it will end up like the old gasworks site,” Cr Bourke said.
“I don’t want to see it standing empty year after year.
“Let’s get on with it or the state government will give it to someone else.”
Cr Bourke said council has indicated it would like to take over the ambulance building.
“Why would the state government give it [the ambulance building] to us when we haven’t even sorted out the old TAFE building?” he asked.
“The community and the heritage mob were all barking mad at the time about council taking on this building, but they haven’t followed it up.”
Cr Michael Coote agreed that nothing seems to have changed.
“We’ve told the government what we want, but it’s not moving forward. It’s still in the hands of the state,” he said.
“I believe it takes a long time to get all the titles changed over.
“It’s an old building. It’s great to have, but there’s still a lot of paperwork to be done.
“We don’t really know where we’re up to.”
Cr Monica Morse said the Conservation Management Plan for the building has been completed and it is her understanding council is waiting for further meetings with the state government.
“I think it is time something was done,” she said.