Despite a bit of social media chatter about it, it’s not a done deal on the $30 million expansion of the Campbelltown arts centre, with many councillors unhappy with what’s been on offer recently.
They won’t come out and criticise publicly, but if the phone calls that have come the way of this online news outlet are any indication, the arts centre has fewer friends on council than one might think.
Some of them dismissed the arts centre as a “hardware store’’ because of the Mike Parr exhibition which is made up of plywood walls.
These issues could be partly rectified next Friday if a traditional painting wins the $20,000 Fisher’s Ghost Festival art prize.
But if another “contemporary’’ entry wins, the word on the street is that there will be even fewer supporters of the arts centre.
♦ Another organisation on the outer in this neck of the woods are the NRL outfit, the Wests Tigers.
As we all know, they are the product of a marriage between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies, when they operated out of Campbelltown.
The Magpies moved here in 1987 and when the merger took place it was an opportunity for the new entity to make Macarthur and the entire south west region of Sydney its own.
There was a real sense that if it was done right the Wests Tigers could have become the Brisbane Broncos of the Sydney metro area.
Alas, for various reasons, it turned more into a basket case than the envy of the league and only winning the 2005 premiership stops anyone from calling it a flop.
For the past 17 years this region has been virtually begging the Tigers to make its permanent home here.
But it now looks like the local strategy will be to entice other NRL clubs to use our excellent venue, Campbelltown Sports Stadium – and the Concord Wests Tigers can go jump.
The new approach will start next season when Souths play Manly in one of the NRL trial matches on Saturday, February 11.
The talk whirling around Campbelltown Council is that Souths are really keen to talk turkey on doing more in Macarthur.
It’s also interesting that when they play here in February, plenty of Wests fans will attend to support sacked hooker Robbie Farah, who has signed on with the Rabbitohs.
Maybe we should start preparing for the arrival of the Macarthur Rabbitohs?
♦ The indefatigable Greg Warren continues to amaze one and all with his energetic approach.
Less than two years after getting elected, the Campbelltown MP has probably forgotten how many openings he’s been to, how many speeches he’s made in parliament and how many local groups he’s supported in one way or another.
But Greg Warren also shows a human touch in his dealings as he did in parliament, paying tribute to former mayor Bryce Regan after he passed away recently.
The MP described Regan as a “well-respected man with a sharp wit and wicked sense of humour fondly remembered by many as a decent and loyal man with a love for his family, Campbelltown and our community’’.
I knew Bryce well and I couldn’t agree more.
An example of the nice turn of phrase he employed from time to time was a meeting of council when he accused Labor councillors of the time [in the early 1990s] of “squealing like Poms in a bath’’.
From memory, Cr Meg Oates, who migrated from England and is still on the council, took offence at the time.
Regan served on Campbelltown council for 22 years from 1974 to 1996, including two terms as mayor.
♦ A themed roundabout at the main entrance to Camden Town Centre, at the intersection of Argyle and Edward Streets, has been beautifully adorned with hundreds of pink petunia flowers, in honour of Pink Ribbon Month, Australia’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October.
This is the first time council has planted flowers as a tribute to all affected by cancer and the Camden Survivors of Breast Cancer Group.
