It’s believed a rescission motion has been filed with council to revisit the decision.

Councillors Owen Hasler, Gae Swain, Rebecca Ryan and Hans Allgayer voted for the move, while Councillors Colleen Fuller, Steve Smith, Gwen Griffen and David Quince voted against. Cr Tim Duddy was not at the meeting, and Mayor Owen Hasler used his casting vote to break the deadlock.

The decision has brought a flurry of letters to the editor, some which are included here.

T. C. Jones, of Gunnedah, writes:

I attended the council ordinary meeting for July on Wednesday at which the future of the Visitor Information Centre was discussed and voted on.

It is now a matter of record that council has decided to relocate the centre to the Mooki Room at the Civic, although I believe that the decision to relocate was taken some time ago, and that the meeting was merely a pretence of considering the community’s expressed opinion.

I listened intently to the often-interrupted presentations of those who had attended to reinforce their written submissions.

They were not, in my opinion, given a fair go and they were constantly reminded by the mayor that their time was running out. One would have thought in a matter which had raised such dissent in the community that more time would have been allowed.

It certainly was for the councillors.

I signed the petition of my own free will and was not in any way intimidated or harassed by any person.

It seems to me that those councillors supporting the relocation were more intent upon discrediting the petition and the people promoting it than putting forward believable arguments to support the move.

It was stated that a claim had been made that elderly people had been harassed, bullied and intimidated into signing the petition. Were I one of those who took the petition around, I would be mightily insulted at such an accusation.

The mayor made much of his study of the petition and that some people who signed it did not live in Gunnedah, and may have lived in Boggabri, or may have been visitors. Some Boggabri people regard Gunnedah as their centre for business, sport, education and other amenities.

Many ratepayers of this shire live and own property north and west of Boggabri and are surely entitled to express their opinion.

The opinion of visitors would seem to me to be as important as any. It is after all the Visitors Information Centre.

There are questions that need answers: Where is the displaced tennis community to park when Chandos Street is limited to 30 minutes parking on the western side?

Will they also be directed to Coles’ car park along with the large SUVs and vans? Has Coles been consulted about the potential use of their property and given consent to the use?

Was council consulted about the general manager’s decision to “do something” about truck parking in Bloomfield Street? If trucks are banned from parking in that location, what is their alternative?

The fact that the mayor had to use his casting vote is indication enough that the council itself is divided on this matter. For that reason, the four councillors who voted against the move should propose a rescission motion to have the matter debated again, and hopefully have a full council present to do so.

This matter has divided the town more than any other I have witnessed in my 40 years as a resident. For many people who have spoken to me, however, it has united them and cemented their belief that council and its administration is completely immune to the opinions and wishes of its ratepayers.

Shirley Urquhart, of Gunnedah, writes:

What do you want?

This was a rhetorical question posed after council had passed a proposal to relocate the tourist information centre to the Mooki Room at The Civic.

Unable to answer at the council meeting, I would now like to answer.

1. We would like our elected councillors to listen and take heed of their community.

2. We would like commonsense to prevail.

3. We would like the enviable facility, the Mooki Room - hub of cultural and artistic activities, not to be compromised by relocating the tourist information centre to this space.

To dismiss a signed petition by over 5000 people on the premise that the word “sale” had been used in this petition is preposterous. It is obvious that people who signed this petition were intent not to relocate the VIC.

If a councillor was concerned they had been verbally attacked over the proposal, surely they should have realised that this relocation is a very unpopular proposal and to heed the wishes of the community.

To restrict me and two other speakers to share the allocated five minutes for each speaker who wanted to speak on the proposal of the relocation, because we had already sent in a submission, I feel was an unnecessary restriction. Not that our passionate speeches would have made any difference as we realised that the proposal was a “done” deal.

When I heard of an almost $8 million redevelopment of the town swimming pool, I felt surely commonsense would prevail. This wonderful facility, in the immediate vicinity of the VIC would surely attract more patronage to the VIC, however, no, council was still intent on the relocation.

A subcommittee of the Dorothea Poetry Society was formed in response to council asking for submissions to perpetuate the memory of Bill Clegg. We proposed to transform a storage, underutilised area at the VIC into a permanent home for The Jean Isherwood, My Country, collection, a much more appropriate memorial to Bill Clegg, a great supporter of art and artists in Gunnedah,  than the rumored bronze statue in a roundabout.

This was never meant to be a stand-alone gallery but to attract more patronage to the VIC.

Will this collection now suffer the same fate as the VIC, no signage and poor visibility?

Council, surely can not blame stagnation of tourism in Gunnedah on the location of the VIC. Relocation of the venue is not the answer.

All the community would agree we need to move with the times to promote our area and attract more patronage to the VIC. No one would argue with the need to install hi-tech “cutting edge” technology to promote tourism in Gunnedah, however surely this could be done at the present VIC.

If commonsense were to prevail, to address the issues of poor visibility and lack of signage should be the first option - less expensive  than relocation.

The relocation of the tourist information centre is a very unpopular and puzzling proposal.

Council is not listening to their community.

 Why the rush?

Indeed, while I was at the gallery on Friday, discussions were being held in the Mooki Room about this relocation.

Act in haste, repent at leisure!

Lloyd Angel, of Gunnedah, writes: 

I am writing to clarify my reaction to the outcome of the motion to move the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) to the Mooki Room in the Civic Centre, which was carried at council’s meeting last Wednesday, July 16.

Having been at the meeting in the public gallery I was stunned, bewildered and totally depressed at the result, the announcement of which was rushed and brief. Surely this was a matter that demanded a detailed explanation, especially for the people in the public gallery.

Council has nine elected members; all were present except Councillor Tim Duddy, who had submitted his apology.

Since August last year, there have been many letters and articles about the VIC in the Namoi Valley Independent as well as a petition signed by a large percentage of Gunnedah’s adult population in effect recommending that the VIC remain in its current position.

It is my belief that the people have spoken loudly and clearly, but the council has not listened.

I should also mention that I attended both public meetings on this issue at the Civic Theatre and I can’t recall any member of the public wanting the VIC to be moved.

As reported in last Thursday’s Independent: “Mayor Owen Hasler used his casting vote to make the final decision after four councillors voted for the move and four voted against.”

Any advice I have received in the past recommended that it would be prudent of the chairman to use the casting vote to retain the status quo. To me, this is particularly appropriate in this case.

I wonder if the result would have been different had Cr Duddy been present on July 16.

I am still stunned.

Judy Baker, of Gunnedah, writes:

Many who went to the council meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, to learn that the Visitors Information Centre was to be moved to the Mooki Room at the Civic Centre left feeling they had lost confidence in our council.

To be fair, not all councillors were in favour of the recommendation for what seems a very expensive and unnecessary exercise at the present time, especially after the overwhelming vote the general public made to leave the VIC where it was.

As of today, I have not spoken to one person who is in agreement with the council.

The Mooki Room will now lose the gracious entrance feeling to the Civic when it becomes the VIC. Parking will become a real problem if time restrictions are made.

One does wonder if this move will really attract any more tourists to Gunnedah.

The news that the Dorothea collection can be housed is really a step in the right direction and I am sure the public would agree with this decision.

Robin King writes:

Council’s decision to approve the relocation of the Visitor Information Centre flies in the face of what people of this district want.

Over 5,000 people signed a petition to leave the centre where it is. Councillor Swain’s comments regarding the partition are ignorant to say the least. From her comments in Wednesday’s council meeting it is clear that she “doesn’t get it”.

People aren’t concerned about the fate of the existing VIC building, her reassurance that the building won’t be sold, knocked down or dismantled has nothing to do with the statement from over 5000 people who want the VIC to stay where it is.

Her comments that the survey was worded in a misleading way is ironic given that ratepayers of the Gunnedah Shire filled in a questionnaire prior to the rate increase which basically only gave ratepayers the option  “do you want to preserve the assets of the town or let them fall into disrepair”.  A carefully worded questionnaire if you want to quote results.

For Cr Swain to claim that elderly residents were pressured to sign the petition is making rather serious claims against the people who offered the petition to people.

Councillor Hasler’s comment that council had tried to find a solution to people’s concerns and that he doesn’t know what people want is interesting. 

What does over 5,000 signatures mean? Maybe if we say it slowly and carefully as if we are speaking to a child, council will get it. 

Over 5,000 people want the VIC to stay where it is.  Don’t quote parts of “reports” that suit you and ignore other parts of reports that point to a less expensive option. Councillor Hasler said three separate reports had shown the visitor’s information centre was not attracting visitors and the situation had been getting worse. Also contained in the report  from Jenny Rand and Associates that was presented to council, was an option to erect signage. 

Well, councillors who voted in favour of moving the VIC - the over 5000 people who signed the partition saying  leave the VIC where it is are suggesting a simple solution. Erect some decent signs and we’ll see in a year or two how we’re going. 

Council is entering into dangerous territory if they choose to ignore people over this issue.

ANNE Knight, of Gunnedah, writes: 

Dear Mooki Room,

So long and thanks for the happy times.

Please take care of the tree, which so many district children helped create, and the Two Rivers mural, the beautiful result of hours of cheerful dedication and creativity. These two have already had a bit of a rough time.

Enjoy your leading-edge future.