Chewton is Agitated

Dear CI,

We are expecting Council to hand down its decision to close the outdoor pools at its next Council meeting on Tuesday 27 July at 7-30 pm in the Castlemaine Senior Citizens Hall.
We hope to find supporters to attend the meeting and make a show of numbers, particularly parents and children. If you or any of your readers are able to support this cause, we would be very grateful. Thank you for all you have done so far with raising awareness through CI.
We are a bit worried if council are expecting a protest turnout that they may change the venue at last minute, but we are at our last chance to save these valued community assets.

Best Regards,
Thea O’Brien and the Chewton Pool Committee.

Chewton is Agitated

The launch of the Monster Meeting Song Contest last week reminds us of the foundation of Chewton. The pick and shovel denotes hard work; the kangaroo and emu – openness to a new country and advancing forward; the bundle of twigs stands for unity; and the scales represent justice and equity – fairness for all.

It is quite ironic that this is precisely what we want to convey to our local Council, some 150 years later in relation to Chewton.

We are prepared to work hard to retain and enhance our community. We appreciate our history but are also looking forward to the needs of our young families moving to the town and district.  We are united and will not be divided in our aims; and we simply want a fair go for this community.

We need our facilities – our school, park, community meeting places and swimming pool.  We pay rates and are entitled to expectations.

The big difference between us and the original “agitators” from Chewton, however, is that WE DO HAVE THE VOTE! We will use it this year and in 2012, when the Council election comes around; to do the very thing the first Chewton diggers did – to seek a fair go!

We expect Council to vote to close our swimming pool next Tuesday night. The Council has used every effort to make out that Chewton is a suburb of Castlemaine, a small place that does not deserve its own facilities. In recent years, two Castlemaine clubs have taken up residence in Chewton’s community spaces, at the behest of Council.

However, we have no intention of losing the identity of the place that was the birthplace of our Australian democracy, so Councillors be on notice that this Chewton Digger’s Flag still has great meaning for us!