Interview with the GM of the Maryborough Highland Society
27 August, 2010
By Arabella Davison
Don Hester is the manager of the Maryborough Highland Society, and I interviewed him on Friday, 13 August about the Highland Society’s plans for the Kennedy Street, Castlemaine, Goods Shed. Award winning catering, reception areas, free meeting rooms with tea and coffee.
And 55 brand new poker machine licenses.
Interview below edited for brevity.
Click the mic to hear Part 1:
Click the mic to hear Part 2:
Reproduced with permission of WMAfm 107.5 on the fm dial
Read the archive of poker machine stories by clicking the machine
Posted in Local news, Social Justice
August 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Personally I get more annoyed with people pronouncing it as ‘Carstlemaine’ than Pokie machines!
August 28th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Having listened to the interview with Don Hester from the Maryborough Highland society my response would be: Spin, and evasion. His response to a question about opposition from Castlemaine residents that less weight would be given to “Radical” views can be interpreted to mean any views that are contrary to his own.
Just a quick note to Tom Tucker: Tom there are regional speech differences in Oz. Where I was raised (W.A.) the word Castle was pronounced Carstle.
August 28th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Seems there’s a lot of “it depends” answers, very round about and not very directly answered… Nice how he just dismisses anyone who opposes the idea as “radical”. I don’t think that “a lot of people in Victoria like to play the pokies” is a very sound justification for installing gambling machines.People like to smoke, too, but we all know the associated risks and these days nobody would set up a venue specifically to encourage smoking. I know it’s a simplistic argument, but it seems applicable!
I also think the argument of providing help to problem gamblers, while providing the means to gamble is ridiculous. I would think not having the temptation so accessible in the first place would be a lot more helpful to people at risk of gambling addiction.
It seems to me there could be a better use for this venue, that was more inclusive of ALL Castlemaine residents and visitors, not just those who want to gamble (or who are compelled to gamble).
Whenever I have gone into a gaming venue – usually to use the toilet – I thought it felt pretty depressing. I would rather see a vibrant arts and community use space, in which people of all ages (not just over 18, as clearly a gaming venue would permit), could come to meet, create, have fun and share with others. An arts/cafe/play/sports space (maybe witha roller rink!) would be, in my mind, a much better use for this large, central venue. Aren’t the community house in need of a new home too?
But maybe I’m just “radical”….
August 28th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Oh, and one more thing: I’m not convinced that doing “research” of “looking at facts and figures on the web, looking at similar towns” is anything remotely like the community consultation that would give a real view of what residents want. What similar towns? What facts and figures – and what did they tell you?
August 28th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
A crackerjack of an interview with “Bernie Fowler”.
As for the regional variations in accent, isn’t it nice to actually have them, and to have them defended! When I lived in Newca(r)stle, NSW I was told in no uncertain terms to get with with the regional accent even though it rankled (or should I say rarnkled) to my Victorian ear. And then again there is that t shirt slogan: you say Carstle, I say I arstle.
August 29th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Let the word go forth that regional dialects shall remain in said regions!
If we implement a local law attaching a fine to the utterance of “Carstlemaine’ then we can raise much needed funds for sporting and community groups and abate the need for the Highland society to provide the same funds through gaming revenue.
Problem solved.
August 30th, 2010 at 10:47 am
I wonder what category “pokies” can be placed in, sport, entertainment, culture? Whatever the outcome is from the Consultants report it is comforting to know that down the track Council will make a decision based on a open, transparent, inclusive, community wide consultation process!
August 30th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Is the interviewer a member of E.P.I.C?
Was this disclosed during the broadcast?
The interviewer is not a member of EPIC, and nor is anyone who works on CI.
-ed
August 31st, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Have a look at the Planning Scheme. They have 2 chances of getting a permit; buckleys and none. VCAT here we go.
Great interview BTW Arabella.
P
September 8th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Thank you all for your feedback, I really appreciate it. But what does ‘BTW’ mean Photon? (maybe it’s all in the correct pronounciation?)
(by the way – ed)