Is it just a coincidence that the pit next to Williams Real Estate was a little hive of activity yesterday, or did it have something to do with an email to a councillor, a phone call to the Civic Centre or a letter to Mr Jaboor? Let's wait and see if the 'temporary' fencing there is upgraded to the same degree that it has been at the big pit on the David Jones site.
Who knows where this sudden flurry will lead. My Christmas wish is that parking officers might forsake the revenue raising at Nelson Place in favour of some safety patrols at the chicken shop on the corner of Melbourne Road and Ferguson Street. They might not rake the money in but they might make things safer for pedestrians.

How long does it take the HBCC to issue planning permission for two rather small signs to be placed on a professional practitioner's premises? Nine months, according to my unhappy informant. You would think that relevant council staff would be too embarrassed to attend the Willi Traders' Xmas function when they deliver that kind of so-called service, but I have been given the name of at least one attendee from planning.

The so-called 'temporary' fencing around the construction site down the Strand end of Ferguson Street fell into the excavation itself during the storm. I always thought that it was far too close to the edge of the footpath myself and was very careful about standing back a bit whenever I wanted to peer into the pit. It's been a big hit with the young, that hole in the ground. I know of several toddlers who love to watch the machines there. Now we know it was more good luck than good management that someone didn't take a header. Perhaps our council should insist that developers who want to dig bloody great holes right up to the footpath should pay for the solid sort of fencing that you see at city construction sites, instead of putting our lives at risk.
There's another mini quarry up on the other side of Ferguson next to the Estate Agents. Once again we've got the same crappy fencing, some of which fell down on at least one occasion. That site is even more of a disgrace in some ways because there has been no activity there since...sorry, it's been so long, I can't remember. If nothing is going to be built in the next decade or so, perhaps our council officers might like to suggest that the owners fill the hole in so that it doesn't become a reservoir full of stagnant water after rain. Are there some rules about how long you can have something 'under construction' for?

According to the account I heard, the Willi Historical Society was invited to send two representatives to the HBCC enquiry concerning use of the Mechanics Institute but the chairperson refused to allow the second person to participate in the proceedings. Why behave in that way? Perhaps the 'Star' article provides a clue. Is it a case of from Chair to Mayor?