Please join us to celebrate the Spring Equinox and launch the Labyrinth Pozible crowd-funding campaign on Sunday 21 September, 3-5 pm, at Civic Park, across the road from the Servies’ car-park in Dangar Street. Bring friends and family – it’s a whole-of-community event, and we will experience walking the labyrinth together. For more info contact Joy on {mobile prefix oh four}03 966 517 or check out Labyrinth Armidale
By: Joy Bowles
Hello,
I would like to know who is going to maintain the Labrynth? I hope you are not expecting Council to do that. Council has just applied for a 10% SRV over 7 years to help maintain the EXISTING infrastructure which they can barely maintain as it is. They do not need any more to look after. I hope your group has a long term plan of rosters to mow, pick up all the rubbish which will collect in the corners, hedge trimming if that is what you are planning, etc. Residents at Hillgrove, Wollomombi and Ebor do all their own maintenance and mowing because Council cannot afford the labour. This is the real situation in Armidale Dumaresq. How can Council afford the labour required in maintaining the Labrynth?
Maria Hitchcock
Chairman
Armidale Dumaresq Ratepayers Association
Dear Maria, Thank you for your concern.
The maintenance of the labyrinth has been discussed and agreed upon unanimously by Council, and will be very simple. As the bricks will be installed at ground level, and turf laid between the bricks, Council will be able to mow the labyrinth grass along with the grass in Civic Park, as they already do. When I very first applied to Council I was told that it would need to be at *ZERO* cost to Council, including the maintenance. In my proposal, I suggested that the labyrinth walking community would be responsible for any edge-trimming required, and that if it transpired that at some time in the future the labyrinth was no longer appreciated or needed, then the grass would be allowed to grow back over the bricks, obliterating it completely!!!
I do understand the concern of the Armidale Dumaresq Ratepayers Association about the increase in rates, and thank you for doing something about it. I too, am a rate-payer, and appreciate the need for Council to stick to its Asset Management Plans, and reduce costs if possible.
All the best with your watch-dog activities – I appreciate that at least someone is keeping an eye out on behalf of the rate-payers.
Joy
Hello Maria
To quickly answer your question, the labyrinth has been designed very specifically to be low maintenance, with the preferred design being marked in bricks level with the grass so that it can be mown over.
The complete proposal is on the pozible website, but it would be helpful to be at the top of the main labyrinth website, too. I will see if we can update this ASAP.
Thanks for your question.
Cathie Lamont