Due
to a change in the Shire of York’s Business Direction, The office of the York
Information Services will be CLOSED Monday’s and Tuesday’s
until further notice.
Effective
Monday 9 February, Council will trial closure of the Information Services on Mondays
and Tuesdays each week excluding Public Holidays.
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Is
This the Best for York?
Which
of your ‘visions for the potential future of York’ does this fit into, Mr Best?
I’m at a loss as to how this qualifies as consultation with the community.
Perhaps this is part of New Oregon Model: Envision, Plan and Achieve. It
appears you alone are taking credit for all three steps in the process –
envisioning, planning and achieving. That is, unless one of the committees
you’ve engaged on behalf of the town’s interests will explain how this “Change
of Business Direction” came about.
From
what I (and others) have read in the cover article of the latest Community
Matters, you intended discussing ideas / information with the community
Visioning Forums. This would then be “reported to community organisations,
where they can decide on the best course of action to ensure a positive
outcome, within an overall vision that the community has agreed on”.
There hasn’t been any community agreement in this matter that I am aware
of. Therefore, towards which ‘Change of Business Direction’ are we being
herded?
One
thing I can say for certain is you haven’t consulted (all) the businesses. I
haven’t heard anything about it in the shop I manage – Settlers’ Gift Shop in
the heart of town – nor have my colleagues along Avon Terrace said anything to
me. Therefore, I imagine they are as much in the dark as I am, along with other
business owners in York. It’s obvious the community has NOT been consulted
about this “Change of Business Direction”.
Did
you cross-reference this decision with the tourist town you suggest we emulate,
Hahndorf, in SA? I very much doubt they withdraw assistance from their visitors
/ tourists on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Do
you realize the importance of keeping York’s Visitors’ Centre open every day?
Many of the attractions along the Terrace are closed the first part of the
week, so there is little available for tourists as they walk up and down the
main street. There is often an overflow of weekend visitors on Monday. I have
been directing enquiries to the Town Hall / Visitors’ Centre for suggestions on
where they can go / what they can do to experience all that York has to offer.
This often includes accommodation enquiries.
Then
there are those visitors who don’t come into the shops but attempt to locate
the signposted Information Centre. Will there be an information board to tell
them no information is available on Mondays and Tuesdays?
In
my opinion, Mr Best, you’re not off to a very good start in “getting the
foundations right for managing York into the future together ” considering the
importance of tourists to an historical town such as ours.
Jane
Elise Ferro
R.I.P. YORK
ReplyDeleteMy question to Mr Best is how and where was this decision made? All the advice I have is that although Best is a one man "Council" the same rules apply and that requires properly arranged council meetings, public question time and minutes. I accept there will be no debate, but at least the community can see the process.
ReplyDeleteIt seems this decision was recorded on a sheet of toilet paper, which begs the question - where was it made?
Upon whose 'vision' was this strange decision based, I wonder. It might not have been Mr Best - perhaps it was someone in the shire office acting without due consultation. Old habits die hard.
ReplyDeleteWhoever was responsible for it, the decision should be reversed immediately.
The notice itself leaves much to be desired. Using apostrophes is a bogan way to form plurals. If the writer didn't like 'Mondays' and 'Tuesdays', he or she could have written 'will be closed every Monday and Tuesday'.
I think we're entitled to know what exactly the 'change in business direction' amounts to if it's important enough to shut down a vital community service even if only for two days a week. Without clarification, the phrase is virtually meaningless.
Business people of York, if you agree with Jane, please let the Commissioner know.
Yes, the decision is most weird, and so is the rationale of 'change in business direction'. Sounds like a decision to 'go south', as the saying is in financial jargon. I'm not a Business Person, but even I can see the lack of logic in such a decision.
DeletePeople are already upset that half the food and accommodation businesses in York are now not regularly open, and some of them not at all. Likewise, after 5pm in York the streets are virtually deserted, and the only regular food venues open in the evenings are the Chinese and the Castle. What a change. For years Bugattis was open in evenings and traded non-stop while open, with plenty of turnover. Then the Fish and Chips etc... Deli was a takeaway standby as were the Pizza place, Settlers, the Mill Café and others.
Returning to the York Information Services: If my memory serves me right, Monday is the very day most bus tours come in. Whether they or other tourism sources, imagine the disappointment of turning up hoping to learn where to go and what to see and where to eat in York, only to discover the only way to find out is to wander round, potentially lost.
Some weekends of the year I have had occasion to spend some hours on Saturdays and Sundays at the Town Hall, and I have observed that the overseas, interstate and within-state tourists who come in invariably ask advice at the YIS. What on earth had got into the head/s of the one or more who have made the ridiculous decision that Jane has pointed out.
Well I think it's a bloody good idea, the Visitor Center should be closed for good!
ReplyDeleteWe need to invest heavily into more free power outlets for the 'grey nomads', utilise peace park as a secondary caravan park-drop another septic were the kids can play all over it.
Here's a splendid idea, utilise the car park at the wreck center, install free power, open the showers up, give all the nomads a $20-00 voucher for the Shire Tavern, the ratepayers won't mind, just put the rates up again this year, no one will say anything because apathy won't let them!
Peter 8 February 2015 at 18:19 Now if you aren't an agent provocateur, I'll be damned!! You devil, you!
DeleteThe tourism industry was not notified of this decision prior to it being made. HUGE mistake Mr Best HUGE!
ReplyDeleteI don't care what the reason is for the closure, I just know this decision should not have been made without input from the tourism industry. It shows a complete lack of respect for the industry and the key stakeholders within. I now have zero respect for Best.
ReplyDeleteBegs the question does this means the York Town Hall will now be closed on Monday and Tuesday as well?
Yes, does it mean the Town Hall will be closed as there will not be anyone on hand to watch for vandals (I'm not joking, sometimes enfants terribles have been known to e.g. run up and down the stairs or do other damage in town), answer questions asked about the Town Hall by tourists, show off the special characteristics of the Hall, etc...
DeleteWill someone be opening the Public Toilets at the Town Hall (probably, as someone from the Shire Office can open the door nearest the Office)?
If people can't access this on those days — and visitors often do show and interest in the Town Hall — then here will be more disappointment for them and our reputation as an amazing town will go further down the drain!!!
What tourism industry?
ReplyDeleteNow that's what I call 'envisioning'!
ReplyDeleteI live not far from the 'wreck' centre. What I'd really like to see is the building and amenities bulldozed and the site used for landfill. I wonder if SITA would be interested.
What a brilliant idea. Youth employment fixed overnight, all the kids would have plenty of work sifting through the rubbish like they do in third world countries. York could be the Jardim Gramacho of Western Australia.
DeleteFurther to the above, a couple, who fondly remember York in its heyday, stopped in the gift shop today seeking a sticker with 'York' on it so they could add it to the collection on their caravan. They said this was a great way to let people know where their travels have taken them, which they believed also encouraged people to check out these destinations for themselves. Unfortunately, all I could offer them was a "No Rubbish Tip in the Avon Valley" sticker, which they took saying they'd write in 'York' themselves!
ReplyDeleteYou won't be surprised to know I bemoaned the fact our Visitors' Centre - which very likely could have provided something more uplifting about York - had just taken the decision to close on Mondays and Tuesdays, commencing today. The couple indicated they'd already found that out for themselves, and were shocked to discover the building closed.
Being a very positive pair, they said they'd be back some day and were hoping to find York more like they remembered it....Let's all work to making this a reality: a thriving, buzzing place to visit that welcomes its visitors rather than shuts them out.
Onya, Jane. The points you are making cannot be faulted. I feel rather sad that you will be hearing a number of such stories from now on — lack of stickers or other portable York memorabilia to lay one's hands on when passing through, and the general disappointment that even some locals are feeling about how things have been running down and shutting down and shutting people out.
DeleteMaybe someone can design and provide you with some suitable York stickers for the shop? There are plenty of creative people in York and some with the know-how. Perhaps you know some such suitable and willing person? (Its not my expertise, but someone may be able to help.)
Not looking forward to explaining this to Avon Tourism. Once again we are a laughing stock. How terribly embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteSo it's done then and the york tourist group is doing nothing about it. If the tourism businesses aren't going to act and think it's ok that tourism closes for two days p/w because a staff member resigned then they deserve what they get. Good for roads and other stuff if there's a budget reallocation.
ReplyDelete