By Luke Voogt
Protesters have accused City Hall of locking them out of a meeting to discuss Highton Library’s future.
About 40 protesters gathered outside the venue on Wednesday but City Hall denied locking them out, saying the “library closure transition meeting“ was invitation-only for nine community representatives.
The meeting followed the council’s promise to consult the public on the closure of Barwon Heads, Highton and Chilwell libraries.
But City Hall employees denied the protesters entry when they arrived at St John’s Church, said protester and former councillor Ron Nelson.
The snub left the crowd of mostly-elderly Highton residents fuming, he said.
“They weren’t allowed inside the meeting room – it shows huge disrespect for Geelong residents and is the greatest mockery of our democratic process
“These people took time out of their day to hear council’s proposals. Most people my age are at work or picking up the kids from school.”
Highton Library campaigner Jacqui Bennett backed the lock-out claims, saying council’s three administrators should begin consulting in earnest.
“Funny they should say further consultation as there has been no community consultation to date.”
Chilwell Library campaigner Lynne Dowling, who attended the protest, blasted the “secretive nature” of the meeting.
“The crowd wanted to attend and listen to the discussion which was not allowed by the council officers.”
Mr Nelson said the meeting delivered “nothing of substance” despite the long-overdue consultation.
“I believe this whole council process of justifying their decision after the fact really stinks.”
City Hall sent surveys to residents registered at Highton library but only one was among the 40 library users at Wednesday’s protest, Mr Nelson said.
“This is the craziest interpretation of community consultation I’ve ever heard. (It) demonstrates the huge inaccuracies of statistics gathered by Geelong Regional Library Corporation.”
Mr Nelson said the public was unlikely to ever hear directly from the people behind the library closures – GRLC chief Patti Manolis and the administrators.
But City Hall investment and attraction director Brett Luxford said the administrators were eager to listen, “which is why a three-month extension was given to both Highton and Chilwell libraries”.
He denied City Hall barred anyone from the meeting, which “was never designed to be public.”
“Misinformation about the meeting was spread through parts of the community and it had wrongly been reported in the media that the meeting was to be public,” Mr Luxford said.
City Hall brought Wednesday’s small group together to examine alternatives and “what types of transition support may be required” after the library closed, he said.
