Today's opinion pages in The Age carry my piece on the lack of transparency and timely release of information regarding the treatment of asbestos in the demolition and redevelopment of the Roberts Street flats in Northcote. I hope it highlights the issue and leads to more open communication of information that is clearly in the public interest.
In this case, the delay in the release of the asbestos audit report can only be put down to an attempt to contain information and manage the issue, rather than inform the public. This problem was further exacerbated by the lack of tender information on the Office of Housing website.
With several redevelopments on the drawing board, why doesn't the government create a benchmark model of communication for asbestos and other redevelopment issues. Such an approach would create greater public confidence and trust, but only if the emphasis is on communication, not spin.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
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Comments are most welcome on any of the posts at Northcote Independent. I encourage feedback - positive or negative. Feel free to disagree, but remember that posts are moderated to ensure they are on the topic and in the spirit of open debate, as outlined in my editorial policy.