ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Certain members of our town’s living dead are up in arms this week after a new social housing plan was submitted to the Betoota Shire Council Planning Committee.
A joint venture between a local superannuation investment fund and the Queensland State Government has put forward plans to build close to 300 private and social domiciles on the site of the old Haitana Racing Stables near Remienko Racecourse by 2030; a plan that involves a mixed development of medium and high density housing.
That has many residents of the nearby French Quarter concerned. In particular, a group of sexagenarians lead by Martyn Dennis and Petunia Stoma.
Though they’re blowing more smoke now than a third-hand whipper snipper, Martyn and Petunia say they’re going to fight to make sure the French Quarter stays the way it is for their child and children’s children to inherit.
The Advocate spoke to the pair outside their favourite cafe on Rue Cervelle de Fromage where Petunia can get a skim cappuccino that’s hotter than the surface of the sun.
“I am old as shit, please listen to me,” said Martyn before he was almost immediately interrupted by Petunia.
“This plan will turn the French Quarter, which is a great place for wealthy Boomers like me to downsize to because it’s nice and there’s a youthful vibrant energy that I can try to ruin by repeatedly airing my grievances to council about cafes and pubs and such, this plan will ruin the French Quarter.”
Petunia then took a sip of her coffee, seemingly immune to the molten dairy in the cup.
“This plan will turn the French Quarter, which is a great place for wealthy Boomers like me to downsize to because it’s nice and there’s a youthful vibrant energy that I can try to ruin by repeatedly airing my grievances to council about cafes and pubs and such, this plan will ruin the French Quarter. What are we talking about?”
Martyn then took the wheel.
“It’s just, why can’t we turn it into a nice park? Surely we can just build more houses on the edge of town. I think the New Australians and international students would like being around their own people and their people don’t live around here. They do the shopkeeping and the serving, deliver my bagels on Sunday morning when my angina keeps me from riding my bike down the middle of the main, narrow road at 9kph,” he said.
“I’ll be almost 90 when they break ground on this project. People say my opinion is irrelevant. What if I live to be 109?”
More to come.
