The Maitland Mercury (July 4, 2008) says ‘open heart surgery’ is needed to reinvent the city centre, a very prudent diagnosis considering the city centre has already been subject to a heart bypass!

The pressure should not be taken off this long overdue discussion that aims to throw a lifeline to Maitland City Centre and cure a number of its ailments, least of all, yet the no less important issue of security.

The Mayor, Peter Blackmore, and council’s economic strategy manager Roger Stephan have claimed in recent articles that trading in the mall has never been better. Both these men need to get their heads out from underneath the pavers!

The mall is tired and bleak it consists of very few retailers who take pride in the appearance of their stores, contrary to the belief of Mr Stephan there are very few new stores opening only existing retailers moving from one location to another and on weekends the city is deserted , there is no life here, no exuberance, what in the world will it take for Maitland Council to understand that the use by date of this white elephant is over.

Even the recent works to the river bank have failed to attract people to the city centre, millions spent on this poorly designed project that a council study said would bring life to the city has in fact cost thousands to maintain. In the years it has been finished I have never seen more that three people at any one time walking its sinking pavers, for most of the time they have to negotiate overgrown plants broken bottles and vomit, of a night it would be safer to walk the streets of Baghdad.

What is not needed here are more City Council studies, we have had enough of those, we need some action on this issue, we need some planners at Maitland Council to get over their egos, we need some key retailers to take a stand and we need council to stop penny pinching and commit to the viability of this historic city centre.

This place is dying , Mr Blackmore, dying a slow miserable death you need to start the ball rolling for a change, and Mr Stephan you need to stop skipping around the city proclaiming glee and prosperity, when there is none , none at all, you have mistaken it for plain old mediocrity.