World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre (Post 3 of 3)

Posted to Waveley Leader (28/2/2012) on 28/2/2012 at 12:19 PM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/your-say-world-comes-calling-chadstone-shopping-centre/

Obesity has been a main concern for health authority. Unfortunately, there will be more people gorging down the unhealthy fat-laden fast foods in air-conditioned comfort food courts.

The amount of energy to heat up or cool the unused space and void is phenomenal. While the world is talking about going green, such humongous development does not fit into the scheme of energy conservation. Obviously, the cost is passed on to the retailers, whose profit will be cut by the expenses. Many hopeful business operators will be virtually working for the complex owners / shareholders.

As a courtesy, I had approached the Chadstone complex once requesting permission to photograph the beautiful palm trees and architecture, but was declined by the Security department for security reason. I am surprised that I can take photographs in the airport outside the custom area, and yet I cannot do so at Chadstone shopping Centre. Is it wise for anyone to take the risk to go to places like Chadstone Shopping Centre in light of security? In short, I did ask why there was no signage to say that taking photograph was not permitted, but no answer was given!

World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre (Post 2 of 3)

Posted to Waveley Leader (28/2/2012) on 28/2/2012 at 12:18 PM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/your-say-world-comes-calling-chadstone-shopping-centre/

The reasons why overseas investors particularly China are keen for project of this nature is more than just investing in the complex. One has been mentioned previously in regards to failed projects when shopping complexes enable to attract tenancy. Another reason is likely involves an hidden agenda of “investment migration”.

Most of stalls in many complexes these days are owned or operated mainly by Chinese nationals who come in as investment migrants, and they need to run a business as a condition for visa application. However, when permanent residency status is granted, which entitles them to apply for Australian passports, the business is sold to another “investment migrant”. Whether the business is making a profit is a non-issue, because another investment migrant will pay for the business. This is the cheapest way to get the Australian citizenship.

World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to Waveley Leader (28/2/2012) on 28/2/2012 at 12:18 PM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: World comes calling to Chadstone Shopping Centre"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/your-say-world-comes-calling-chadstone-shopping-centre/

If the infrastructure surrounding the complex can be drastically improved, then the development may justify consideration, but this is pie in the sky.

Such development also defies modern trend of purchasing, and with Goolge or YouTube search, we can find many abandoned ghost shopping centres or ghost malls around the world, including prosperous China. We all know the shop-front retailing is soon becoming things of the past, as online purchasing continues to increase by leaps and bounds.

It has been evident that many shops in shopping complexes, shopping strips and flea markets are selling low cost products mainly China, and therefore such development is perfect for China dumping all the 2-buck junks here. Having such a big complex is basically shifting the Caribbean or Wantirna flea markets to the new location, having new facades.

Yarra Council boss quits, takes Monash Council job

Posted to Waverley Leader (22/2/2012) on 24/2/2012 at 4:57 AM
Commenting on "Yarra Council boss quits, takes Monash Council job"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/yarra-council-boss-quits-takes-monash-council-spot/

I wonder if City of Yarra were to offer the new CEO $360,000, will our "new" CEO take up the Yarra's attractive offer and quit City of Monash?

Curtailing on-call costs in Monash

Posted to Waverley Leader (21/2/2012) on 21/2/2012 at 10:03 PM
Commenting on “HAVE YOUR SAY: Curtailing on-call costs in Monash”
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/curtailing-on-call-costs-in-monash/

Ratepayers of City of Monash need more intelligent Councillors to represent their interests in the City.

Mayor Stefanie Perri is talking pure nonsense to say that “Councillors spend a large amount of time on the phone talking to ratepayers about local issues and concerns they may have." So far, as a keen follower of City of Monash's news and a frequent reader of the available local newspapers, I hardly read about what the Councillors have done or issues the Councillors have brought to the public attention!

As most ratepayers know, Councillors do not dedicate 100% of their time to represent the ratepayers, because they have other paid employment. I would be very surprised if the Councillors talk at length to ratepayers after hours.

If a Councillor spends a lot of their paid working hours talking to ratepayers, they are misusing their company's valuable resource namely time. If they operate their business, and have so much free time talking about other matters, I can imagine how dedicated they are in their business. What if it is true that they talk to ratepayers after hours? They probably value the ratepayers more than their family, honourable but plain stupid!

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 3 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 9/2/2012 at 10:50 AM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

Jack Davis said he believed the cost increase was “a waste of money”.

Jack, you're too kind, and very wrong. The whole lot of do-good Councillors are "a waste of money", sack them all. Don't forget to sack the one that comes out with the budget and writes the tender.

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 2 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 8/2/2012 at 4:15 AM
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

The increase in cost should NOT have been approved.

It is an increase of 50% of the original budget. How much is the running cost in maintaining the curtain, and what's the life of this?

Can we trust the budget of the ongoing maintaining cost if the budget for the curtain is so disastrously off-target?

Pool curtain cost up in Clayton (Post 1 of 3)

Posted to Waverley Leader (7/2/2012) on 7/2/2012 at 2:26 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on "YOUR SAY: Pool curtain cost up in Clayton"
http://waverley-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/pool-curtain-cost-up-in-clayton/

A cost blowout of close to 50% is totally unacceptable, and whoever did the cost estimate and budget should join the dole queue. As for the Councillors, I doubt they know what they are doing almost all the time, except to agree with all the proposals, and moved motion to pass whatever put forward.

With more than three quarters of the Councillors belonging to the same political party that the PM belongs to, I suppose this is the best of the worst they can do for the City.

"Councillors voted unanimously last week to accept ... increasing the curtain budget from $45,000 to $66,400" is a conspiracy of the worst kind. Did they understand that if the blowout was so big in magnitude, how could they trust the budget for future maintenance cost, very likely came from the dude that budgeted for the construction?

Have you heard anything constructive the Councillors that have done for the ratepayers except raising their temper as fast as the mercury shooting up the thermometer stem on the total fire ban day?

This is the price to pay for voting for your mates. Open your eyes in the next election.

Chinese New Year Celebration 2012 at Kingsway, City of Monash

Posted to Your News, Waverley Leader on 7/2/2012
Title: Chinese New Year Celebration 2012 at Kingsway, City of Monash

Compare with previous years, the attendance was much lower. Even close to 1 pm, Kingsway was not packed. Some stalls were not open for business, and the queues at the food stalls were short and not as "deep". Conspicuously missing were the popular DVD stalls, but there were two "traders" selling DVDs in the pavement.

The very hot weather could have turned a lot of the people away. It could possibly due to this being the last Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration around Melbourne - CNY celebration fatigue.

Beads of sweat rolled down my face, and the day was hot! I played safe to have my lunch at a Grand Tofu cafe/restaurant, which I hoped the food hygiene standards were better observed.

The ground outside the Monash Library seemed to be the real cultural hub. Chinese Association of Victoria conducted several activities including lantern painting, origami making, calligraphy demonstration, and the good old tradition of solving the classical riddles written on strips of paper hung from the tent "ceiling". Other Chinese schools and associations were there as well. This patch was a lot more crowded than the food stalls.

I took a few photos of the non-Chinese dance performance on stage. The dancers wore red - the only thing that was close to Chinese tradition!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2834859783541.2123412.1020578094&type=3&l=0f8b69dada

It was very difficult to "shoot" the lion in action because there was hardly any room to move about, let alone trying to get to the front of the crowd to capture the lion's movement close to the ground. I don't have a good camera, and cannot capture the action well at high speed.

The Lion went from shop-to-shop. It moved about on the ground, leapt in the air, lifted high to get the red packet containing money tied together with a complete lettuce to a beam above the pavement. The Lion "drank" a bottle of beer, and was likely exceeded .05. Its tail moved about like a real drunkard; it also rolled on the ground and "laughed" - well it did open its mouth flap wide.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2834912664863.2123414.1020578094&type=3&l=8af6596af4

Suddenly, the Water Dragon arrived in the City of Monash in its true form, brought along buckets of rain. Astrologically speaking, Lunar New Year began on 23/1/2012, but the Year of the Dragon actually started on 4/2/2012. This year is the Year of the Water Dragon, and it is a Black Dragon.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/sin-fong-chan-the-teacher/lesson-on-chinese-new-year-and-the-year-of-dragon/196474710450530

By now, Kingsway was deserted, and one could roll a bowling ball down the street without knocking down any pedestrian. The street was wet, and the Dragon leader asked his team members to stay put in the pavement until the rain stopped.

There were activities in the Century Walk, including the Vietnamese spring roll demonstration. I got in just at the right time; I had the last piece of spring roll from the demonstrator!

Depressed sales drove some of the more “dynamic” stallholders go round taking orders from anyone and everyone they could approach, and delivered them freshly cooked from the stalls. Eat your heart out online ordering, this is human-base customer service.

I had enough for the afternoon, and left at 4:45 pm. The sun was still hiding behind the clouds, and for more than an hour. I wanted to return to Kingsway for more fun and action, but I suffered from CYN celebration constipation! And so, I leave the reporting to someone else who attended the later part of the celebration.

Until next time, have a wonderful year. May the Dragon bring you lots and lots of water or its equivalence – wealth!