Budgewoi Progress Association
This very old organization is in the throes of dying out. The last few mentions in the local Pelican Itch newspaper about the association written by the members sound a little bitter that there has been no support and no new membership from outside the few aged people traditionally making up it’s numbers.
I have been supporting progress associations for years. I supported the Woy Woy Progress Association and the Saratoga as well a being delegate for the ummm (I think) Northern Regions meetings when they met to discuss the new precincts systems that were planned around Woy Woy.
I was an adviser to the members of the Legislative State Standing Committee on Coastal Development and assistant secretary to the Gosford District Conservation Society as well as a lobbying for bunch of other things so I am not totally without experience. But I am now fat and disabled and a bit toothless so I look less than inspiring.
I attended the Budgewoi Progress Association and became a member not long after I moved her several years ago. I was treated with great warmth when I first attended but my attempts to find a point where I could contribute were ignored. I came to realize very quickly in that one meeting that this particular association revolved around Adrian who was the president, a few others, and contributions from elsewhere were dealt with according to that power structure and an agenda that was laudable had we still been in 1950’s.
It seemed to me that this small central group did all the work, used the association as their access to community good deeds but also their level of esteem and success and social position in their retired years.
I sent a letter to the local paper suggesting that a certain councilor should look into the history of promises about the habitat around a certain road before they cut into the bush any further than they had. I was on the lobby group that got that guarantee to look after that little bit of the North Entrance and I am certain the deep cuts into the bush for the bike track were to please the big development. There were excellent bike trails along the side of the road already.
Everyone seemed shocked that I had used information given by that councilor at the meeting to attack one of his ideas (some members were delighted) and I sensed it was not normal or even acceptable.
There are very few people who would attend that association for very long when they were tied to Adrian’s agenda and Adrian’s need to foster his social position without conflict and when they found there was no way to contribute beside sitting in a meeting and cheering the central body on. Most of the people I have met who end up supporting this kind of community association are proactive and prepared to get their hands dirty.
Almost all of them are up to date on the current thinking about things that we might do in a small community and ideas like the current one where the association was trying to get lights put up in the parking area over the road from Coles at Budgewoi would be met remarks about the fact that we have a Green House Crisis, the area is awash with light whenever Coles is open and having powerful lights in the middle of a suburb that burn all night are a form of pollution and not conducive to the good health of immediate residents.
All that aside I think the association is closing because it was unable to reach out to people who might have been interested in local affairs. It was very obvious to me but the hold Adrian and the others had on the association would have made members of their circle unwilling to face them if they even saw the problem.
I must add here that Adrian and all the members were wonderful, warm people, had a history of valuable contributions to their community and were/are a bottomless font of information about Budgewoi and it’s surrounds
Have you thought of coming to the new Precinct Committee ? 3rd Thursday of the month 7pm started in march has friendly relations with community groups in Budgewoi, Buff Point Halekualni, includeing Dune Care, Budgewoi Scouts Guides, Budgewoi Bull Dogs, North Lakes Rugby Union, Doylason Wyee Lions, Halekualni Bowling club, Support of the Budge Pub and Soccor Club, Schools in the area P&C, Budgewoi Vision, also Wyong Shire Council, Toukley Chamber of Commerce, also Business of the Communite, and also Neigbourhood Watch who saddly folded will be making in roads into netball, and tennis club, and cricket club, . This months special speaker is Boyd Micmillion, Councils Sport and Rec Aritech, to talk to the community about its needs, and wants and upgrades,Friendly meal after meeting to get to know your community, normaly finsihes around 8:30pm people who are unfriendly to us Adrian Condigton president of the Progress Assocaition.
Thanks Matt. I have become quite ill of late and am having trouble getting to do things but if that changes I will pop in. There certainly seems to be a lot happening with at your meetings. Very exciting stuff!
I think I was at a meeting of the progress association when precinct committees were mentioned a few years back. I remembered when they first appeared in Woy Woy all those decades ago and the buzz among the members of the progress association was excitement because they had fought to get them happening. I was a little surprised to see the reaction at the Budgewoi Progress Association was a sort of dull thud. I guess I get that though.
HI admin Iam sorry to hear your not well, I hope you health has improved. Good news the precinct committee is going head strong with action and request to council and State Gov. Working on transport upgrades of the community area we have good connections in council and State Government, we even had a metion in State Government Hansard, working on hall upgrades, skate parks, bus service to wyee, toilets in the town centre, community gardens, new welcome to the townships signs and general beautification of the area and sporting grounds car park upgrades.
Sad news is the progress association has folded, and I have been blamed for that due to the fact I no longer go, they could not get the numbers for the meeting.
Adrian is still rattling in the community about how terrible a man Iam and turns up out the front of the hall during the meeting looks in from out side and hurls abuse at councillors out side when they enter for letting this happen and that the syustem of meetings at the precinct is not a meeting.
He also claims he did not know about the forming of the precinct committee and I did everything behind his back, when infacted the truth is that I approached the progress association with the idea last year with the same plan that I used to form the precinct and everyone at the progress assocation agreed it was a good idea.
All community groups agreed in 2008 that they liked the idea and would attending to form the precinct in 2008 and all they where waiting for was a letter from progress inviteing them along. After 3 months Adian decided that none of them would never show up if they wrote the letters, and we where back at another year of talking about coles and how terrible people where for not turning up at his meetings.
Then of course I was abused every meeting for doing what Adrian asked and not doing it right, and then for not doing what Adrain asked and talking about things that where not things to do with Progress, like Nulcear Reactors which where planned by the Howard government for the Local area.
The Budgewoi Buff Point Halekulani Precinct Committee is going well with great people who are committed and the future looks postive even with our very special squeeky wheel.
I hope your well
Matthew Ross Organiser and Vic President of BBPH Community Precinct Community
I feel quite sad about Adrian. You cannot be blamed for anything happening at the Budgewoi Progress Association. Unless you were to blow up the hall with everyone in it the association should have survived if the conditions and membership were right for it to do so. Initially the progress association was just closing for a few months.
Precinct Committees have always gotten up the noses of the old progress associations wherever they came into being. I remember Woy Woy and parts of Gosford being up in arms over this very thing. I have always felt there was room for both albeit with a small loss of power from the older progress associations. They end up having slightly different slants on the things they cover and when they come together on some things wield a wider power.
There are more people and issues now and plenty of scope for both especially if both have differing styles. The progress association was folding before the precinct committee began anyway. It was barely getting a quorum and someone starting something else to cover the issues was inevitable!
Congratulations on getting the precinct committee running. It looks as though though you are doing good work and covering a lot of ground!
Thanks keep in touch hope all is well and I’ll keep an eye on your website see what other intresting things you have on your website and thank you for replying
thank for share idea