Read with interest recently the supposed top 10 priorities for investment in our city and was shocked to see a new grandstand at WIN Stadium was in 6th spot and yet the much debated development of West Dapto could only manage 10th position.

Then there was also talk about some federal cash for the city’s Blue Mile project. Here we have a project that the majority of Wollongites couldn’t care less about and yet it continues to be seen as something of a shining light.

All in all it made me wonder whether the West Dapto project is in the far-too-hard-to-do-box.

The fact that this project continues to languish at the bottom of a so–called wish list is an indictment on the poor management of this city and the politicians who represent it.

And the future of this area doesn’t seem to be getting any clearer with a strong stance by nearby residents against a proposal to build a new TAFE College and associated high rise housing accommodation on Bong Bong Road, where any local will tell you its nothing more than flood prone land.

What’s more, there are some very interested local objectors who have started to think the whole plan was a set up from day one.

Bad luck Bulli

I was scanning through the local telephone book the other day looking for Bellambi Lane and, to my surprise, found the maps in the book don’t extend to Bulli and beyond.

I found Bellambi Lane, but still have been asking myself why our most northern suburbs aren’t included.

Obviously these map makers haven’t heard of the Bulli trots!!

New Kidzwish leader 

Well known radio management personality Wendy Gee is the new chairperson of the KidzWish Foundation.

She takes over from Dorinda Kearns, who will remain on the board of directors where she is joined by new vice chairman Mark Horsley, new treasurer Lesley Patmore, secretary Chris Beaven and Peter Hanbury, yours truly and Andrew Salmon.

The organisation, which had a bumper time last year, is looking for better and bigger things to come in 2009 beginning with a sponsored party cruise on Sydney Harbour on 27 March when upwards of 100 people, including many disabled and disadvantaged children, will enjoy what will be for them an incredible time. (See story “Hearts of Gold” in this week’s Profile column.)

Aussie Rules girls history bound 

There’s every chance girls wanting to play Aussie Rules football will become part of history down this way with the first and only youth girls AFL league to be ever formed in NSW.

Remember all the hoohah when the AFL chiefs decided to ban girls from playing footy with the boys? Well, the girls and their parents are striking back.

I understand the competition will be for girls aged between 13 and 17 years and for more info go to www.aflillawarra.com or www.girlsafl.com

What can you say? 

The season hasn’t really begun in earnest and here we have the NRL in turmoil once again because of some players seemingly not being able to handle their booze and becoming a public menace.

This time the finger is pointing at last year’s premiers Manly, who for so long have been labelled the silvertails of the competition.

It’s probably time that the NRL suspends for at least a year any player found guilty of any offence that put him in the public eye.

Recession won’t just go away 

My financial advisers tell me the recession is here and it may take between five and 10 years before a sound structural adjustment to the economy will occur.

They also urged me to continue to sit tight with any long term investment strategy and not to panic.

It’s a pity the Rudd government can’t seem to face up to the fact that we are in recession and in many ways they have been found wanting, and from the way they seem to stumble from place to place they aren’t going to help it go away.

But we should have been prepared for this when you take into account the Labor Party’s shocking history of decent financial management.