Cittaslow ‘junk mail’
A town can only become a Cittaslow IF the local council makes the application and agrees to adhere to a set of rules developed in Italy that require it to consider Cittaslow ‘principles’ on EVERY ASPECT of council decision-making for that town. In other words, it’s a way of interfering (unduly) with council processes – and if our councillors are not aware of this, I just hope our CEO Ian Nicholls is.
Did you get your Cittaslow propaganda in the mail?
Page 1 - click to enlarge
… and could you make any sense of it?
The Bright Chamber of Commerce has ’stepped up’ its campaign for Bright to become a Cittaslow with this two-sided glossy brochure promoting the Chamber’s ‘networking’ night, which is currently being distributed via the Post Office.
But if you’re looking for any explanations of what Cittaslow is really all about - and why we should join it - you are not going to find it among the ‘feel good’ motherhood type statements contained in this piece of junk mail.
Page 2 - click to enlarge
Because, as the brochure says, you’ll have to make a booking and pay $30 per person to:
“Learn more about Cittaslow in a relaxed atmosphere, no boring speeches – that’s a promise! – just as much or little information as you want”
As little information as you want? Well this brochure already provides that – in spades! Just consider the explanations given on page 1 under the heading, “What is Cittaslow?” The three dot points tell us nothing, so here are my interpretations – in plain English:
1. Cittaslow is an anti-progress & anti development movement that so far has signed up 100 towns (mainly in Europe) by convincing their unwitting local councils that they should adhere to the Cittaslow slow-town, anti-growth manifesto simply because a small minority of people are opposed to developments.
2. Cittaslow towns aim to turn back the clock, and discourage normal everyday tourists and new arrivals.
3. Cittaslow is about maintaining existing businesses & shops while keeping new ones and competition out.
And then on page 2 the statement, “… you may ask what all of this has to do with you …” is just laughable. All of what? Nothing has been explained so far … and nothing is, because instead of going on to explain “what all of this has to do with you”, the brochure then answers its own rhetorical question with even more rhetorical questions, as follows:
DO YOU CARE ABOUT:
- good food and the use of local food & produce?
- your environment?
- Bright’s infrastructure and urban fabric?
- the area’s heritage?
- education and community awareness?
- hospitality and tourism?
If you answered YES to all or most of the above, then you could help Bright become a Cittaslow, in fact only the third Cittaslow in Australia and the first in Victoria.
Well how about that? I can’t imagine too many people answering NO to any of the above questions BUT, that still doesn’t explain why Bright needs to become a Cittaslow. The fact is that ALL of those issues are already being addressed via existing council policies & projects and/or via other local bodies, and we don’t need to become a Cittaslow to do what we’re already doing.
So why do the Chamber of Commerce committee and a few other people want (so much) for Bright to become a Cittaslow? What’s it really all about?
Well it’s quite simple. As I’ve said above, and repeatedly in previous posts, the real aim of Cittaslow is to restrict further commercial (and even residential) developments in Bright and keep new businesses and competition out.
Let’s make one thing clear: A town can only become a Cittaslow IF the local council makes the application and agrees to adhere to a set of rules developed in Italy that require it to consider Cittaslow principles on EVERY ASPECT of council decision-making for that town. In other words, it’s a way of interfering (unduly) with council processes – and if our councillors are not aware of this, I just hope our CEO Ian Nicholls is.
In fact this excerpt from Cittaslow UK explains it very clearly. Keep in mind that this is a Cittaslow STATUTE from the manifesto or charter that the Alpine council would be required to agree to if it applies for Bright to become a Cittaslow:
STATUTE: A Cittaslow town is a town in which:
A (council) policy is in place to help maintain and develop the distinctiveness and characteristics of the surrounding area and the fabric of life in the town; regeneration and re-use are priorities, rather than modernisation and redevelopment for the sake of change;
A (council) policy on the built environment encourages enhancement of the area rather than development that is insensitive to history, tradition and the needs of people
And there are many more Cittaslow “rules” that the council would have to abide by. But the above statute alone makes it crystal clear that signing up to Cittaslow is back-door planning policy.
Make no mistake, if the Alpine council is stupid enough to go ahead with this, they WILL be obliged to refer ALL planning applications for Bright to a special Cittaslow committee to consider whether or not the proposal complies with Cittaslow ‘principles’.
And that’s exactly the thinking behind this push for Cittaslow. The Chamber committee and others want to halt growth and “keep Bright as it is”. But, in a commercial tourist town like Bright, that is a sure recipe for economic disaster. Contrary to those ‘ideals’, the reality is that Bright MUST encourage new developments, not deter them, and Bright MUST grow or it will die.
Just say “NO” to Cittaslow.
Wally says: I'm taking y'all to VCAT, Woolies. Go on, git! Git out of 'my town'.
Contact: alpineopinion@gmail.com
Click 
It is a pity the Chamber does not focus on rebuilding its reputation and credibility and becoming a true representative body for the businesses in Bright. It firstly needs to apologise to the business community, members and non members, for the stupidity of its recent leadership in discrediting this town in the media and for allowing its immediate past president to be so active and outspoken in his anti business and anti competition campaign to try and stop the new Coles development.
If the best the new President and its executive can do is to now involve the Chamber in this new Cittaslow campaign that will be clearly devisive within the business and general community, then they have learnt nothing from their past mistakes.
As you have already said Ray, this appears to be another attempt by a small group of selfish anti competative business people, with their hangers on, to put Cittaslow in place so they can use it to undermine or control future development in this town. We elect councillors and pay rates to the council to make these decisions through proper planning channels and do not then need decisions referred to another body with a narrow anti growth and anti competative attitude to be able to stand in the way or have the ability to overturn their decision making. We have VCAT to do that.
The Cittaslow brochure the chamber has sent out is clearly a load of motherhood statements and in nearly all cases is exactly what this town already enjoys, and will continue to enjoy if not interfeared with. By becoming involved with this Cittaslow organisation, Bright will only narrow and restrict its appeal to tourists and business development, We need to continue to have the broadest possible appeal to the widest range of potential tourists and business investment, so it is a definite NO from me on Cittaslow”.
You tell the carloads and busloads of skiers who now stop at our Subway for their quick service healthy fast food instead of going on to McDonalds at Glenrowan as they have previously done , that we are going to turn this town into a slow town and they will laugh in your face. And just remember the money these people leave in this town is just the tip of the iceberg.
John, I agree that the Chamber should ‘clear the air’ over the Phillips’ ’saga’ and finally acknowledge the VCAT decision, which was that Coles will benefit the community and traders alike.
But remember, this is much the same committee that FULLY SUPPORTED Wayne’s involvement with Save Bright and all the anti-development propaganda that was put out. The fact they haven’t said anything to distance themselves from all that carry-on (and especially the Herald-Sun article) clearly suggests they are still of the same anti-development mind.
As for Cittaslow, I’d like to know just how the Chamber sees Bright becoming a Cittaslow as being beneficial to commerce – i.e. to tourism. And they need to be specific about that not mysterious and not talk in the generalities we’ve seen so far. No community member – repeat none whatsoever – should be expected to pay $30 to attend this function just to find that out. That function is clearly a con job and nothing else. What’s wrong with calling a simple public meeting?
The Chamber might suggest that the promotion of Slow Food (ie our local produce) would benefit our tourism but I think it’s a marginal benefit at best. Because:
1. All parts of Victoria have ‘local produce’ and ours (whilst good) is not really a major point of difference.
2. The slow food market is a very narrow one. Why gear ourselves towards catering to one narrow segment among ‘food snobs’ in Melbourne, who would probably prefer the Yarra Valley or the Mornington Peninsula anyway, being much closer to home?
3. The main attraction up here is the scenery, not food. Not many tourists are motivated to pick a destination based on its food & wine.
FURTHERMORE, our local produce could easily be promoted WITHOUT going the whole hog and declaring the entire town a Cittaslow. In fact it already is promoted via a few restaurants and other organisations like North East Valleys Food & wine (a massive Govt funded body) that puts on the ‘Gourmet Weekend’ in January. The Chamber, via Cittaslow, would merely be duplicating what is already being done.
All other Cittaslow ‘principles’ are community-based and are NO BUSINESS of the Chamber.
So it seems to me that the real reason the Chamber is pushing Cittaslow is to restrict further developments by having the council adopt Cittaslow principles for Bright. And what sort of representation is that? No wonder most people do not join the Chamber.
What I find amusing is that “Internationally” there is only about 100,000 people who support this concept. Wouldn’t you think if Cittaslow was all cracked up to be what they say, more and more towns, shires, communities would have grabbed this idea?
We already promote our local produce, wines, etc.
As you say, it is another attempt by a small minority to stop future development.
That’s right Andrew, Cittaslow was established in 1999, so in nearly ten years of operation it hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. And there is no evidence – anywhere – that it brings the towns that join it any tangible benefits. In fact it seems to cause more trouble than it’s worth.
Forget it!
Poor old Andrew Davis
The big bloke just loves development any development will do as long as it is big really big
As he always says small business is crap it just doesnt pay too much hard work but he loves bureaucrats conversely
Well ‘crapper’ you certainly picked the right name for yourself.
I don’t think there is anyone in Bright who thinks “small business is crap” because, let’s face it, there are no big businesses here anyway.
You are a rather misguided person by the sound of it. So much so that you can only attack other people rather than talk about the issue at hand – in this case Cittaslow.
So what is your opinion of Cittaslow?