Opinion by Editor Melissa Meehan
IT WAS a shock for many in the community to hear of the demise of Morrisons last week.
But for those aligned to the committee, it was no surprise after years and years of struggle.
That said, the greater community, especially Mount Evelyn, is reeling, with many unanswered questions left to dwell on.
They packed into the Station House on Thursday night to get some answers, but were hamstrung by the rules and regulations of the Mt Evelyn Township Improvement Committee (METIC) Meeting they were attending. They were informed the meeting was a Committee meeting, not a public meeting at the opening of the meeting.
Many who voiced their disdain were warned that they would be asked to leave, others had to write down their questions and were told they would receive an answer in the mail.
It’s a bitter blow for post-secondary education in the Yarra Ranges, still recovering after Swinburne’s decision to abandon Lilydale.
The empty buildings a reminder of all that was lost, and yet another year goes by without tertiary education available in our community.
So the questions must be asked.
Why was Morrisons allowed to come to this?
Was it a case of taking too much on too soon? In recent years it took over the management of the Mount Evelyn library and even a number of pre-schools in the Dandenongs.
Whatever the reason, the community wants to know was everything done to save this important organisation – or has everyone washed their hands of it?
