MAYOR Joyce McCulloch said the council had greater issues to deal with than repairing the chimes of the clock marking the ashes of Mount Isa’s founder.
“I do not have a hard arsed view on it," she said. “It is a view where I have got to make priorities for this city.” The mayor said she would be not be forced to act because she would not listen to serious allegations.
“He should have gone to the police if he felt that strongly about it.”
Cr McCulloch refers to former Mount Isa resident, Bob Keoghan, 90, who petitioned and fundraised around $40,000 to have the clock installed in Rodeo Drive. The clock was completed in February, 2013. A remaining $14,000 was given to the council at the time for the purpose of repairs. No receipt was given to Mr Keoghan.
Nobody in council seems to know where this pool of money went.
The clock replaced a four tier glass panel depicting aspects of Mount Isa including mining, agriculture, and the Kalkadoon people. This monument had replaced the original damaged clock built by the Chamber of Commerce in honour of town founder John Campbell Miles in 1968. The prospector’s ashes were buried there three years after he died.
Mr Keoghan believed the chimes had stopped due to vandalism by a disgruntled former council representative. More than four years later he met with Cr McCulloch accusing this representative of using “henchmen” to stop the clock on more than three separate occasions.
Mr Keoghan made this accusation to the mayor last Tuesday. Mr Keoghan said the mayor had been abrupt in the conversation, but not rude. Another witness in this discussion was Director of Engineering Services Emilio Cianetti. He had been the engineer when the new clock was first installed.
Mr Cianetti said there had been many technical complications to the clock when it first was installed. These needed to be repaired.
Cr McCulloch said the council was busy finishing state government funded projects close to deadline, which was a reason the clock wasn’t a priority. She was unconvinced the broader Mount Isa community cared about the clock chiming.
“Does the public want it or is it the certain few that are using the opportunity to have a go at their local council?
“Because for four and a half years that clock has not chimed and no one has blinked or laid concern.”
