The Uiver has always been of particular interest to Councillors Henk van de Ven and Neville Hull. No doubt this is due to Henk's emergent Dutch derivations and Neville's aviation interests. Their almost paternal relationship with the GM of Albury City Council, Les Tomich has allowed them to earn Les's obliging patronage in this particular interest - and now the sky's the limit - (in a metaphorical way that is) to the tine of over $2 million! $2 million of Council largesse (ratepayers money) that is to be splurged on housing the aircraft while it is restored by the Moll family and Smartair. After it is 'restored' anther shed of a more meaningly interactive grander style will be constructed to house it for public display. We can hardly wait. The original shed - no doubt a large affair will be auctioned off/dismantled/read the small print - whatever. That's a lot of dosh for a a 'display' restoration of a clapped out DC2 'replica' of the original Uiver which crashed in the Syrian Desert in 1934. Years at the mercy of the elements have taken their toll. The interior has been completely gutted and has become a bit of a rat hole. All things considered you could be forgiven for believing the whole project is nothing more than a total and unmitigated reckless waste of ratepayers funds. Henk and Neville obviously don't share such sentiments. They would prefer to be seen as visionaries - men of action and not the self-serving charlatans that many believe they are.
So you can understand that Henk and Neville are a bit sensitive about the matter is mentioned in a derogatory manner. Henk is particularly sensitive to criticism of the project especially now the Cumberoona and the OZ.e Wildlife (formerly the Ettamogah Wildlife Sanctuary) are in grave danger of being cast into the backblocks of some undisclosed location. (I'm sure Amanda and her erstwhile accomplice in intriguing probabilities has entertained the thought of acquiring a few 44 gallon drums of sump oil to put an end to the Cumberoona's woes).
An interesting aside if the Cumberoona burnt to the waterline you could turn it over and make a it a flat bottomed boat - much more practical in shallow water and getting under bridges. Just a thought.
You could almost be certain the good folk of Albury would prefer to spend a bit of cash on the Cumceroona and OZ.e. Wildlife rather than a few million on a replica of the Uiver. Alright then it's a good yarn - but is it really a two or three million dollar yarn? We think not. The story could be told adequately and eloquently with considerably less but Henk and Neville have convinced Les that there will be no half measures in the matter and once you've convinced Les and to a lesser extent the majority of councillors you're home and hosed.
Such is Henk's sensitivity he really spat the dummy on August 14 when a Border mail columnist Mick McGlone wrote about a social historian who decided to inspect the Uiver because she was going to talk about it at some seminar later this year. When she did inspect it Mr McGlone stated that the lady was so shocked at the plane's condition after inspecting (she WAS warned) of the replica Uiver that she felt compelled to announce that her embarrassment was such that she would not be recommending participants at the seminar visit the airport to view the aircraft. Most people get a similar impression. No doubt to Henk and Neville view such comments as the work of small minds who can't see the big picture. Such fellow cynics who share a similar opinion to that of the social historian should be condemned accordingly. The shocked social historian was no doubt ignorant of the facts - whatever they are. That's the trouble about the 'facts' when it comes to pretending. You have to have some. Unfortunately the presentation of the Uiver story has become 'emotional'. That's why Henk probably sent an email to himself because he was emotional - when I say emotional I'm not saying he had a night on the turps. It was just that the Uiver is an emotional subject.
Sometimes however, emotion can cloud ones judgement. For example what if the DC2 Henk and Neville want to make over has a history of its own? Isn't that part of the planes history? Shouldn't that be displayed as well as the story of the Uiver? It is not the Uiver and it will never be the Uiver. Same make and model - but so what.
Henk admonished Mr McGlone for his ignorance and ascertained his character as being one of a rogue and a scoundrel - if he really wanted to be insulting he could have called him a bastard - then again such strong language transmitted to the other councillors in the email he sent them might have caused the genteel sensibilities of Henk's fellow councillors to reprimand him. You would even think that Henk not given to bad language, and because he emailed himself might have reprimanded himself.
An interesting aspect of Henk's email was the rather discordant last paragraph in which he seemed to accuse Mr McGlone of being in collusion and said as much when he stated belligerently 'the lady you appear to represent'. This bit of malice pales into insignificance when Henk tells Mr McGlone that he owes a detailed explanation of the truth of the matter. Unfortunately Henk fails to specify exactly what the truth of the matter is. If you really had an enquiring mind one might possibly suggest that the truth of the matter was how Henk and Neville were able to get their hands on a couple of million to restore the replica Uiver to 'display' condition. You will notice also that in Henks's email that the replica DC2 is referred to as the Uiver as if some bloody act of inert transfiguration had occurred - Henk's not a religious man and he's said so in the past. That's why Borderline inserted inert (lacking the ability or strength to move - Oxford University Press)
Henk also concludes that Mr McGlone 'owes' this community an apology and the Mol family because they have finally put up their collective hands to restore the Uiver to display condition. Exactly what is 'display' condition had never been adequately explained but it seemed a bit of suitable putty to fill the holes and a few coats of paint seems the go. Somehow you can smell a rat about the whole process. There's something very dodgy going on in the proposed restoration that needs further examination. We doubt if there will be because there are few inquiring minds presently on Council.
One thing you can be sure of is and in this instance the Budget Process which 'made a large commitment to the restoration of the Uiver' is just another example of how the Budget Process is corrupted by the lack of objectivity. It is made even worse the availability of the General manager to accommodate those who seek his personal patronage by agreeing with his 'thoughts' and deliberations on the GM's vision for Albury and are rewarded for doing so. Rewarding mediocre acolytes at both executive and councillor level is rampant in local government. Albury is no different and the Uiver story is a wonderful story demeaned by people who use the proposed restoration for their personal political ambitions and don't really understand the social and historical perspectives of the story of the Uiver at all.
