Newcastle Morning Herald 11/01/10

MORE PRESS CLIPPINGS

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                            

 

DR BRIAN FAR RAN
Bishop of Newcastle

January 7 2010

Email: Janene@bigpond.net.au

Dear Mrs Smith

Thank you for your letter of 4th January regarding St Clement's Camberwell.

I strongly believe that the Diocesan response has been clearly articulated to the Parish already with
no fewer than 5 visits by the Diocesan Business Manager, the Archdeacon of Newcastle, the
previous Archdeacon of Newcastle and the Property Approvals Board to address the Parish Council
and inspect the site.

The matter is as much a Diocesan matter as it is a community matter.

It is my expectation therefore that the Parish representatives at this meeting explain the Church's
position to the meeting and the rationale behind it.

As you know it has been some two years since the unfortunate arson events occurred. During this
time, there has been ample opportunity for community and instrumentalities to offer support.

The public meeting seems to be a mechanism to compel the Parish and the Diocese alike to a
financially unviable project with little or no assistance from the community. This would appear to be
a superficial action and one which could be detrimental to the Diocese and of questionable future
benefit to the local community and future generations.

With respect to your invitation for me to attend the meeting, I believe that the Diocesan position
has been articulated already and therefore do not need to be in attendance.

can share with you the great difficulty in which this decision was made.

The Property Approvals Board agonised over it but faithfully followed the Ordinance in discerning
that it was not in the best interests of the Parish and the Diocese alike for the restoration to
proceed.

Should the meeting decide that it is in the best interests of the community to restore the church,
then surely this should be accompanied with explicit and substantial Financial support? This
has unfortunately been inadequate, in the Board's view, to date.

Finally, I can reassure you that the insurance monies are not lost to the local Parish community. It
is my hope that this experience energises the Parish of Singleton to develop a plan for all of its
assets that will serve future generations.

Grace and peace,

 

Dr. Brian Farran,
Bishop of Newcastle.
Diocesan Office:
51 Newcomen Street, Newcastle 2300 Australia
Postal Address: PO. Box 817, Newcastle 2300
Phone: (02) 49263733 Facsimile: (02) 4926 1968
Emai!: bishopbrian@angdon.com