DETAILS LET OUR LIVEABLE CITY DOWN

THE little things matter — football and libraries.

My nephew and his wife, both Geelong Cats fans, came from inter- state on Friday to see the Geelong Cats play Adelaide Crows.

They had pre-booked game tickets, hotel and maxi taxi to and from their hotel on the waterfront to the game. My nephew is confined to a wheelchair due to MS.

Their taxi driver to the game informed them that there was no record of a booking for a return taxi and that they would have to leave the match early to ensure finding transport home.

They loved their “partial” experience of the game; the facilities, and the atmosphere generated by a wonderful, well-behaved crowd.

Having to leave early was a disappointment, given their emotional, physical and financial investment to be there.

Fortunately the wheelchair fitted in the boot of the passing taxi they hailed down.

Geelong has great aspirations and wants recognition as a tourist venue.

No matter how “world class” a facility is, without the support structure of reliable transport, car parking etc, the gloss is dulled for both visitors and locals alike.

And so I come to our new library, which has no parking facilities. Metered parking in nearby streets makes a visit to the library an onerous expense for those on limited incomes.

Mind you, a park can still be difficult to find.

Our little library in Highton does matter; it is an important link in the library experience on offer in the City of Greater Geelong.

Our new library may be in the heart of Geelong and make for an interesting architectural statement.

As locals we invite our interstate visitors to look at our notable landmarks but at the end of the day our city has to be liveable too.

Our level of happiness and satisfaction needs to be valued. It is not just about glossy facades and never ending feasibility studies, which drain the coffers.

It is hard to balance the competing community and business needs and budget for these but our CoGG administrators, managers and consultants are paid well to do just this. Unfortunately, they lose sight of the little people and the seemingly little things that do matter. Janet Cirillo, Highton