The producers of these films saw its potential as a largely intact early country township, needing only minor intervention to make it true to the period. Its one drawback for nineteenth century period films is the twentieth century power poles and wires which restrict the scope of the film set and make long shots problematic. The producers of ‘On Our Selection’ said, if the main street power lines could be put underground in the two blocks between Park Lane and Lascelles Street, Braidwood would be used more often as a film set, providing a major commercial boost for the town.

The Braidwood Chamber of Commerce took up the challenge. They established that the cost of undergrounding the power would be, as I recall, about $150,000 and Country Energy, the power supply authority for the town at the time, agreed to put up part of the money. It was put on the back burner as a project for a future date. Braidwood’s heritage wouldn’t be going away, or so we thought.

The pedestrian crossings now being constructed by Palerang Council will put paid to Braidwood as a serious location for period movies. The concrete blisters now constructed will further restrict the choice of shots, already restricted by the power poles. The seven metre high light standards in the middle of the street, at either end, will be the last straw.

The light standards were not part of the proposal the Council put on public exhibition earlier in 2014, and they can’t be regarded as having ‘public approval.’ Like any other applicant for development approval, the Council should have established the complete scope of the work, and fully considered its consequences, before putting the proposal on exhibition.

It’s not too late for the Council to review this fiasco and show it is capable of showing some, if not complete, diligence. All that was wanted was one more pedestrian zebra crossing. Not concrete ‘traffic calming blisters,’ which do not ‘calm traffic’ nor make it easier for pedestrians to cross the street.

Cheryl Raper

Braidwood