Petition result
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MANY of your readers last year signed a petition opposing HuntFest that was addressed to the NSW Legislative Assembly.
The petition, signed by 930 Eurobodalla residents, opposed HuntFest on several grounds including the absence of community consultation and its negative social, cultural and economic impacts on the shire, and requested the Legislative Assembly to rescind the approvals given for the use of crown land for HuntFest.
Last October, the petition was referred to the minister responsible for crown lands, the Hon. Kevin Humphries; his response, issued shortly before Christmas, was that “a review of the circumstances of the case…found that there are no compelling reasons to rescind the licence for HuntFest”.
This letter is to advise petitioners who may not yet have heard of this disappointing result.
Mr Humphries, like other members of the NSW parliament who have been approached on the matter, appears to think that it is a matter for the Shire Council; they don’t seem to realise that the reason they have been approached is the intransigence of a majority of the council which culminated in its contemptuous dismissal of the opinions expressed by residents of the Shire in Council’s own survey on the sale of arms at HuntFest. (Over 80 per cent of responses from Shire residents opposed the sale of guns.)
It appears that these councillors believe that democracy is confined to the votes of their own small group in Council meetings and that the opinions of the wider electorate on significant matters may be safely ignored.
Allan Baxter
Dalmeny
Tilba priorities
Regarding the New Tilba foothill trail in planning, it is a great concept but there are too many community projects are on loose end in Tilba which is not yet resolved.
The local Fire Brigade moved out of the shed because of traffic problems and car parking can make it worse.
A small tourist centre and public toilets would suit the old fire shed better. Central Tilba School would have liked a track from the shops, passing the school to the sportsground but there were too many problems with it.
As for The Tilba Sportsground, the public toilet is still not resolved despite my concerns that it was too small for the sporting team in the first place. We haven't had an official opening of the sportsground or done tree planting for windbreak and shade.
Another issue is the 100-year-old Big Hall (1914-2014) hardly get mentioned historically by the Council and the venue was used to farewell the ANZAC Soldiers.
Council should do more to help with allocating more capital funds to finish repairing both halls.
In the recent Council Draft Plan for next five years, I noticed that Tilba infrastructure didn't get a mention.
There is a need for the Council and National Parks to tie up the loose ends in the Tilba districts.
The sportsground can offer plenty of opportunities to celebrate and to recognise the local Aboriginal families.
Plus there is plenty of parking space for the visitors. A walk to the village but I prefer the track to be minimised impacted as a respect to protect your spiritually sensitive landscape.
Vivienne Bowe
Narooma
Pommy Prince
How sad it is that among the whole population of our vibrant country there is no one, according to our glorious leader of Team Australia, more deserving of receiving an Australian knighthood than an nonagenarian pommy Prince!
It appears that it is really true that Mr. Rabbot does actually live down a burrow.
At first I thought that January 26 was in fact April 1st.
Alas no, it seems that this is just the latest in a long litany of faux pas, gaffes, deceits, and plain foolish stupidity that we Australians are shirtfronted with, and with monotonous and depressing regularity. Who elected these clowns?
Yours in fervent hope of early deliverance.
Brian Cairns
Bega
International Year of Light
Few seem to be aware of this focus but how we need such a focus amid all the darkness, gloom, despair, proliferation of fear, violence and abuse. We each are being called to spread the light in our families, communities, country and across our bruised, battered, precious world.
We are to be the source of the light by showing kindness and respect to one another, striving for wisdom and caring in our decision making and cultivating gratitude that dissolves negativity and grounds us in what is most important in life.
The poet Rainer Rilke challenges and supports us in our endeavour when he writes –
‘Let the darkness be a belltower and you the bell.
As you ring what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself into wine.’
True and powerful words that express the depth of our shared feelings and a way to relate to them that is freeing and life enhancing.
Discover in the present predicament the meaning and course of action to be taken. There is always a way.
Add your candlelight to The Light in quiet, little, unseen ways or through bold, courageous action.
Participate in this Year of Light. We each can make a real difference and together light the way where there seems no way. Our world needs each of us now.
Noel Davis
Narooma
Energy without cost: the politics of it all
Reading from today’s papers 21/01/2015 our local state member the Treasurer, Andrew Constance is reported as saying that if the 8 per cent wage increase over two years is granted to energy, electrical trades then that will result in some 1000 jobs will have to be axed by the Government.
The report also indicated that the energy workers are being paid between $105,000 and $112,000 per year plus some additional allowances like a meal allowance when situations call for it.
The last year same source stated that the wages of these same people were $144,00 per year with generous travel arrangements to work sites, impression was perceived by the reader that the minister thought that the trades should be carrying their tool boxes on a public transport rather than in company Utes, now there appears to be a huge difference in the actual wages being provided today to last year.
It amazes me that every time trades people put in a log of claims for salary increase the entire state or federal budget collapses and Liberal politicians goes into a state of irreversible shock horror, it is Ok for parliamentarians to have their annual salaries and lurks and perks reviewed and lifted upwards into orbit without national disaster being predicted by either party nor do politicians raise any concern when oil companies conclude to fix the price of petrol.
Liberals didn't raise a yelp when it became public knowledge that the GEO of the Australia Post is being paid $4.3 million dollar annual salary plus bonuses, compare that to GEO counterpart in USA who earns a salary of $400,000 per year for running fifteen times larger organization than OZ Post.
The treasurer is championing lower energy prices for all households in NSW, then perhaps that road to recovery would start with upgrading power stations into more efficient outputs from coal and gas and introducing solar energy more widely for all Government buildings and generally by all users, but that would harm the price of the poles and wires.
It is always the trades people who bear the brunt of the Liberal Governments and their anti-stand against a living wage, where trades people should just keep rolling on without salary reviews or adjustment for inflation and productivity, this goes for teachers and nurses and our ambush as well, no money in a kitty not now not ever.
When was the last time the Liberal Government fronted the wages tribunal and agreed with log of claims from any sector of our community or the unions, when was the last time any Liberal government anywhere agreed with any social change planned into well being of our community and the nation, including introduction of national superannuation and shorter working hours or introduction of Medicare or Medibank as it known then and the ending of our participation in a Vietnam war just to mention few anomalies in the Liberal philosophy.
Even the generous maternity payments to the doctor's wife's by the Feds has stalled more than 12 months while in office by the Abbot government and no introduction date in sight, keep on playing the same tune there must be many who wholeheartedly believes the sound of the beating drum and repeating of the message of no salary increases to the common man. Perhaps the subsided meals in the parliamentary dining rooms should become full price paid by the politicians and let's introduce measures to ensure that the politicians are sober while, attending Parliament, blow in the bag every morning like the rest of the workforce.
Mark Ikonen
Dalmeny
No gun sales
Well the holiday season is over for the time being and the tourists have left town. So what have the residents of the Eurobodalla Shire got to look forward to now? Well, for some, it’s Huntfest 2015 on the long weekend in June.
But did you know that there will be guns for sale at this year's 'festival of hunting'?
Yes our local Shire Council has done it again! Not only did they not consult with the community before leasing the publicly owned Sports and Leisure centre on Crown Land to the privately run South Coast Hunters Club for 5 years, they have now ignored the local residents again and granted permission for a fire arms licence at this year's event.
With 80 per cent of local residents voting against this in a recent belated request for community submissions, the majority of councillors (yes, those who say they represent you, the ratepayers of the shire) have given equal representation to supporters of this proposal from outside the shire.
How can this happen? When do I get an equal say in what is happening in another shire? This is unbelievable!
Given the recent tragic events in Sydney and overseas involving guns I appeal to those residents who care for our natural environment, pristine coastline, layback lifestyle and more importantly our children to answer the following questions.
Do you want a 'festival of hunting' in Narooma?
Do you want guns to be sold at this year's event? Do you want to promote a gun culture within our community and our country?
If your answer to these questions is ‘No’ then join me in lobbying our councillors, state and federal politicians to reverse these decisions before June 2015.
Heather Irwin
Narooma
The celebration of being Australian
In 1997, in my first book ‘Destiny Will Out,’ I as a bicultural Asian-Australian (of Malayan Ceylon Tamil origin) wrote of the desirability of achieving an integrated people from the diverse ethnic populations already within the nation.
I have drawn upon my own settlement experiences (commencing during the White Australia era) as well as upon his work experience (as a Director of Policy in the then Department of Immigration & Ethnic Affairs) on ethnic affairs/multiculturalism, citizenship/national identity, and migrant settlement.
In my third book (2004) ‘Hidden Footprints of Unity’ I wrote of his hope for the evolution of the Australian Family of Man.
In exchange for the equal opportunity processes available, and the ‘fair-go’ ethos of the nation, an immigrant settler would accept the institutions and social mores of Australia, while foregoing those aspects of his imported culture which were incompatible with those of an evolving Australian society.
By the third generation, through a combination of education, habituation, and a desire to belong, there should be little perceivable difference between the more recent arrivals and those (like the author’s Anglo-Australian wife) whose ancestors had shaped Australia for five to six generations.
This is the author’s hope: adaptation for the benefit of all.
In my last (and sixth) book (2012) ‘Musings at death’s door: an ancient bicultural Asian-Australian ponders about Australian society,’ the author brings together – in a hard-hitting but optimistic style – my rear-vision mirror conclusions about his involuntarily adopted nation.
My grandchildren, offering a broad genetic inheritance (including Italian, German, Irish, English, and Ceylonese) see no skin colour, and express no prejudice of an ethic or cultural nature.
They are proudly Australian, as is their Grandpa Raja.
Raja Ratnam
Narooma