Letters To The Editor

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Land sale

I refer to the Lismore Council Infolink section (Echo, July 8).

The Council has cleverly buried a draft amendment, which will affect a great number of people now and into the future. Item 4 of the draft amendment no.12 is in fact a plan to sell off pockets of current parkland/open space. At this stage I have not had the opportunity to review the draft plan at the Council chambers so do not know the full enormity of the plan.

Locally, I was informed by a neighbour that two blocks of land currently used as parkland were to be rezoned and ultimately sold for development. These two blocks run from Winchester Drive through to Camelot Drive.

This proposed sell off of open tree-studded space would appear contrary to Council's oft-stated support of tree preservation and koala habitat as well as depriving the kids of the neighbourhood somewhere to play.

Apparently residents of two adjoining properties were surveyed to ascertain if the park was used. These must have been in Camelot Drive as five homes in the cul de sac of Winchester Dr. can count up to 19 children who would be affected.

The first three amendments talk about rezoning land to open space. Referral to the plan should clarify the extent to which this will be undertaken.

I can't deny that the two blocks mentioned would make good homesites but it is definitely short-sighted of the Council to make a quick monetary gain at the expense of the community they supposedly represent.

Fred Wallace
Goonellabah

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Farmer's fiends

At a time when the drought has the farming community on its knees, it is absolutely appalling that the Carr Government is ripping out the heart of rural NSW.

Over the last few weeks, the state's farmers have voted with their feet by turning out in their hundreds to the Association's rallies in Grafton and Temora. Farmers have had an absolute gutful of watching this government continually strip away vital services. The Association has drawn a "line in the sand" and we will not budge.

Proposed cuts to services and research will have a devastating affect on communities in Grafton, Temora, Deniliquin, Trangie, Gosford, Wollongbar and Manilla. But the ramifications of this proposal will not stop there. Agriculture in this state will suffer and the government will have blood on its hands.

Research plays a critical role in driving agriculture forward, and cuts to this area will see us "behind the eight ball" with our international competitors.

Agriculture in this state contributes 10 billion dollars to the state economy. Agriculture in this state employs 122,000 people. Agriculture in this state is the lifeblood of regional NSW.

The Minister for Agriculture, Ian Macdonald says he is listening to farmers. As President of the NSW Farmers' Association, I have given him the cold hard facts. I have put the concerns of each community on his table in Sydney. The Minister is now fully aware of the situation at each of his facilities and the huge impacts that these changes will make to the already struggling rural communities, already hit with the worst drought on record

The NSW Farmers' Association will fight this issue to the bitter end and we will not stop until our members are satisfied that the government has backed away from the ludicrous idea with its appalling timing

We now eagerly await the government's response.

Mal Peters
President, NSW Farmers' Association

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Come to heel

I've been meaning to ask you this for weeks - what have you done with Shaggy?

The Echo is not the same without him. Has he run away from home? Is he in jail for chasing koalas? Has the Prime Minister had him gagged for letting out State Secrets? Have you had him put down? (Perish the thought!)

Shaggy, the Letters Pages and Around Town - main points of interest, really. Any chance of employing a new pup? Plenty at the pound...

Rosie Gibbons
Lismore heights

• Shaggy writes: It's nice to know we were missed. Having spent the last three months in Sydney for work, it's good to be home and writing the column again.

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Sex, Cash & Kids!

I refer to the 'Baby Bribe' comment by G Fuga (Echo, July 1). Firstly, having had three children in my early 30s, I can assure you $3000 would have assisted greatly in the initial pram/cot/clothing etc layout - not to mention the midwife's bill for the 'privilege' to homebirth! In fact, it may have prevented my subsequent need to file for bankruptcy, as the decision to breastfeed my twins kept me from my usual profession.

Which brings me to my next gripe G Fuga! Prostitution is an ancient and once honoured profession. Your comment drawing a correlation between women having babies for money, and women providing a sexual service for money was uneducated nonsense. Do you take issue with everything that helps to empower women? Please take note that sex workers do not appreciate your demeaning, ignorant perceptions of an occupation, which brings healing to so many. What goes on in the bedroom isn't nearly as distasteful as what goes on in limited peoples' minds!

Mel Manar
Lismore .

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Your call

Imagine, the scene is set, your stuck halfway on a cliff. Some one chucks you a rope. Who would you have on the other end? Jack boot Johnny, blubbering Anderson, wimpy Downer, Abbott & Costello clowns lowering you to the bottom, or Mark Latham, pulling you to the top.

I know who I'd rather have.

J Harvie
Goonellabah

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History lesson

Thank you Mr Koo (Echo, July 7). Your carefully crafted words on my behalf and in general do make a lot of sense. Perhaps my expressions are somewhat coarse, exposing me to seemingly academic attacks, but the bottom line is: Never Ever!

We are living in a world of conflict, conflict that was created for no good reason. My observation of humanity these days is not heartwarming to say the least. Do we ever learn?

Well-meaning, yet gullible people flock to some ideological trap, forgetting to examine the causes of conflict.

With a fraction of the effort and financial burden, much of that conflict would have ceased a long time ago. Makes me wonder in whose interest it is to maintain the carnage and suffering?

We all pay a heavy price through casualties, or just - conveniently - paying for them.

Do we think that by our taxes, spent on someone else's war re-allocating our payments by the Government to the Military will solve the situation? Think again!

Self-defence of the Country? You can count on me any day. Invading another? Forget it!

My former country was forced into a "shotgun marriage" with Nazi Germany, only to be "liberated" by the Red Army that raped my grandmother and made my grandfather disappear forever in Siberia without a trace. I've never met him and only and old photograph shows me the face of a kind human, less than half of my current age.

I do miss that extremely loveable person to offer me love, care, guidance and the feeling of that sensational and humble human being standing by me. I can only judge this by the one photograph.

I don't want this to happen to anyone else, I don't want to see anyone's mentally affected grandmother to end up on tranquilisers at a mental hospital either! Get it?! That is not going into details of my own experiences of the artificially created State... by the invaders.

It was delivered under the name of ideology, coupled with brutality. So, what's new?

Some respondents have made a remark on my contributions, portraying me as a Trotsky-ist. Far from it, I am just a human being who is motivated enough to share his experiences for all to learn from, before too late.

Do I believe in Utopia? Sure. But first, all of you'd have to be turned into Angels. Possible? I'd like to think so. Over to you.

Stephen Lang
Tilba Tilba

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Traffic concerns

Although there may well be a need for signage indicating merging traffic lanes after roundabouts on some of our roads, particularly on Ballina Street/Road, I was surprised to see that L. Keane (Echo, June 24) thinks Council staff would be amused at the thought of people having accidents. In fairness to them, while they too can make mistakes, they try hard to do the right and safe thing and generally respond promptly to concerns raised by residents. To suggest they might be amused at accidents is not only insulting but unfair.

However, inferring that poor design or the absence of appropriate signs indicates that Lismore Council doesn't have a Road Safety Officer is to misunderstand the role of Wendy Johnson, our Road Safety Officer. Wendy's role is largely educational, aimed at promoting safe resident behaviour in regard to roads and traffic. For example, she spends a lot of time talking to many groups in the community about issues such as how to negotiate roundabouts carefully, not drinking and driving, crossing roads safely and learning the road rules in the case of young children. Wade Park, which is a project she has worked on for a long time, is a great place where young children can learn about road signs and what to do and not to do on roads and in traffic. All her initiatives help to create an awareness, which ultimately prevents accidents and saves lives.

Wendy also consults with people in the community about planned traffic changes such as the reversal of traffic flows in Magellan Street, and I know she is always happy to receive feedback from residents about traffic problems. However, managing the traffic on the highway is not her responsibility but that of the Roads and Traffic authority, which is responsible for that road, including appropriate signs. I'm sure L. Keane's comments will be passed on to the RTA.

Cr Ros Irwin
Lismore

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Not me

Now that Tony Blair and George Dubya have publicly said that Weapons of Mass Destruction are not in Iraq, you would think that logic would suggest our precious little petal, The Deputy Sheriff from Kirribilli would agree. But NO! Our PM is now mentally blind as well as stark raving. He is the only Western world leader to have wilfully lied to his Parliament about "Saddams Human mincing machines". His crocodile tears then were every bit as good as Hawkies. Where are the much vaunted mincing machines, L'il Johnnie?

Oh and we don't mean Lord Alexander of Baghdad!

John X Berlin
Maclean

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Chicken farm water

I am extremely concerned at the development of Sunnybrand Chicken Farms in the Richmond Valley Council area which are not required by Council to save roof runoff water from chicken sheds.

To date, ten farms have been approved by this Council (some on narrow, secondary roads) and a further two are seeking approval for development. The development at Mongogarie is erecting six sheds 140x14 metres each, and others would be of similar dimensions. And, I understand, Sunnybrand Chicken is seeking to buy another property in our area, very close to the existing one. What a nerve! Have they no shame!

Why is it that residents are required to store rainwater of 15,000 gallons per household, and these chicken factories are not required to save any water whatsoever?

The one at Mongogarie has sought approval to use groundwater, and I understand that others truck in water (which I assume comes from our Richmond River).

It has been suggested that the roof runoff water from these factories is not suitable for use by them. Since these factories are cleaned out at regular intervals, surely roof runoff water could be used for this purpose, at least? And if the roof water is not suitable for chickens, it raises the issue of what pollution may be occurring in our water tanks from wind drift from chicken farms.

In this era of drought and water restrictions, why are these companies permitted this wastage of water and the exploitation of other water resources which belong to the community? It is against commonsense and indicates poor local council management of a scarce and valuable resource.

Cherie Imlah
Mongogarie

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Citrus fears

Our island continent needs protection.

The citrus producers and the public are entitled to know how the exotic disease, citrus canker, got into Australia. This devastating disease was not known until recently and is now plaguing a whole industry.

This is a real wakeup call for the National Party's Warren Truss, who is at present presiding over the new ground rules for importation of unprocessed pig meat from USA and bananas from the Philippines. Larry Anthony is quoted in last weeks paper (Echo, July 5) as saying ""We cannot afford to take any risks when it comes to... our primary industries". No we can't Mr Anthony! If we did we'd be as silly as B1 and B2.

Under this government and under the stewardship of the local National Party members, the citrus industry has been damaged and will take years to recover.

The lesson to be learnt should surely be: when in doubt, when the science tells us to wait, when the CSIRO tells us there is an over 90% chance of importing disease, we should not be bending our quarantine requirements to meet someone else's market. Mr Anthony and Mr Causley please take note.

Kevin Bell
ALP Candidate for Page

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Women's war medals

It has just been announced that the Federal Government has awarded the Australian Defence Force Medal, to members of the Defence Force who served their country after World War Two. For eligibility, members must have completed a term of six years.

The Federal Government is obviously not aware that males served six years and from January 1951 to the mid 1960s, females were recruited for an engagement of FOUR years. Only in the middle of the 1960's did their periods of enlistment become six years. From 1951 to 1977, service women who married were asked to take their discharge, as married women were not allowed to remain in the service.

The three women's services that will be affected by this announcement are:

Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS).

Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC).

Women's Royal Australian Airforce (WRAFF).

These three services were reformed, after World War Two, on 27 January 1951 at the time of the Korean War and continued on throughout the Malaysian and Vietnam War. In 1977 when the Sexual Discrimination Act was introduced, the title "Women" was dropped from the three services they were then integrated with the men and received the same conditions as males.

To the thousands of women from the Navy, Army and Airforce, who voluntarily served Australia during the Korean, Malaysian and Vietnam Wars and served their full four year terms, I am asking all ex-service women to write letters to have this legislation amended to read four years, not six.

This legislation must be changed.

It is total discrimination and this anomaly must be rectified.

Shirley McLaren
Bonny Hills

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Conspiracy theory

The recent fracas in Iraq is just another example of the neo-con rationalist inability to take the final step that would almost justify the moral bankruptcy of their position. In the same way the economic rationalists refuse (or are unable) to factor in true environmental and social costs of the corporation, centralisation and rampant development, so the diplomatic rationalists who justify the abandonment of international law, Christian morality, human decency as well as the death of 50,000 "selected" suspects (read Arab-looking) on the off-chance that information thus gained might prevent a further "terror" attack on the US. This moral rationalism will be the end of respect for the west though the rest of the world.

Surely, if we are going to ignore decency and international law, the rational way to remove a regime would be mass assassination of the top echelon of the regime, in the style of the "decapitation raids" that the Israeli terrorists used against hamas. The US and the rest of the world would be quite capable of then engineering the ascension of more malleable elements, or at least would have the same chance of success as imposing a government upon a people in the middle of the brutal occupation

However, I can never imagine the physical cowards (they are brave when refusing hostages pleas or sending other people's children off to kill other mothers and their children), and poltroons who run government in the west legitimising "decapitation" missions on other leaders, in case they themselves ever became a "legitimate threat" to the security of some other forward thinking and self-cantered government.

Ross Macdonald
Nimbin

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Comrades unite

Another nail in the coffin of living standards of Australian workers. With an accompaniment of champagne bottle cork-popping and eloquent ebullience of the executives and shareholders, Qantas has victoriously announced that their workers will now compete with overseas workers, with poorer wages and conditions, for jobs.

Enterprise bargaining, short term contracts and a highly casualised workforce have helped to restrain wages and conditions overseas, and now wealthy Australians can reap the rewards, by "outsourcing".

But there's even more good news for the profiteers. A victory over the Qantas workers will show all workers in Australia that they can never beat globalisation. They must submit to its ability to make all workers accept the worst deal for employees that employers can find, by searching worldwide.

John Howard, who prides himself on his contribution to workplace "reforms", will be ecstatic. Mark Latham will tell disgruntled workers to climb the ladder.

The Socialist Alliance is the only party in the Page electorate committed to fight for wages and conditions of workers worldwide. Socialists worldwide have a dream. Workers of the world don't submit to the worst offer accepted by their most desperate, they unite to force all employers to offer no worker any less than a decent living wage and conditions.

No matter how unattainable that dream seems, it is becoming more and more imperative.

Doug Burt and Barbara Elliott
Kyogle

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Kids & cars

I am writing about plans to limit the number of passengers P Plate drivers can carry and limit their night-time driving. It really does concern me as I can see some real problems arising as per below:

Limiting P Plate passengers will cause difficulty for families who may not have access to public transport.

Single parent families or those who only have one qualified driver often rely on their teenager getting their licence to help get the family members around.

Those P Platers who would have been irresponsible enough to speed or act silly when a number of friends are in the car will be more likely to get their friends to sit on the floor or worse hide in the boot of the car in order to transport them.

Those who have been acting responsibly feel like their good behaviour is not being taken into account when making road rules and are becoming despondent and even a little defiant.

What will happen when offenders are caught? More fines, more teenagers who don't pay them and then re-offend.

Limiting P Plate night driving, how are they going to get to and from work? (A lot of P Platers work at takeaway shops, service station and shops with late night Thursday shopping). In Lismore the last bus back up to Goonellabah leaves town at 5.30pm. I'm sure a lot of P Platers won't even have a bus to access at all.

I grew up in Kyogle and on Friday night my P Plate brothers drove the kids in the family to a church youth group. Mum worked shift work and dad worked early mornings and late afternoons, if my brothers hadn't been able to drive at night we probably would have had gone out in Kyogle to the skating rink and this would have meant walking in the dark.

As you can see there are a number of good arguments not to bring in these rules. While the rules may sound good they bring their own, possibly more dangerous, problems.

P Plate drivers now are more educated and more experienced then they were years ago yet we still see a large fatality rate. Unfortunately teenagers think they are invincible. If we really want to make a difference then I think we need to get tougher with the laws we already have in place. There is no point bringing more laws in when we are so soft with the laws we already have.

One warning is enough and after that tough action must be taken. As a parent we are taught that in order to teach our kids respect, rules and responsibility, if you say you are going to do something as a punishment for breaking rules then you must follow through or the children will not respect the rules. This is even more important with teenagers. What are we afraid of? If they break the law they must pay somehow even if it is community service such as helping the disabled or at a nursing home etc.

We can bring in as many laws as we like and educate our kids till the cows come home but unless there are consequences for their actions, and they are held accountable, then we are fighting a losing battle.

Louise Frare
Goonellabah

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Ballina bikes

Some questions about Ballina's coastal cyclepath

1. How many useful things could Council do around Ballina if someone gave them a cheque for $110,000 (almost $3 for every resident)? Repair lots of potholes? Support our Libraries? Lay piping for recycled water? What would you like them to spend it on?
2. What would you say about a Council that deliberately wasted that sum of money on something totally unnecessary? What would you say to your local Councillor if they voted for wasting money on that scale?
3. Do you know the media reported that Ballina Council plans to waste $110,000 over the coming year on an unnecessary project? They'll spend $55,000 of ratepayers' money, plus another $55,000 (which Bob Carr has already taken from you in taxes and fees) to "assess the (coastal) cycleway between The Tent Park and Lennox Head... prior to its construction".
4. Can you believe that only a small fraction of that money would need to be spent if Council took the fiscally responsible course? Because by going north through Flat Rock Tent Park Council is itself CREATING all the "environmental and Aboriginal issues"? Which they'll then spent $110,000 trying to "assess"?
5. Did Council ever tell you there's a simple alternative route that's completely devoid of these "issues"? Which would place it within or closely aligned to the existing public transport corridors linking population centres along our coast, so that it would benefit the WHOLE community? And that Council knows all about that option but they keep their eyes tightly shut and pretend it doesn't exist?
6. Do you think it makes sense to construct a cycleway where it will (a) cost the most (an absolute fortune); (b) do the most damage to the environment (an absolute scandal); and (c) deeply offend the indigenous custodians of this land (a disgraceful action)?
7. What would YOU call that kind of policy? I have a few words for it - the Editor won't let me publish them. I want to see Ballina become a "Bicycle Friendly Shire". But building expensive cyclepaths where nobody will ever want to use them to get to their local shops, their playing fields, their work or their schools, is definitely NOT the way to do it.

Lee Andresen
Angels Beach

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Why it's called dope

The recent scientific report by Yale University's School of Medicine that warns of the dangers of smoking or consuming marijuana hold no surprises for anyone who has taken more than a passing glance at the scientific literature. More than one study has suggested that smoking marijuana more than twice a week could increase the likelihood of mental illness by seven times. Their claims aren't new or possible to dismiss lightly.

While there have been some radical suggestions that sick people be encouraged to experiment with marijuana, its clear these are being pushed behind the scenes by the same people who want to push more drugs into the community. We owe a greater degree of care to the seriously ill, and the excuse that the seriously ill should try marijuana to see if they feel better totally ignores the scientific warnings about psychotic episodes, increased infections, lung damage, depression, as well as the links to immune system being weakened by the drug.

It short, it's called dope for a reason.

Michael D. Robinson
Drug Free Australia Ltd

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