Issue 747

Letters To The Editor

Public Liability Reforms On The Way

Some time back members of NSW Country Labor Parliamentary Group, of which I am the Deputy Convenor, met with the Attorney General Bob Debus to ask him to consider a review of the matter.

Two of the lawyers of the group, Matt Brown MP for Kiama and myself, recognised that there were some serious legal issues to be looked at but of pressing concern was that of the cost to the community and that it would be beyond their reach. The issue had waxed and waned for some time, and lately we agreed that it was waxing, not waning, so decided to take our concerns and representations to the Attorney.

Given that many community organisations are voluntary, and that they provide valued and much needed community services, it is clearly a matter that the government on behalf of the community has to respond to. I recommended to the Attorney that a review by either some sort of committee, taskforce, or the NSW Law Reform Commission could take place. I felt that a wide ranging enquiry that gave direct community input would be the best way to proceed. I discussed this at a meeting in Tyalgum on the Third of October.

Larry Anthony MP and Jenny McAllister ALP Candidate were also there and we discussed this as well. I advised the community then, that there was
something in train.

The issue of public liability insurance, particularly that of costs for community organisations, is one that has concerned many members of Parliament. The NSW Attorney General will announce the terms of reference of a wide ranging review of the issue of public liability insurance. He is currently working on the best way to conduct this. It will be a welcome move for the community.

I am sure that both Don Page MP and Thomas George MP knew about this already, as both had recently called for action.

This letter makes it clear that some action is taking place. I shall ensure that I publicise the enquiry process as soon as the Attorney General Bob Debus finalises it.

Janelle Saffin MLC
Lismore

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A Leg Up

Whilst trying to manage a muscular problem recently, my text advised that walking on uneven ground was to be avoided. I then noticed how all of the pavements in Lismore were sloped, to allow for rainwater and flood run-off.

I work as a massage therapist, and I notice how many people who have lower back pain have leg length inequality. This occurs for a number of reasons, but it dawned upon me that one of the streets would be more beneficial to walk upon than the other, for these people too. Surely one would want one's short leg to go the greater distance on the footpath rather than the other way around. This movement would opposite the action of disequilibrium and help mobilise the sacroilic and lumber facet joints while shopping and doing every day business.

The exception to this would be for those who have a shorter leg because of a broken bone, or those that were born that way. These people would have to walk supporting the short leg on the higher side of the pavement to get the therapeutic effect.

To determine whether you have leg length inequality, lie face up and have someone check your inner ankle tips to see if they meet. Hold the ankle from underneath and stretch them a little, whilst lining up the feet with the navel and nose, so there is a straight midline.

For those who still have good backs, there is a flat thin strip next to the gutter provided, for you to negotiate.

I would be interested to hear comments from health professionals or back pain sufferers.

Jane Jennings
Lismore

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Land Facts

It is a shame that some people who write letters to the editor refrain from including the complete truth. I refer to Mrs Fullerton of North Lismore's letter (Echo, Nov 22).

The comments that were made regarding the bobcat failed to say that the majority of what was removed was the build up of stable waste/manure, grass, newspaper and other debris that Mrs Fullerton's husband placed on his land over a period of many years.

Concerning the drain that she refers to, this was constructed to alleviate the problem of water ponding on the neighbouring property. This ponding was due to the building up of Council land by Mr Fullerton.

She tells us that the majority of councillors decided that Mr Fullerton could not lease this land because of a fly problem. The truth of the matter is (according to Council) Mr Fullerton was offered a lease for another five years on this land. He was the one who chose not to accept the offer. Therefore the council erected a fence between Mr Fullerton's home and the council land.

Mr Fullerton and others removed the majority of the plants well before the arrival of the bobcat.

Mrs Fullerton states the all of the wildlife is gone. What wildlife? The wildlife that was present prior to the bobcat is still there now.

Her comment that the bobcat driver had a 'wonderful time' destroying everything was callous, the operator took great care to prevent any damage.

Mrs Fullerton also inferred this was all caused by 'a little horse manure' one would hardly think that the huge amount of stablewaste that Mr Fullerton was bringing in and storing on council land could hardly be referred to as a 'little manure'.

Mr and Mrs Fullerton signed an agreement with council to say that they would not bring in or stockpile stable waste on the property. Mr Fullerton continued to do this breaking the agreement with council. For this reason, a five-year lease was offered to them with conditions. They refused this lease.

All of the above information is factual with most being able to be found in the minutes from many previous council meetings. A lot of our Councillor's time has been taken up dealing with issues regarding this property and the Fullerton's disregard for decisions made previously made by Council.

It is a pity that some letter writers do not put the whole story forward just selected bits and half-truths that they think will draw sympathy to them.

Darren Ackerly
Lismore

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Frosty Reception

Gee, Mr Grego, have you considered having your own weekly column entitled 'Frosty's Expert Opinion?'

Or maybe you could run for a seat in Parliament! Please give us all a break from your weekly tirade.

V Snow
Lismore

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Doofheads

PADD stands for People Against Discrimination by Doofers. As we have suspected, that steady boof-boof-boof bass beat that your neighbours sound system manages to push through brick walls etc into your place can indeed be bad for your health, and if available may have been a preferred option to the dripstone back in the days of the first fleeters.

If you are sick (literally) of having your rights abrogated by such neighbours drop into the Hope Springs bookshop at 181a Keen St, Lismore and sign our petition for legislation.

Stuart Wales
Lismore

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Hasbeen PM

So, now we have ex-prime minister Malcolm Fraser lecturing the Australian people on our compassion or supposed lack of it.

I and many others will remember the enormous 'compassion' shown by Fraser when, as army minister, he was part of a government shipping off under voting-age conscripts to fight and die in Vietnam.

I wonder if it is constitutionally possible to have ex-prime ministers muzzled when they leave office! We could then be spared the bloated pomposities, giggling inanities and hypocritical carping of the current crop.

It's about time that these tiresome blowhards realised that they are yesterday's men (mostly given their marching orders by the voters) and kept quiet.

W H Harris
Lismore

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Half-Hearted

I read with interest the return of regular columns from our National parliamentarians in last weeks Echo, thanking us for our ‘support'.

Ian Causley claims that 53% of the electorate voted for him, yet a check on the AEC website reveals his primary vote (at 96% counted) is only 41.85%, much less than half.

Larry Anthony doing marginally better on 44.76%. So, lads, it seems that less than half of us deserve your thanks, just as less than half of us deserve you as our government representatives in Canberra. Also of note in the current AEC figures, John Corkill is now at 7.2% while Tom Cooper has dropped to 7.35%. Corkill may yet take 3rd place.

Mr Causley also claims to be relieved that the ‘advertising blitz' is over. Well, how ironic, considering that Mr. Causley's ads dominated most of the media during this period. I received no less than four letters in the mail during the campaign, packed with his fear-mongering propaganda, which apparently worked on about 40% of recipients. Yes, thank God it's over. I don't expect to hear from him again for a few years.

Overall, the election result was a disaster for many of us forced to endure our unjust electoral system, and subsequently, another three years of Coalition rule.

There is one shining ray of hope though, with the likely election of Kerry Nettle as a Greens Senator for NSW. Move over Natasha, you are about to be knocked off your perch.

Andy Gough
Lismore

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Council Thanks

A big thank you for Lismore Council's Park and Garden staff, especially for Margaret and Peter. Thank you for your assistance; the mulch, for ground cover; and two beautiful trees.

Now, I'm waiting for the engineer to fix the road shoulder and the drain. I'm sure they'll be fixed soon. Keep up the good work.

Malia Ritaningsih
Lismore

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Credit Due

I appreciate the difficulties of J Norman, (Echo, Nov 22) in coping with the second class indifferent service from banks which seem to be making much of their excessive profits from having their customers wait in queues.

Further bank profits are created by the numerous bank branch closures in recent years, in rural areas and even in city suburbs a problem which is further intensified by people avoiding queues and opting for centralised phone or on-line banking.

Fortunately there are Credit Unions, which are far less preoccupied with downsizing, and indeed have been opening branches while the banks have been shutting them. The service is generally good, and the charges are often lower.

And to the best of my knowledge, no money is invested in the short term money market, reassuring to anyone who opposes the war in Afghanistan and who doesn't want their money supporting it.

Martin C Oliver
Lismore

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Mushroom Council

If you're complaining that no-one tells you anything, let me punch out a few words.

A couple of months ago, a new policy was introduced in Ballina Shire which prohibited staff and councillors from discussing council business, even at a social function a million miles away, with all the breaches to be reported forthwith to the General Manager. Penalty : Dismissal.

Then the whispers started. Another Council department was being restructured. Unbeknown to councillors, voluntary redundancy packages were being offered to senior engineering staff. Many have been offered to take up to 46 weeks paid leave, never to return. Your democratically elected councillors did not know of this move until after it happened, and had not been asked to endorse the cost of the redundancies which I believe could be up to half a million dollars.

Chapter 4 of the Councils charter under the Local Government act states the community can influence what the council does. It explains that members of the community may influence council decisions by making submissions on management plans and development applications. Did you ever see a Privacy Management plan advertised? No! Because it never was! This plan effects your democratic right to be heard under chapter 4. Your submissions now receive a 'confidential' stamp, are no longer published in the business agenda, and councillors need to shout loudly to read your submissions before making a decision. With this new legislation, how would anyone know if their important submissions were actually being withheld? I therefore urge the community to send copies of their submissions to councillors at their homes, as mail in our council pigeon holes do not always reach us.

The waste centre now employs an additional 5-10 temporary staff per week (supplied by an employment agency) because all the waste is mixed up. The garbage trucks have endless pick up problems with your bins and drivers get in and out of their cabs 30-40 times a day to pick up dropped rubbish, despite spending over a million dollars on the new system.

Did you know that an all-time first has occurred in Ballina? Yes, the mayor introduced a mayoral minute prohibiting the councillors from criticising each other and staff, then promptly asked for a mayoral vehicle. No other mayor in the history of our Shire has ever been given a mayoral car.

With several council-owned businesses making losses, I ask you to be the judge of whether your public body is progressively going down the gurgler and will soon be out to sea with the bathwater.

Cr Margaret Howes
Lennox Head

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Christian Women

Quite recently we discovered that the wearing of a mauve ribbon has been adopted worldwide by Christian men and women to signify their regret at the loss of women's gifts to Christian Churches.

Myra Poole, a visiting Englishwoman alerted us to the possibility of our joining in this simple act of solidarity with people of all races, countries and religions, when she visited our region on Thursday, November 1.

Sister Myra Poole is a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Catholic Order of Women Religious which was founded just after the French Revolution.

Women and the Australian Church (WATAC) made Sister Myra's visit to Australia a possibility and Myra and their initiative was widely supported by Australian women and men, religious and lay.

People from Lismore, Casino and Alstonville had the opportunity to hear Myra tell the fascinating story of Julie Billiart and the work of women, religious and lay, throughout the world for and on the behalf of the growth of the Christian Churches. Myra spoke of her own experiences as a religious sister in the Catholic Church today, and the many challenges it presents.

Any readers are interested to know more can contact me on 6624 5464.

Maria Martin
For WATAC Lismore

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