Letters To The Editor
Rous Water Needs Changes
Doubtlessly there are many within the community who feel concern as regards the availability of water from the Rocky Creek dam. I, as a former chairman of Rous Water, share that concern.
When I left the water authority 14 years ago it was realised that the Rocky Creek dam could not be expected to meet the call that the regions expanding population might make on it.
Two ways of overcoming this problem were envisaged. They were increasing the height of the dam wall, which was the cheapest option, or by constructing another dam at Federal. Both proposals were environmentally acceptable at the time. On that basis then it was thought that something could be done before that situation changed. In the scheme of things it was also considered that the dam at Federal should become the priority option. Still, 14 years on and nothing has eventuated as regards those proposals.
Now, faced with a monumental drought, we are paying for those years of inaction. As a quick fix to alleviate the problem, procedures that have been questioned by some, have or are to be put in place to bolster a decreasing water supply. Whilst the implementation of water saving or recycling practices is to be applauded it is essential that more water storage space be provided.
Though plans might be in hand for finding such space in the Dunoon area the project seems to be moving forward at a funeral pace. More urgency must be brought to the matter.
On that basis then I feel that the responsible Government Minister could do no worse than to dispense with the present committee of Rous Water and replace it with a non-partisan administration Board of his choosing.
It would reflect a mix of professional and community people with some expertise in maters pertaining to water management and reticulation with its role being to ensure that this region is better catered for through the Rous Water supply system than it appears to be at the moment.
Habib P Habib
South Lismore
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Village Idiots
History will have difficulty deciding just exactly when and how Ballina began its long climb to being a well-managed Council. There were many years and many people involved.
There will be no difficulty however in defining the exact time Ballina Council plunged into irresponsible financial chaos.
That time is late October 2002 when the North Angels Beach land was given away for $10m. Close behind came the disposal of Henderson’s land for $12M. Together those sales raised $22m but gave up nett total revenue for Council of about $70m .
Was there some careful strategy behind these apparently insane acts? Does Council have a secret opportunity so good it will yield all the lost income and more? No, not at all. Council just thought it was a good idea at the time.
Some Councillors are actually boasting about the handsome windfall profit made on Hendersons land of 300 per cent. But, if you can make 300 per cent in four years doing nothing with the land just think what Council can make if it developed the land. I do apologise for using the “think” word in the same sentence as “Council”. It is a very provocative thing to do.
The Ballina community has now been short-changed about $50m over the next decade.
That’s $50m less in facilities, infrastructure and services. That is $5m less per year , on average, that can never be made up no matter how Council uses its so called windfall. Indeed even the use of the word windfall shows Councils thinking (oops).
A windfall is a chance lucky event that brings a benefit without effort. Taking the windfall in this case results in the tree, the source of ongoing benefit, being sold for a pittance.
So folks, as you wander through the wreckage of what was once a fine Council and ask “How could so much damage be done so quickly and so thoroughly?” remember this old adage: It is not wise to trust the village idiot with the keys to the castle.
Keith Johnson
Alstonville
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Peace Push
As educators very concerned about the impact of a potential war instigated by the US, and supported by the Australian Government, against the people of Iraq, we wish to express our support for the young people who left their schools on Thursday, November 14, to march for peace.
Amidst all the rhetoric and hysteria about war we are hearing daily from our political leaders, the voices of the young, those most likely to be asked to participate and ultimately sacrifice, are going unheeded.
Kath Fisher
Southern Cross University Peace Group
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Drug Concerns
Parents are rightly concerned about how safely and responsibly their teenage children will handle the end-of-year pressures and hype. Summer brings a steady stream of opportunities to celebrate – end of exams, end of school, Schoolies Week, New Year.
Some concerns can be alleviated by being up-to-date with the latest alcohol and drug information.
Parents are asking: How will I know if my son or daughter will be ‘safe’ away from home during schoolies week? How do I manage drinks at a teenage party? What information about drugs is important for young people that is accurate without being ‘preachy’?
The Australian Drug Foundation offers access to free information immediately through the DrugInfo Clearinghouse that is especially designed for parents and for young people. There is a suite of websites to choose from.
We all know that information alone is not enough to change behaviour or prevent problems from occurring. But making sure that we access accurate and quality information is the first step we can all take.
Bill Stronach
CEO, Australian Drug Foundation
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Christmas Hopes
I am writing to you for help but not charity. With all the terrible happenings lately.... The bushfires, the drought, the bombings, there are a lot of people who need help, at the moment, from the community as a whole. Unfortunately, we and a few other businesses in town are suffering from the consequences of the drought.
Our business is repairing small engines ie. lawnmowers, brushcutters, etc & due to the lack of rain there is also a lack of grass. Normally, this time of the year, we would all be very busy little people but due to circumstances beyond our control there is very little for us to do (except clean up all our accumulated rubbish and make a donation to the tip!)
The reason for this letter is to encourage people to pull out their mower, brushcutter or whatever and have it serviced now, ready for when it does decide to rain (it will eventually but we’ll probably get too much!) You’d be doing yourself a favour by beating the rush and having the job done quickly, as well as helping us all get through a bad patch and keep us going till it does rain.
So drop your favourite bit of machinery into your favourite mower shop and let’s all have a better Christmas than we’d hope for.
Many Thanks,
Annette
Diamond Service Centre
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Lismore Protestors
After returning home from the WTO (World Trade Organisation) demonstrations in Sydney, I feel disappointed that many of the people I have spoken to believe the protests were essentially violent and limited to confrontation with the police. Unfortunately the media only reported such incidents and failed in their responsibility to present an informative story about opposition to free trade. Little or no mention was made of the many peaceful and creative actions that took place to entertain and educate the public about the unfair and undemocratic agenda of the WTO.
At the forefront of these actions was a rather large contingent from Lismore. The Lismore Radical Cheerleaders and the Peace Police on their hobby horses added humour and colour to the events, demonstrating that ‘another world is possible’. I felt proud to be amongst such a focused and positive group of people and I think Lismore should be proud of them too.
After all it takes a lot of courage and imagination to stand up to corporate bullies. The WTO is an incredibly powerful and unelected organisation that threatens to impose its rules on sovereign nations and undermine the capacity of elected governments to protect its markets, workers and the environment. According to the WTO, these quality of life issues are unnecessary trade barriers that prevent the rich from getting richer. Their policy of privatisation will see foreign and multinational companies having open access to our social services and natural resources.
There has even been recent discussion about the possible privatisation of water. As we know in this drought stricken land, water is one of the most precious resources that our lives depend on. To a profit driven company it is a sought after commodity that in the future will rival oil.
We can’t rely on the sensationalist media for our information- we need to educate ourselves and discuss alternatives to a global economic monopoly. ‘Fair Trade’ is a global and widely supported campaign that covers third world debt, human rights and environmental protection. For more information you can visit www.maketradefair.com
If you care, please get involved- don’t leave it to the usual suspects to do all the campaigning. And if you don’t care, please don’t yell at us to ‘get a job’- because caring and defending the future from greed and complacency is a lot of hard work.
Kathy McCormick
Lismore
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Bushfire Advice
New South Wales has entered an early bush fire season, which is being exacerbated by extremely low levels of rainfall, dry winds and high temperatures.
Throughout last year NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers carry out firefighting operations to protect the community and this year is no exception. Indeed, our volunteers have been fighting significant bushfires since early July. Not only are they dealing with fires in their own areas, they are being drawn from across the State to travel to major fire areas as part of task forces to relieve and bolster local crews.
Employers who support our volunteers make an invaluable and very direct contribution to the firefighting effort in NSW.
I ask employers for their ongoing support for our volunteers, and extend my personal gratitude to those employers who are already allowing their employees to be available to fight fires to protect our community and environment from the threat of bushfires.
Where possible, we are asking employers to take time to discuss possible leave arrangements with their employees who are members of the NSW RFS or the other volunteer emergency services who continue to work with us in the firefighting effort.
If you are one of those employers who grant their staff special leave that doesn’t reduce their entitlements while they fight fires, we say a special thank you for your generous support.
If you require any further information about the NSW RFS or how to protect your own workplace and home from bushfires please contact your local RFS Control Centre or visit our website at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au
Phil Koperberg
Commissioner
NSW Rural Fire Service
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Supporting Women
The last time I wore a headscarf must have been around 1962. On Friday, November 29, after 40 years, I’ll be wearing one once more.
Why just for one day?
Well, along with thousands of other women across Australia, I’ll be taking part in National Headscarf Day.
As a result of the recent racist attacks on Muslims, especially women, Avigail Abarbanel – President of the Australian National Network of Counsellors, a practising psychotherapist-counsellor and Jewish – felt she needed to make a statement about the need for religious and racial tolerance in our society.
Islam is a peace-loving religion. Militant Muslims whose actions have caused destruction and death are as far from representing all Muslims as the IRA are from representing all Catholics, and both groups betray the fundamentally non-agressive nature of their religion.
On National Headscarf Day I’ll be wearing a scarf to demonstrate my belief that bullying, racism and religious intolerance are unacceptable in Australia society and to show my support for my Muslim sisters.
Cloud
Kyogle
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Local Solutions
The Channon markets are one of the gems of the district. The colours, smells, shapes, products and scenery are a pleasure for the senses. Hot as it was last Sunday the stallholders and the locals and the bussed-in tourists all had a wonderful pre-Christmas day of community action. But there’s something missing out there. It’s a black spot for mobile phones. It’s not a case of poor reception for those who need to phone in or out, there is no reception at all. Communications in the “bush” (as the city folk like to call us) are not up to scratch. It is most certainly not the time to sell Telstra. Political parties concerned about country people must never consider selling the nation’s public telecommunications system.
Telstra was paid for by our phone calls. The income of Telstra rightly belongs to all Australians, not just to those who purchase shares. Share purchasers are never asked for their nationality. We don’t need Americans owning more shares in Telstra than Australians own.
Private ownership of Telstra, regardless of the nationality of the owners will lead to decisions being made based on the bottom line. If a telephone, fax or email service makes a profit, that service will remain, otherwise the service will be dropped. Currently Telstra, like Telecom and the PMG of decades past, is the supplier of last resort. Where other providers fail to offer a service, this publicly owned Australian provider is obliged to address that need. Profit must not be the only concern.
Though the money from the sale of Telstra could fund a myriad of projects at present we have no absolutely pressing issue for which the money is crucially needed. Income from Telstra’s sale would be spent once only and then the golden eggs would cease to flow. Our Channon and a thousand other Channons deserve a better deal. We seek a local solution to this nation wide problem.
Peter Lanyon
ALP candidate for Lismore
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Control Dogs
A phone call to Lismore City Council ascertains that there are three “Off the Leash” areas for dogs in Lismore – McKenzie Park, North Lismore, underneath the Ballina St bridge where all the alterations are going on and Clifford Park in Goonellabah. Officially dogs are required to be on the leash in all other areas, and that includes Lismore Lake. As a person who has treasured having a dog companion for 80 of my 82 years, I find this rather sad.
The trouble is that not too many people are responsible citizens, like the letter writer Diane Weir. Anyone who collects and removes other people’s litter, and affirms that her dog companion, “would never chase or disturb a bird”, is obviously not a vandal Diane.
The vandals were the adults (?) who, taking advantage of the dried out edges of the lake, threw sticks for their dogs to retrieve, regardless of the fact that the lake provides refuge for two threatened species of our now dwindling water bird population. The present low water level is ideal for the Black-necked Stork, and it is good to see it there.
Regarding the lily pads, the lake is drying out, and like most swamp areas it could dry up completely. At the moment there is deeper water and reasonable floating weed cover in one area, so the Jacanas have not left. Their problem is going to be, ‘where to next?’ The drought is so wide spread, even in Queensland. We can help the Jacanas to hold on till the rain comes, just by not interfering with their lives in any way.
Molly Crawford
Goonellabah
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Fatigue Thanks
The management committee of the Northern Rivers ME/CFS/FM Association sincerely thank the following sponsors, The Northern Star for their extensive advertising of our recent ME/CFS conference in their newspaper. The Ballina Advocate, Casino Express and The Northern Rivers Echo for advertising.
We also thank Prime TV news for exposure of this debilitating illness.
Our thanks to the Lismore and District Workers Club management for the venue, and staff who so kindly attended to our needs of the day.
We sincerely thank our speakers, Professor Campbell Murdoch, Dr Les Simpson, and Trevor Stephenson, solicitor, who gave their time to share their knowledge with us, and Kathy for sharing personal experiences of ME/CFS. We thank Sue Belsham, Director, Area Clinical Services NRAHS for opening address, and Aunty Fay Smith, Bundjalung Elder for welcoming speakers and participants, and aboriginal dancer, the Hon Ian Causley for giving the thank you address. We also thank the participants, some of whom travelled a long distance to attend.
The conference would not have been possible without the assistance and support of the management committee and friends.
A petition was circulated seeking acknowledgment and commitment from both State and Federal Governments to;
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Fund an office in Lismore with permanent full-time worker and counsellor to support those suffering from ME/CFS/FM, their families and carers.
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We also seek recognition for ME/CFS/FM, the same as HIV/AIDS, MS, Motor Neurone Disease and TB.
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Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) varies in severity, can last for years and can be life threatening.
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ME/CFS has been declared a Priority 1 Disease with TB and AIDS by The Centre for Disease Control in the USA.
Petitions are being circulated and can be found at various centres for signing;
For the last six years the Northern Rivers ME/CFS /FM Association received a small grant of $5,000.00 through Northern Rivers Area Health Service, to assist with every day operating expenses. That has now ceased. We have requested funds for an office with a paid worker, but have been informed there is no money.
Merle Fullerton, President
ME/FMS Country Network Australia
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The War on Trade
America wants an end to Australia’s veto power over foreign investment proposals from the US. Does this include coastal development?
Could our local democracy have prevented Club Med in Byron Bay with this new global hypocrisy?
Is the WTO really a covert terrorist organisation representing capitalist fundamentalist groups with no social conscience whose goal here is to lower the standard of living in this country so all the world is in their pockets?
Is it possible that the banks aren’t all innocent, good and righteous and in fact some of their practices are evil?
Marcus Davis
Lismore
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Poetry Corner
Hearing the Rains
In a remote, small school,
northwest, near the border,
the kindies had never heard rain.
Grey clouds weren’t part of the order
and drought just kept worsening their pain.
With very little warning,
and a frightening, deafening sound,
hail pounded down of that roof of tin,
like rocks being thrown all around,
with lightning to add to the din.
Panic filled those
infant hearts,
thundering sounds,
their ears.
Wide-open eyes were filled with fright
as the white stones piled on their fears,
splintering all windows
in sight.
The playground swiftly flooded,
rivers of mud they
did sent.
While at last old tanks sprang some leaks
and caring arms of teacher, friend
brought some colour back to their cheeks
Now it’s six years on
and another class plays
and walks on the parched, dry plate
of a dam seared by long hot days
so their hearing the rains must wait.
Crippled skeletons
of wool
the only sheep they know.
Their sticks play tunes on the tanks
and taps where drips the only flow.
A few drops’d bring floods of thanks.
Those very tanks
now empty
bellow a hollow sound.
Harmony doesn’t come with a drought,
no storm bird’s song can be found.
So hard to hear rains in a drought.
But we still complain,
look for someone to blame
‘cause we can’t
wash the car
and the lawn’s gone
too far.
But we’ll try to help
just the same.
Clouds are held from
our sight
‘til our heads get it right
and our hearts
beat in tune
with the earth
and the rains
and the one who sustains.
Lyn Lockrey
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