Letters To The Editor
Responsibility for Election comment is taken by S. Thomsen, 218 Molesworth St Lismore.
Enough Water to Cope with Growth?
I have just read two excellent letters from John Tate and Jane Ross (Echo, Feb ??), and want to add my little bit in support, as a new resident and a pensioner.
My wife and I retired here because of the climate and the fertile soil where we hoped to grow our own organic vegetables. The property we bought had a lovely garden, fruit trees, and a veggie patch. On the day we moved in, level 4 restrictions came into play. Well, we are good soldiers, so we got to work with our buckets giving priority to our veggies and a few roses in the front garden. We managed to keep things going till Level 5 hit everyone. We can't use "grey water" on the veggies, but have on the citrus trees and the roses.
We accept the need for restrictions in the current 100-year drought, but are very concerned about the future. We can't comment too much yet on the competence of Rous Water in the past, but do want to see a more vigorous approach in the future.
We believe that it is our right to be able to grow our vegetables, and to have some beauty in our garden. We know that short term, [and that means short term] we must endure some restrictions, but this must not be allowed to become a policy to disguise the inability of the Water Authority to provide an adequate supply in the future!
Any intelligent observer must question the apparent unrestricted growth of subdivisions. How is the existing supply expected to cope with thousands of new consumers? What serious steps are being taken to provide the extra water they will need?
We are being indoctrinated about the need for the more efficient use of water, which is fair enough, but not good enough. The only action we have seen smacks of too little too late.
We, and I suspect I speak for a majority of consumers, want action now, and we don't need to read how clever Rous, or various Councils think they are. Be clever and show us some action now!
If this was the corporate world, heads would be rolling and new action taking place. We would not be talking about a new dam in the year 2021! Who is kidding who? How about year 2005? If the spirit was willing, I bet it could be done. But not if we allow the current thinking to go on, and thinking seems to be the most we can expect currently.
Rob Hardy
Wollongbar
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No Hero of Mine
John Howard is truly obsessed with the notion of the "hero" – Bradman, firefighters, diggers, and so on.
He believes that it is heroes who drive anything important – hence the massive increases in sports and defence spending and the corresponding decline in education and health spending.
He has always wanted to be one of these heroes himself, but lacking the ability, he hopes to create a generation of them by engaging in a war – and thus to recast himself as a heroic wartime leader.
The intellectual and moral poverty of the man is breathtaking.
Martin Gallagher
Lismore
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Camp Quality Thanks
The Camp Quality Lismore Activity Group wish to say Thank You to the local business houses and the public in helping raise over $25,000 in 2002.
Monies raised locally stay locally and go towards a one-week residential camp for children with cancer.
These camps costing $50,000, plus giving support to their families.
Volunteers are the backbone of this group and we have a special lot. If you wish to join, our next meeting is being held at the Lismore Workers Club on March 10, at 7pm.
Stan Bendall
Fundraiser/Publicity Officer
Camp Quality
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ATSIC Rort
Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister and prominent lay preacher, Phil Ruddock, could not give a strawberry fig about Taxpayers Money. ATSIC has just authorised the payment of $45,000 of Aboriginal Government Grant funds to pay the lawyers defending the ATSIC Chairman, Geoff Clark, of bar room brawling and assaulting police. Mr Clark receives a salary package of almost $250,000 annually!
As the responsible Minister, (now that's an absurdity in itself), Ruddock could have vetoed the payment. But no, like the majority of the Howard War Cabinet, he is venal, inept, spineless, insipid and incompetent where taxpayers funds are concerned. This War Cabinet can find unlimited funds to help out George Dubuya in his quest for Global Oil Supremacy yet refuses to adequately fund Public Hospitals in Australia.
Naturally our local brave MPs, Messrs Causley and Hartsuyker refuse to stand up for their fellow Aussies
John X Berlin
Maclean
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Magellan St
Firstly I would like to congratulate you on the production of a quality newspaper. I lived in a few cities and towns and would have to feel The Northern Rivers Echo has been the best.
I would like to bring to people's attention the fact of our recent rain mainly starting on Christmas eve. I know a lot of people have been praying for rain. So lets not take it too lightly.
I am concerned with the way the one way traffic flows at Magellan Street. It just isn't safe. I've walked out of Lifeline on a few occasions and looked to the right before crossing the road to go to St. Vincent De Paul's Op Shop. Perhaps God was looking after me as I've just looked to the left as I nearly was run down by a car on two occasions.
I really can't believe the wisdom of Lismore council having traffic flow in the opposite direction on the street does someone have to die before they come to their senses.
Frank Lucas
Lismore Heights
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Tanks Solution
Water? No problem
This is my no problem water story, which could be of help to our massive water shortage problem.
The last week in December I had to refurbish my swimming pool. So as the refilling or topping up of pools is prohibited, I reckoned the rains must come sometime. Also at that time I had a 2700 litre water tank installed in my side yard and had a plumber redirect all my downpipes into the empty pool and water tank. As my house has a large roof and about 26 squares and with recent rains my pool and tank has been overflowing. It's great to have your own water to use how you wish.
I think all councils should encourage the installation of water tanks with a rebate as to size. What a terrible waste of a precious resource.
Alan Hodge
Wollongbar
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Retiree Help
After years following Govt superannuation guidelines, lured by tax concessions, retirees now face big falls in super income, yet still the NSW government does not match the Federal offer on parity with pensioners' concessions, summed up as: retirees caught by a super lure?
Hooked by government lines and lure, retirees' returns are now getting fewer.
Finally we may get a cure, for those impaled on that financial skewer – parity with the pensioner concessions, needed by those with few possessions.
The Feds will fund 60% of cost, the States must give the rest, or it is lost.
The WA Govt gleefully did agree, but no promise yet from Carr's ALP. The Coalition, if elected, promises to do its part. Will Carr match that or will he just depart?
Ken Macdonald
Lennox Head
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Turns Me Green
Tetragonia textragonioides difficult to pronounce, but even more so to swallow. Much easier to call it by its common names Warrigal Greens or New Zealand Spinach, but no less vile to eat under any name. Instantly, while reading The Echo's gardening column "Growing Gardens" (Feb 20) on the topic of drought hardy, edible plants I was plummeted backwards, 50 years in time, to my childhood and the many dinners served with this puerile green that myself and my siblings were forced to endure, ostensibly for the sake of our health. "eat it up, it's good for you", we would be told. We know the real reason; it was free!
It grew in our garden and our garden alone. It does not take a culinary genius to work out why. I can't remember any of our neighbours accepting a bunch of it, as they would the passionfruit or mulberries. Was it because they were not as concerned about their children's health? Not likely. They were smart and considered the fact that they would be forced to eat it themselves as an example, and that would be just too extreme even for those who religiously adhered to the good parenting manual. That pests and diseases avoid it served as a sufficient indication of its unsavoury composition.
We three children had our various means of disposing of the gritty, tough and vulgar tasting vegetable and I don't mean via our mouths. There would be no way this disgusting plant would land in our stomachs to ferment and emit waves of foul, odorous gases back up into our throats to be tasted all over again.
We would procrastinate for so long over the evening meal harbouring this obnoxious foliage that our parents would eventually leave us, to pursue other activities, insisting we stay there until we finished. Once this tactic was successful we moved onto the next stage.
My strategy was to put it in my pocket, wrapped in a hanky, to be disposed of later. My sister would have a desperate need to go the outdoor loo. Tightly held in her little fist would be the hateful weed. Mixed in with the excrement it would be indiscernible and that is where it belonged, in our view. My brother had a wonderful relationship with his dog who would be at his feet under the table. That dog will go down in the family history for the sacrifices it made for its master.
My advice to anyone considering following Julia Hancock's recommendation to grow this plant is – don't – if you want to maintain family harmony.
PS. It has just occurred to me that maybe we were outsmarted by our elders. It was probably the only time there was peace and quite at the table, as we sat sullen and silent waiting for them to leave, united for once in our agreed abhorrence of the unpalatable, verdant blob disgracing our plates.
Liz Lawrence
Lismore
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Ballina Doors Closed
What a shame the big door is slowly closing into the inner sanctum of Ballina Shire Council.
What is going on in there that we the ratepayers should not see or hear about. Big development dollars have hit the town and the corporate world tactics of back room deals appears to be moving into the Council Chambers psyche.
Councillor Alan Rich appears to be a hard working and honest man who is the only one of all the councillors there who has the integrity and guts to put his views onto a website where he tells it as he sees it. He uses public documents – council meeting minutes – to support his views and now there is a big push to shut him up and down. Has he told a lie? Is he close to the truth? Why censure him, what is there to hide?
Hush, hush upstairs meeting at the Council chambers, shunt all the spectators outside and then sell off $10 million dollars worth of Lennox Head land in a couple of minutes. Some Councillors stunned – most ratepayers shocked. Community groups ask to see the paperwork on the deal, but cannot. Got to go through "Freedom of Information" they are told and then only get what they want you to see. Why, what is there to hide?
Councillor Margaret Howes, love her or hate her, has bravely raised many disturbing issues concerning Council and Councillors. If some of them have half-truths, but fail because of lack of hard evidence then we have a serious problem with the inner sanctum of Ballina Council.
There is a move now to hide who voted on what. What for, what is there to hide? When you mix with the big business end of town and vote on million dollar deals (and loses), I suppose it is possible to forget that you were elected by the people for all of the people. We have seen what we thought were our local representatives vote against our wishes and so to be able to gauge their performance, we must know how they vote on Council business matters. If not, what is there to hide?
What a shame to see once open and apparently sincere people go from the sweet promises of an elected candidate platform to the wheeling and dealing political dynamic Councillor who does not want to show their hand out in the open now.
Ladies and gentleman, you do not have the right to hide matters affecting ratepayers. If you or your family are doing business or are friends with the big buck movers of the town, disqualify yourself from any matters affecting their Council business and we may have open and unquestionable results. The local Magistrate has to do it for his mates $30 parking fine but Councillors are playing with millions of dollars and the well being of our future.
Councillors and Council staff can come and go without any long term commitment for their poor actions or inactions. The ratepayers who want to call this place their home for the rest of their lives have to live with any poor business performances and infrastructure decisions. We need to know who is doing what, when, where and why at all times. It is our money, our future and you people need to look after it well.
Ballina Council has to leave the door open for ratepayers or anyone else to look inside. If not, why not, what is there to hide?
Geoff Harris
Tuckombil
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Ignoring Peace
For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to call myself Australian.
I am ashamed that Australia's government chooses not to heed the call of its people for peace.
I am ashamed that, on the pretext that it wishes to enforce the will of the UN, which has not voted in favour of military action against Iraq, Australia parrots US policy and is willing to risk the lives of its people to war against a nation which allegedly has weapons of mass destruction, when these very weapons remain in the hands of the United States and its allies.
I am ashamed that our government seems incapable of recognising that pre-emptive military action against Iraq is likely to justify a jihad on the part of militant Muslims, which vastly increases the chances of terrorist actions being taken on our soil and against our people.
I am ashamed that Australia seems capable of recognising and responding to evil and inhumane regimes only on a selective and unjust basis.
I am ashamed of our inhumane treatment of asylum seekers. I am ashamed that, when asked on ABC radio how we can be sending Iraqi refugees back to Iraq's evil and murderous regime at this moment, Alexander Downer replied "Oh well, there are a lot of people in Iraq – he can't kill them all...ha, ha, ha."
If we want world peace, we must cooperate within the framework of the UN to disarm all nations, including the United States. We must rescue the political institutions of all nations from the corruption of corporate power, which rigs elections, distorts fair trade within and between nations, and puts profits before humanity. We must be willing to let go of fundamentalism in every religious, political, economic, social and national code of belief, putting as our highest ideal the welfare of all humanity and all the Earth, and be willing to negotiate, accept and compromise with one another in the process of doing so.
And, despite my shame, I know that we must not succumb to the fear, rage and frustration to which we are exposed in these troubled times. Let us become a voice for peace, hope and joy, and take action to become the change we wish to see in the world. There is no other way.
Jill Garsden
Goonellabah
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Water Worries
Is anyone glowing in the dark yet? Will your kids or their kids glow in the dark or have worse problems in the future?
If you drink from the Rous Water supply right now you would have to be worried about what you are drinking. Except Rocky Creek Dam, go and have a look at the water holes, streams and dams they are pumping from. Then go upstream and have a look at the catchment areas that run into these holes and dams. What deadly chemicals, hormones and heavy metals have leeched and run into these holes and dams over the years from farms and human activity?
Who is closely watching the people and authorities who test this water to say that it is okay to consume? What is it being tested for (not much)? Will the truckloads of chlorine you can taste and current filtration systems remove all harmful agents known and untested that lurk in that water?
I suspect the answers to many of these questions would raise so many more questions and community fear that Rous Water could be bogged down responding.
It is amazing that we still see large development approvals when dark questions on infrastructure abound. There is not enough water to go around now and no good place yet to dispose of the future waste so how can we keep going over hill and down dale with development?
Because of a code amongst our planners that the show must go on, all water users are now faced with the reality of this stupidity.
Overseas studies have found that of the 87,000 chemicals currently in commercial use, at least 1,000 of these tested so far can act like hormones and 61,000 of these chemicals have not yet been tested. If you want to know what damage hormones are suspected of doing in tests overseas, look up endocrine disruptors and their suspected affect on embryos and foetuses in the animal world so far. This is only one of many problem contaminates.
Macadamia farmers use endosulfan, a prime suspect as an endocrine disruptor. Have a look at how many maca farms feed into your watering holes of Emigrant Creek and Marom Creek or leech into the Alstonville Plateau bores.
There has been no plan for fully testing this water you are forced to drink each day. How can you legally point the finger at this water when problems may emerge in the health of you or your kids in 10 or 20 years time. Like agent orange, it would be a long uphill battle. Authorities know this.
Where are the independent civic minded scientists who are prepared to come out with what is going on as we drink this water? A desperate Rous Council has been forced to drop their pipes into any old hole to show us all that they can supply an overpopulated area. Supply exactly what I want to know.
Geoff Harris
Tuckombil
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Why so Stupid?
Can anyone oblige with answers to a few questions on the idiocy currently dominating our world affairs?
What, who, or why is our Foreign Policy and when did the Australian people authorise it's entanglement with that of the USA?
Who directed George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard (John Howard!) to instruct the UN Secretary General and the Security Council just where their duty lies?
Why is it acceptable for the USA supported by Blair and Howard, to subvert the UN?
When was it acceptable for Ambassadors of Foreign Powers to comment to the point of interference on the internal politics of the host country?
What advantages Australia in beating the drums of war over Iraq?
Why does John Howard denigrate opposition to an unnecessary and, without UN sanction, illegal war. Surely every citizen of a democracy has the right to dissociate themselves from fraudulent and mendacious endeavour.
Or possibly, I should ask only what the hell do these people think they are playing at? Perhaps it is all to do with the magic of the sands.
The prime minister offers reassurance that he will see Australia throughout the crisis but advances no reasonable argument why he involved us at all.
Should anyone have answers please skip the standard rhetoric. I am aware of who and what Saddam Hussein is and George, Tony, John have played enough with fables, allegories and strange justifications best, and perhaps only, understood by Texans. America, what were you thinking?
One last question. If Iraq has had 12 years to disarm, and it has, hasn't the world had 12 years to disarm Iraq – so why the indecent rush, boys?
Joe Backshall
Kyogle
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Time To Play
Kingfisher blue, mustard yellow
A checkered mix in a vibrant queue
Before me, trails a raucous snake
Of chattering schoolkids. Listen to
That hum, that drone
Like the busy bee at work.
Some hold hands, that's nice to see
For they're Australians, young and free.
They cross the road
In busy hordes like
Christmas Island crabs
En route to lush green
Playing fields of youth.
There is no war today.
By Barbara A Taylor
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