Re: Council's 'no' to Reflex action
I'm truly disgusted with the new Yarra Ranges councillors immediately and unnecessarily undoing all the hard work and progressive leadership that the old council showed. I don't understand the point in going to lengths to 'undo' what had already been voted in by one council if it doesn't impact on the council's operation. It sounds like the new councillors are marking their territory and appear to be creating a clear division in the council. I feel it's the beginning of many 'undoings' that are going to see our 'green' council go backwards — right at a time when it is crucial that we show leadership in Earth stewardship. Progress at all costs has proven to be detrimental; we live in a part of the state that needs to be protected. What hope have we got when our own council cannot even advocate for environmental sustainability.
Disgusted (via web)
Re: New laws hold anti-loggers back
Mal Sissins' over emotional breast-beating, wailing and hair-tearing over the Leadbeater possum's supposed demise, (Your Voice, February 19) is as fanciful as the supposed effects of man-made global warming on the polar bear in the Arctic Ocean! Just as the polar bear retreats into the tundra (as the bears did before the last mini-ice age at the end of the 18th century), the Leadbeater possum finds other habitat; just as it did when Aborigines and lightning started fires.
The same sort of job-killing nonsense as Mr Sissins's was used to stop Boral's quarry expansion (of another mere 20 per cent) just a few years back, within Boral's very own, 70 years' established property's boundaries in Montrose. All because of a non-existent threat to the Great Owl. The Great Owl was in such great danger — but it still is nesting within Boral's quarry boundaries and the neighbouring reserve in the vast (and protected!) state forest, merely a short mouse-hunt flight away.
Howard Hutchins, Wonga Park
Re: Rubbish pile-up an eyesore
I wish to extend the thoughts of Doug from Ringwood (Your Voice, February 12) on the constant piles of hard garbage strewn across nature strips.
When Maroondah Council started the new policy of booking two collections a year a household rather than the scheduled collections twice yearly, I wrote to the council with my objections. They informed me that this would be a better way of controlling rubbish collections, give us more choice being able to schedule our own and that they believe residents were happier with this decision.
Not a day goes by, either walking or driving around my suburb, in which I am not confronted by a messy stack of rubbish. Not to mention the amount of rubbish dumped in service lanes and community areas by residents.
Besides restarting the twice-yearly hard garbage collections, the council should also bring back the two free tip passes we used to get with our rates, for us to use to dispose of things that we cannot include in our hard garbage collection.
C Clayton, Croydon
As a non-driver I frequently walk along the picturesque Wilana and Thomas Streets in Ringwood to catch public transport. Sadly, these streets are rarely free of piles of unsightly, unhygienic rubbish dumped on the verge. Many don't have the council-issued pink slip and sit on the roadside for weeks.
I have been to the Maroondah Council kiosk at Eastland shopping centre many times to report the matter. Surely there must be a better way for the council to come up with a solution.
John Sapsford, Ringwood