LETTERS: Cashless card, roads, nuts and the regions

THE argument that the cashless card discriminates against all of those people who spend their dole money appropriately is true, but meaningless.

Opponents of the proposed cashless welfare debit card make a statement on Boat Harbour Drive in Hervey Bay. Picture: Alistair Brightman

Support for card

THE argument that the cashless card discriminates against all of those people who spend their dole money appropriately is true, but meaningless.

All laws in this country apply to that small minority who do the wrong thing.

Does this mean that the laws should be abandoned because they taint those who do the right thing with the stigma of being a law-breaker?

Of course not, and the same applies to the cashless card.

It will not affect those who do the right thing, but will ensure that families who do not do the right thing will now have food on the table, clothes on their back and a place to live.

That is by far the most important consideration in this debate and the rest of the waffle is just that.

Yes it may adversely affect the income of the TAB, hotels, tattoo parlours, betting shops, drug sales and body piercing establishments but who cares? No one should.

These are the luxuries that can be earned once you have a paying job.

BRIAN REYNOLDS,

Bargara

Focus on roads

I WRITE to congratulate the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Golding Contractors on the completion of the upgrade to five timber bridges on the Dawson Hwy between Gladstone and Biloela, coming in under budget by $14m.

This is excellent news for the road users in Callide Electorate, particularly as the $14 million savings will be reinvested "into further upgrades of the Dawson Hwy to deliver road safety and accessibility improvements”.

I have recently undertaken a tour of Callide roads which has highlighted priority areas where this money could be well spent. I can advise the following areas are in need of the Departments' urgent attention:

• Calliope traffic lights - Dawson Highway intersection of Drynan Drive. This is a school safety issue regarding dangerous traffic conditions particularly at peak school drop-off and pick-up times
• Gayndah-Mount Perry Road near Mingo Crossing- site of recent road fatality

Another area of significant importance and in urgent need of assistance is the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail development and in particular the preservation of the historic tunnels, bridges and rail line in and on these structures.

An injection of a small amount of these surplus funds would assist immensely to help complete this unique historical tourism venture, bringing tourist dollars to many struggling communities along the rail trail and in surrounding districts.

I look forward to the Minister's announcements on where these funds are to be reinvested.

COLIN BOYCE,

Member for Callide

A nutty expansion

MACADAMIA Direct has announced it will seek a permit to expand its operations to Bundaberg.

There is a great site in Kepnock just waiting for an enterprise like this.

The land in question is next to Aldi, a new backpackers hostel and the ring road.

What a perfect spot and there are plenty of nuts close by...6400 tonnes a year has been mentioned, but I would forecast double that amount could be done on a 24/7 basis with trucks just having to go mere metres to the "ring road”.

This could only be a huge winner for this town when we need it.

After all the macadamia is an organic product that won't damage the environment and the plant will bring more jobs and prosperity to our region.

JIM CARTER,

Elliott Heads

Regions come first

OUR own illustrious State Labor Government has gone awfully quiet about our own farmers in Queensland while on the news, their heartbreaking plight is shown everywhere.

Why is this? At least Malcolm Turnbull is doing something with more drought relief to come.

At least Turnbull gives his income away to those less fortunate or to hospitals or regional charities.

Where is Bill Shorten? Where is Annastacia Palaszczuk? Where are any of the Labor MPs?

Mr Shorten is too busy trying to ambush and stall the NEG using his union funding arm of the ALP, GetUp and Greenpeace and all the urgency that Ms Palaszczuk can muster is to change the name of Lady Cilento Children's Hospital and wasting millions throwing subsidies (not loans) to overseas movie multinationals to encourage them to film in Queensland.

Considering 70% of Australia's income is derived from regional and rural areas, instead of shutting our regional industries down with bogus climate emissions policies, its important to keep regional and rural areas front and centre of our national interest.

Labor, both federal and state, need to put our country first for a change instead of stalling, pandering or wasting money and finding any opportunity of selling off our assets and forgetting our workers.

MARIAN SMITH,

Norville