Department takes action on illegal tyre dump: letter

When council staff were made aware of the illegal tyre dump they informed the relevant state Department of Environment and Science: letter

File photo of a pile of illegally dumped tyres. Picture: Contributed

Letters to the editor

Illegal tyre dump being cleaned up

I WOULD like to thank the anonymous letter writer in regards to the illegal tyre dump (The Gympie Times, 7/11/18).

This illegal tyre dump dates back to before the current council waste management fees were implemented.

When council staff were made aware of the illegal tyre dump they informed the relevant state Department of Environment and Science. The department has investigated the matter.

The tyres are now been retrieved from a gully and being stacked in preparation for transportation and legal disposal.

I would like to thank council and departmental staff for their diligence in ensuring this matter is resolved.

I would also like to thank the many community minded people who pick up litter from the roadside that has been tossed out of car windows.

Dan Stewart,

Gympie Regional Councillor Division 5

Dan Stewart:. Picture: Philippe Coquerand

Noisy minority in our west are hijacking discussion

WHILE it's good to see Gympie council offering rural residents an opportunity to have their say on planning for our rural areas I fear that once again we'll face what seems to be hijacking of the discussion by the noisy minority who lurk in our more western areas.

We've seen much of that recently, in discussions about the removal of council divisions and where ratepayer funds are spent with 'identities' and ex-mayors from out that way joining the 'old school' of Gympie in their constant remembering the 'good ol days', which never really were that good, and pushing to regress into them.

This comes at a time when Gympie faces challenges of growth and more attachment to the southeast sprawl than ever before, something which will only increase with time.

It also comes at a time when our state MP, from out west, seems almost totally disconnected from changing realities, or simply plays to his 'base' of yesterday's thinkers, being populist rather than leading, with his regular but pointless 'us' versus the southeast rhetoric.

While I personally will always believe that 'our' areas west, north and south of Kilkivan should be part of the South Burnett Council, where their needs, hearts, and souls belong, we're 'stuck with them' and they can't and shouldn't be ignored.

Nor should they be allowed to dominate as they seemingly wish to and are often allowed to.

I can't work out if those in other areas, and of thinking more suited to the challenges we face, are too busy 'knitting their own yogurt', are simply relaxing in their role of being lords of their small acreage manors, or are just too disinterested to contribute to shaping our futures, but I hope they change their habits and don't allow those least affected by the growth we face to once again have the strongest voices.

The council survey isn't perfect but it does represent a too rare opportunity to have a say.

It doesn't take long to complete and I hope many take the chance to do so, or we may well, still, face a future serving the few, and the past, much more than it'll serve the needs and desires of not only many already here but many who will join us.

Dave Freeman,

Cedar Pocket

School holiday nightmare parents face

CHRISTMAS cheer is upon us and a lot of people wish it would go away.

It no longer has the spiritual meaning for many and the commercialism has got out of hand.

For working mothers the school holidays are a worrying nightmare and many children are bringing themselves up during holiday times.

The mothers hope nothing happens to them.

As a person who has spent my life do-gooding here, I remember mothers ringing me for assistance - not for presents but for places the children could go while the mother worked.

They couldn't afford the fees for programs that cost money to take part in.

It doesn't excite me when I read about an organisation feeling good that they can give each child two presents. The real need is the continuation of physical support for the whole holiday period.

This has to be monitored and secure in these times of strange people around, but if we expect women to work outside of the home, it is important that we deal with it.

I am too old to organise this care now.

I can only highlight the problem and pass on my experiences, and hope someone hears.

Julia Lawrence O.A.M,

Gympie

Anzacs had every right to attack

WITH the centenary commemoration of WWI ending on Remembrance Day (tomorrow) along with the just few months back 100 year commemoration of the greatly historic WWI Battle of Hamel in which Australian and American troops fought shoulder to shoulder for first time (and under the Australian Command of the great General Sir John Monash); and with Anzac Day 2019 not that far off, why do we still have to suffer fools like former Australian Labor PM Paul Keating and his protégé the, "Castro-red Bandana Kid” journo/historian Peter Fitzsimons so often stating/implying Australia should not have fought WWI?

So, Keating and Fitzsimons - Germany was never on the march for territory?

Then why was the so very lethal German armed raider Emden blown sky-high by HMAS Sydney so very, very much closer to Broome...than Berlin? (And as you're an historian, Peter Fitzsimons, at the very moment of the Emden meeting its doom, the German Kaiser was only playing with model putt-putt boats in his bath?)

And Messrs Keating and Fitzsimons, just north of us, in PNG today (where the first Aussie Diggers were killed in WWI; taking out German military installations) there are still place-names today of The Bismarck Sea, Archipelago and Ranges; Finschaffen; Mt Wilhelm; New Hanover, etc. Who the hell, do you two blokes, think they were named after?

The Anzacs were (and had, every) right to attack Turkey (and defend Britain and her European allies).

Because - as recognised by then Australian Labor PM Billy Hughes, Turkey was Germany's greatest (and strongest) WWI ally and had Germany (and thus, Turkey) won the war we Australians (only here, courtesy of British Empire membership) would have become a German/Turkish "possession” (just as Germany's PNG area "possessions” became Australia's, after WWI) and we Australians would have been subjugated by foreign powers (with our imports/exports killed off by German/Turkish naval power).

Don't believe, me?

Then you two blokes just ask Greek-Australians about Greece living under the Turks when subjugated by the Ottoman Empire for some 400 years.

Howard Hutchins

Chirnside Pk, Victoria

Great big blue express tour

NO SNIPING. On the Great Big Blue Express Tour - "Hey, I'm doing what I do. You know I've always done what I do. I'm doing what I do, the way I've always done and the way I'll always do it.” Please explain.

Margaret Wilkie,

Peregian Beach

Places of pride in this region

I WOULD like to draw the attention of local communities, halls, schools, and stand alone war memorials, tablets, wall honour boards recording the district's defence service since the Boer War on.

There must be hundreds in the shire.

Woolooga Hall has three honour boards and a more recent memorial park with plaques.

In a small rural community, one WW1 memorial with 44 names lists nine dead and 13 wounded, with groups of family names to show the response to volunteer. That is just one small village.

Australia is unique that we list all who enlisted, whereas overseas only list the dead.

The Australian War Memorial has a project called Places of Pride, collating a national register of war memorials however big or small, in a town, or alone and almost forgotten in some of the ghost areas of yesterdays communities.

They would like everyone to be involved, and add photos of memorials to their interactive map.

How hard can that be in this mobile phone era?

One click and an email.

Visit https://places of pride.awm.gov.au to create an account.

Perhaps schools could make it a history project, churches, service clubs, RSLs, family history groups, former service personnel, or interested individuals.

Cut this letter out and stick it on your fridge.

If you can add any personal information about some of the entries even better.

If you have any queries don't hesitate to contact the project team by emailing [e-mail].

G. Penrose,

Gympie

You don't have to have money to have class

EVERY time I watch the lead up to; and then the running of the Melbourne Cup. I can't help but think of my late impoverished (certainly, by today's standards) foundry man father's so very sage words:

"You don't have to have money to have class. Many with money, will never have class; and some, will have neither, money nor class."

Howard Hutchins

Chirnside Pk, Victoria

ANY wonder why bus usage on the Sunshine Coast has dropped by 120,000 in the last five years. You only have to look at the focus given to both the federal and state governments' investment priority in Gold Coast public transport, including the recent Federal Government's $133 million destined for the new light rail extension.

The State Government is reviewing further investment.

However, here we have a lack of practical connections, poorly organised timetables not properly surveyed, determined by Translink bureaucrats in Brisbane, out of touch with people who regularly commute.

Weekends are particularly lacking.

The repeated failure to provide a fast train to Brisbane and a dual rail track north of Beerburrum, leaves many who are time poor no alternative but to drive. The population influx has not helped, but has created a nightmare increase in traffic to and from Brisbane on the Bruce Highway and Motorway. Roadworks continually hinder the commute and make no apology to those held up, with few practical alternatives.

The Gold Coast is not the centre of the universe, but according to our governments, it seems to be.

Discrimination in financing regional centres is rife. Where you live determines your standard of living and what resources are available to you. Here we were promised a dual train line to Nambour for decades, but it seems money is suddenly available for the new extension section of the Gold Coast light rail.

This affects our real estate prices.

E. Rowe,

Marcoola