'Some genius got a degree in road safety for this'

Letter writer can't believe the mess of speed zones and signage between Widgee and Gympie

LETTER: So, do we obey the 100km/h sign and probably end up dead or what?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Traffic confusion near Widgee

WITH all the carnage on our roads I find it a little strange that upon leaving the village of Widgee heading towards Gympie, drivers are greeted with a 100km/h speed restriction sign.

Immediately past this sign is another sign warning of a narrow, one-lane bridge 400m ahead.

Then, just a further 100m past this sign is yet another warning sign advising One Lane - Give Way and so it continues through a serious set of 90-degree curves with 60km/h recommended speed signs and give way signs all in a 100km/h signed zone.

So, do we obey the 100km/h sign and probably end up dead or what?

Some genius went to university to get a degree in road safety and planning design to dream this scenario up - and they vote!

Tony Jakeman,

Gympie

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Council newsletter is not for advertising

I REFER to Merv Welch's recent letter to this paper regarding my non-involvement in articles in The Round-Up council magazine.

I presume he was referring to editions last year.

My position is that as a matter of principle I will not "advertise” my achievements or activities in a ratepayer-funded newsletter.

The Round-Up, which I estimate costs ratepayers about $200,000 a year, in my opinion should be used only for providing information on council programs or information that is of genuine assistance to the community.

Cr Bob Fredman Division 8,

Gilldora

Gympie needs a warm-water pool

NO MATTER what experts speak of future employment trends, high on the list are health and social services, which always require considerable public funding.

Like many in a community over-represented in ageing and disabilities, I don't enjoy great health.

On a good day I can do a coffee meeting but extended dining, attending entertainment, contributing to long meetings and even driving after taking some medications aren't an option.

In hilly terrain such as Gympie ease of access is always a consideration in where I go and when.

Due to high costs to society and lack of effective treatments I attempt to minimise my use of the health system.

I've managed to retain relatively good mobility through one simple thing: self-help using heated pools for exercise.

Doing so I've met many in similar situations, in many locations, I've done a fair bit of research into heated pools throughout south-east Australia.

Last Sunday, I ventured to a meeting of Gympie Hydrotherapy Group.

I left with mixed feelings.

The standout was how sad it is that they've been mainly ignored and how an increasingly large section of society has been badly provided for by a succession of local councils.

Once again, I was reminded of what an insult to proper consultation, consideration and planning Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre is.

I also noted that in a somewhat inaccurate draft consultant's report to the council proposing a warm-water program pool, there's a "clause” which effectively offers the council the chance to further duck and weave, a review process which "conveniently” ends the month after the next council election.

Wimps!

The utter stupidity of where and how the new Gympie pool complex was created should in my view see those who were on the council when it was conceived show heartfelt contrition and make a public apology.

Apart from already being poor value for public money it means that to extend the facility to include what's nothing more than the modern standard in such complexes can only come at huge inconvenience, increased costs, and result in adding to an already badly compromised facility.

I'm not criticising the manager of the complex, Belgravia Leisure. They generally make the best of a sad thing.

My questions for Gympie ratepayers are if they can find it in their hearts to fill an increasing need with a total spend of over $27million, if $5million for a warm-water pool is added to the cost of the current failure, if they wish to let a growing demographic suffer and/or if they'll re-elect the "gang” who stuffed this whole process up so badly?

Anything attached to the current pool would be plain stupid by non-Gympie council standards but that standard's been set by what's done already.

With health and social service being growth industries, with Gympie being above average in ageing and disabilities, sadly another pool is very much needed and despite all the follies involved I hope the population supports building such, and soon.

Attaching it to the current pool's not the best but for management purposes it's probably the best that can be done, bearing in mind idiocies of the past.

Dave Freeman,

Cedar Pocket

Cashless welfare card 'expanding'

TWO weeks ago, I raised (the cashless welfare card trial) issue, reading between the lines, I warned that the card would be expanded.

Wide Bay MP Llew O'Brien hit back stating "the card isn't coming to Wide Bay. I'm talking about things that are real. It will not come to Wide Bay full stop”.

His response was in contradiction to the fact that he voted strongly for the Cashless Debit Card and his earlier comments regarding the card in September 2017, where he stated, "it's not coming to Wide Bay, at this point in time, but I'm keeping an open mind about it”.

Over the past week the LNP has announced a further expansion of the Cashless Welfare Card trial in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay despite the Auditor General finding there was no evidence the Cashless Debit Card was working, and, in many cases, the card prevents people from buying cheaper essential items.

Labor has always opposed a national roll-out of the Cashless Debit Card and we do not support the expansion of the card to additional sites without informed community consent.

When it comes to the Government's latest proposal to replace the Basics Card with the Cashless Debit Card, they haven't consulted with the community or provided proper details of their plan. My concern is that Wide Bay may not have a choice if the LNP is returned to Government.

Jason Scanes,

Maryborough,

Labor candidate for

Wide Bay

One Nation sting, ABC spin, gun laws

HO HUM, more Pauline Hanson's One Nation bashing.

Why I am not surprised?

Well timed too, just before an election, as was the ABC's Don Dale "expose.”

The similarities are, well, unremarkable once you learn how the spin system functions.

Squirrelled information published at an opportune time, selective editing, sensationalism, and scant detail on the actual issues.

Oh Lordy, I am getting bored already.

In my opinion, a couple of naive Pauline Hanson One Nation guys legally soliciting political funds from a friendly democratic nation were stung by a Middle East multimedia company seeking to illegally influence Australian politics.

Of course, the only reason Australia needs really stringent gun control laws at all, is because a succession of Canberra invertebrates steered the national morality downward with vacuous ideals and political expediency.

I currently support rigorous gun control legislation because I believe that in a climate of terrorism and marshmallow politics there can be no other way.

What I do not agree with is the notion presented by the anti-gun nuts that shooters are trying to water down firearm laws.

In fact, all they want is to retain 1997 rights and get value for money out of expensive licensing fees, which, when considering their paperwork back log, seem to be channelled into consolidated revenue, rather than providing staffing levels commensurate with the task.

I applaud Ashby and Dickson for providing this week's entertainment, and look forward to the national broadcaster doing a sting on say, a couple of Shorten's tipsy CFMEU mates giggling through ideas on how to milk the Townsville Stadium project for another million dollars.

Come on "their” ABC, you can do it!

So many stings, so little time.

Alan Dray,

Mooloo

True meaning of hot cross buns

PEOPLE who have dollar signs before their eyes may not care about offending or hurting Catholic Christians.

Hot cross buns mark the end of Lent and different parts of the buns have certain meanings.

The Cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices inside signify the spices to embalm him at his burial.

Di Stubbs,

Maryborough

Learn how to help our koalas

KOALA Action Gympie Region is a local group encouraging landholders to plant more koala food trees by taking part in their program funded by the Gympie Regional Council Environment Levy.

Because most koala habitat is on private land, people living in areas with koalas can have a great influence on whether populations in their area survive or become extinct.

Watching the news lately on habitat destruction, particularly in southeast Queensland, tells us how much we need to know more about this incredible Australian icon.

Fragmentation of habitat is a very real problem often causing significant deaths.

Connectivity of habitat for breeding, dispersal and genetic diversity is vital.

This weekend our group is hosting an information day at Kilkivan Public Hall with some fantastic guest speakers so that people can learn more about this fantastic animal and how we, as citizens, can assist in saving them from extinction.

Our goal is to encourage and educate people to enhance existing koala habitat and help landowners protect the koalas that use their properties.

After all, these landowners are the custodians of some of the most iconic wildlife in Australia.

The Community Meeting at is this coming Sunday March 31 from 9:30 am to 12 noon.

We will have speakers on the following topics:

Speaker Shane Joyce, Kilkivan grazier and biodynamic practitioner, has been at the cutting edge in what now is being called regenerative agriculture.

Beginning in 1974 at West Cooroy, moving to Theodore in 1982, and then to Kilkivan in 2014, Shane has achieved outstanding landscape and conservation outcomes, while striving for top 10 per cent of industry beef-enterprise outcomes.

Gympie Regional Council contractor Darren Pointon specialises in wild dogs, working with government and private landholders to resolve wild dog impacts on livestock, native wildlife, pets and people.

As one of the highest causes of koala deaths in the region, this a topic close to the hearts of those of us supporting our koala populations.

Paula Rowlands, president of Gympie ANARRA Wildlife Rescue, works from her Glastonbury property.

She and her group have been in the forefront of koala and other wildlife rescue in the region for many years.

She will share insights into the threats, signs of disease and injury and how to help our furry friends.

Inquiries [e-mail] or Robyn on 0428865172.

Robyn Jackson,

Koala Action Gympie Region

Don't expect to win

IN THE past, most parents I know brought up their children to live law-abiding lives which they enforced with Sunday school attendance and sport, and God looking down to catch out the wrongdoer.

And heaven help if one let the neighbours hear about it.

In the present day, people are not going to church and in many cases God doesn't exist in their lives.

Laws seem to have taken away the criminal's responsibilities for their actions and drugs are everywhere.

Parents have never had complete control over their children especially when they reach high school level.

They only have to acquire the wrong type of friend at school and their whole outlook on life can change overnight.

And they can become very secretive.

We all know toxic families and we steer clear of them instead of helping them somehow.

We don't want our children to "catch the lifestyle”, so we tell them to say hello to everyone but pick your friends, as people judge you by your friendships.

It is also very hard to find a TV program that doesn't feature violence - even with children's programs.

Children are seeing constant violence that is put in front of their eyes by adults.

I can recommend learning karate as part of a program for change.

It can turn some lives around for the good as they learn to control their anger as well as how to defend themselves.

There are clubs in Gympie.

Everyone has a story and most parents are pleased if their offspring are not in jail or on drugs and the same can be said of kids who have to grow up with parents who do the wrong thing to them.

Julia Lawrence OAM,

Gympie

Franking credits

BOTH Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten are struggling to sell the proposed franking credit policy.

Labor Party franking policy is flawed in many aspects. Taxes or levies normally take into account income, assets or spending. The proposed franking credit policy takes none of these into account.

The main concept is the type of shares and where you hold them or whether one of the SMSF members were on a government allowance on a certain date, all irrespective of income or wealth.

The Labor Party claims they are after the big end of town with this policy.

So who keeps their franking credit rebates? The list includes bank executives, Catholic Church, refugees, middle and high income workers, wealthy retirees (greater than $1.6m), multi-millionaires, wealthy people in general, union officials, union-affiliated industry superannuation members, many politicians and ex-politicians, and companies retain their franking credits.

So who does the policy take the franking credits from? Retirees with $800k to $1.6ml in their SMSF, shareholders such as aged care residents, retirees, low-income workers, non-working spouses, any low-income person not entitled to a government support.

Not what you would call the big end of town, and not fair. But these people are perceived as not being Labor supporters.

If they were, they most likely are not now. Ex-Senator Glen Lazarus once said some policies cannot be polished or words to that effect, and this is one of those policies.

John Passaris,

Frenchville