AFTER reading the front page article of the 23 July Star, I feel that councillor Sam Aziz should be congratulated for his perspicacity. His way to solve the problem at the Oakgrove community centre is to suspend the funding from the council (a full $77.36 a day) and so probably forcing the centre to “pull out” all the children attending.
The only information in my possession is the articles, but the problem seems to arise from the fact that the centre hasn’t got the facility to accept payments by Eftpos, cards, plastic or whatever you want to call them.
Could you please be a darling and ensure that the council makes the necessary facility available soon?
Councillor Aziz, this is the 21st century and it is unthinkable that any business can function accepting cash only.
L. Hollas,
Berwick.
IWANT to express my sympathy to Winsome Anderson, Frank Lamattina and their fellow land owners around Clyde at having this new new Labor Party wealth tax slapped on them. It might be called “a contribution” but it is a tax, pure and simple.
The idea that you cannot sell a working farm to someone else to continue running as a working farm without paying a $95,000 per hectare tax is absolutely outrageous. What other small business is subject to such a tax, upon the sale of the business?
Worse still, the so-called GAIC is retrospective. That is like being charged with a crime which wasn’t a crime when you acted – some time in the past, before the law was changed.
But of course the Labor Party is basically a socialist party (to use an old-fashioned word) and considers Winsome and her neighbours to be greedy capitalists, and therefore fair game for extra taxation.
What they actually are is small businesspeople – the heart and soul of the Australian community and the main drivers of our economy.
At least the Coalition Liberal and National Opposition has stood up for landowners. They will try to stop the changes to the Urban Growth Boundaries in the upper house. Shadow Minister Matthew Guy says that an “infrastructure contribution” should only be applied at the end of the process – when land is actually subdivided for new housing, not just because it might be some time in the future. A much more reasonable proposition.
All of that is apart from the silly idea of subdividing traditional intensive farming land – fertile and productive, and near to Melbourne markets. We are grateful that our council has strongly opposed this proposal.
And the rest of us who live in the Green Wedge country of Devon Meadows, Cranbourne South and the Coastal Villages have been warned – your land might be next on Minister Justin Madden’s list.
Do I need to suggest who you might vote for at the State Election next year?
D.H. Jewell,
Cannons Creek.
MINISTER Kosky’s grand plan for all those new railway stations in Casey and Cardinia to be up and running by 2013… I’d like to see that.
Has she forgotten their 1998 election promise for one at Cranbourne East?
Don Moyes,
Berwick.
WITH no disrespect intended to the members of the ADF who are doing a tremendous job overseas, parts of Melbourne including Casey can be more dangerous at night.
That was what I was recently told by some former colleagues who have just returned from operations.
As a former soldier, former policeman and lawyer I find it almost unbelievable that AFL football (great game that it is) can hold such a prominent position in today’s local newspapers when more of our children die on our streets from uncontrollable violence with the government and senior police command standing by doing nothing except delivering spin over substance.
We even have Division 2 Region 5 Superintendent Shane Patton denying there is any police shortage at all in Casey (refer Berwick Leader 5 August, 2009 p5).
Police need to be given the powers, resources and more importantly the will to take back our streets.
The current State Labor Government (less their minders and spin doctors) should be dragged down to late night venues in the CBD, and regional centres throughout Victoria to witness the carnage and then explain why they do nothing to the grieving parents of those killed and maimed.
Stop ignoring the problem, stop delaying, stop playing politics and start addressing the issues of this violence.
One thing I can tell you for sure with my practical and academic experience in criminology is that once an offender is locked up (whether it be for the night or longer) the likelihood of them bashing or stabbing somebody else on the streets is zero.
Perhaps this is a good starting point, or alternatively perhaps we should change government to a party that will do something?
Christopher Andrews,
Berwick.
I WOULD like to respond to the articles “No fooling” (6 August) and “Don’t fool with the Pool” (16 July).
I can completely agree with the frustration of the users of the “exercise pool” and their wonderment about the children using it.
I also signed my three children up to use all the wonderful “fun” things for them to use at the Casey RACE.
However I do wonder if these two members have “eyes”. Have they not seen all the works and areas closed in the pool? Have they not noticed that since opening day the “toddler fun park” has been closed.
The tipping bucket only operating a handful of times (it is again broken) and that I have only seen the whirlpool used once and what happened to the fun wobbly pontoon in the middle (I guess it was removed to make more room for all the people to sit in the water).
The main pool is far too deep for little children and is usually occupied with the lessons.
So, we too are paying weekly for the privilege of a pool designed for our children, but NOTHING WORKS!
The only “beach area” pool is always packed with no room to move, nothing fun to do except sit in the water while the ever vigilant lifesavers yell “no running”, “slow down that walking”, “no splashing” and so forth. So quit your complaining, and do like the rest of us, hope that the council fixes all the broken things quickly and quietly keep paying your fees.
Andrea Scott,
Beaconsfield.
AFTER seeing the prices charged by IGA, Coles and Woolworths on food etc in the Herald-Sun Saturday 9 August, I think that price control should be brought back to stop this rip-off.
R. Pendlebury,
Narre Warren.
