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Humans V koalas

Dale Viola’s letter and the statistic of over 50 koala deaths on our Northern Rivers roads this year is horrific.

Council has confirmed at least 13 koala kills in Byron Shire in 2022. This isn’t corrupt corporations or governments, this is residents and visitors in our region killing native animals. Do you need to get somewhere quickly or don’t care enough to be aware? We need to change human behaviour. Koalas are endangered, at risk of extinction, and other species get killed or injured on our roads too; wallabies, birds, echidnas, lizards and snakes.

I support fencing and signs and anything else that gives species more safety –but humans need to act more responsibly. Government plans identifying the extinction crisis, and polices to save our species exist, but we need action now. Reducing the speed limit to 60km/h in mapped wildlife corridors, the areas we know animals use, would help.

With an election due, what will the next government do about this avoidable situation – will they reduce speed limits? Residents and visitors, please slow down, be aware and show that you care for our precious native animals. Politicians, do something effective to save our animal species – commit to lowering the speed limits in wildlife corridors.

Jan Barham Broken Head Outrage and scandal

As the Robodebt inquiry brings out more and more scandalous facts about our high-paid public service employees, I have real difficulties digesting what I’m hearing. Someone dreamed up that the government could reclaim over two billion dollars with this criminal system.

Till now the Robodebt scheme has cost taxpayers nearly two billion dollars for the paybacks, compensation, commission, inquiries, staff hours etc and The Saturday Paper’s journalist Rick Morton estimates it will be up to three billion once it finishes.

Now, we just heard from Stuart Robert, former government services minister, saying that he had to ‘hold the cabinet line’ referring to him not stopping this terrorising, killing system once he knew about the illegality of it, meaning he lied in interviews to the public, and with the usual ‘I can’t remember’ excuse. Employees scared of speaking up and informing their superiors in our public services sector is more than frightening.

Our government is still giving 12 billion dollars a year to the fossil fuel industry that hardly pays any taxes, they just give donations to the three major parties.

In NSW this government has paid 28 million taxpayer dollars to the forestry corporation in the last two years to destroy our unique wildlife habitats.

The NSW government sat on the ice report for two years while the suffering in the community is going through the roof.

Banks are raking in money by the billions, closing services in the rural areas and expecting everyone to do their banking on the internet.

How much longer will we let this happen? Our country has now three trillion dollars in debts and our kids and next generations will have to pay this off!

Chibo Mertineit Lillian Rock

Grants response

I write in response to your story ‘Grant Me This’, (1 March).

Interestingly, my quote in the story states, ‘In accordance with the premier’s memorandum, it is now mandatory for all NSW government agencies and ministerial offices to implement the procedures in the Grants Administration Guide’. This significant reform and improved transparency directly results from a review of grant allocations. I support this reform.

Yes, the minister still must sign off on any grant; however, this is merely administrative. Any deviation from the departmental recommendation requires robust, transparent reasoning.

I support reform and transparency of the grant allocation process. However, there still needs to be some scope to override the decision of unelected and faceless bureaucrats who have never stepped foot in our region.

I cannot support the continued talking down and attacks on the fight for valuable and meaningful investment in our region. Funding of $125,000 for the Drill Hall Theatre upgrades is just one of many examples. Our local MP heroically claims a 50 per cent increase in funding for the electorate. However, 99 per cent of clubs and organisations bypass our MP and go straight to NSW Nationals MLC, The Hon. Ben Franklin, for support.

After eight years and still nothing to show for it, it really is time for us to start questioning our Greens MP’s effectiveness.

Josh Booyens National candidate, Ballina

Ed note: The p1 story was about Council’s reliance on grants. Booyen’s was quoted in the ‘pork barrelling’ story on page 6.

Doing politics

The ALP has to do a lot more than the ‘repair strategy’. Yes, The Byron Echo is primarily a local paper, but the criticism of the major parties is a country-wide issue covered by you, especially in the wake of the major floods. I am quite familiar with the issues because I have lived 22 years in the area.

I was the ALP candidate for Richmond in the 1984 and 1987 federal elections, as some will recall. The renewal of the political system is not quite on the agenda yet, but it has to start sometime! What should renewal mean? Is the ALP finally going to address that issue or not?

Klaas Woldring, Retired Assoc. Prof. SCU, Pearl Beach

No climate strike

What the actual fuck? How is it possible there is not a declared School Strike for Climate in this town and others on the north coast this year? What is going on? Okay, maybe the strikers from before covid have all left school and even the district, but so what? Have the new near-voter age schoolkids and the new university students been taught nothing about the onrushing climate emergency, not to mention the valuable role that strikes have played for centuries in creating much-needed social change? Where is everybody?

This is so bizarre. Greta Thunberg came out last year with her Climate Book, which – straight off the top hit on Google – ‘gathered the wisdom of over one hundred experts – geophysicists, oceanographers and meteorologists; engineers, economists and mathematicians; historians, philosophers and indigenous leaders – to equip us all with the knowledge we need to combat climate disaster. Alongside them, she shares her own stories of demonstrating and uncovering greenwashing...’

Did any local schools even get it for their libraries? It’s so readable, written for teens and young adults in short essays never more than a few pages. And Greta’s still striking, like Big Ben, every Friday [last week was 237 – 3

March:] fridaysforfuture.org/ march-3 and #TomorrowIsTooLate – along with schoolkids in so many countries, yet, in all Australia there are strikes in four capitals only.

Not long ago she spoke out specifically about Australia, according to the ABC report ‘Climate activist Greta Thunberg has called on Australia to “wake up and treat the climate emergency like an emergency”’. Speaking from her home in Sweden to ABC’s 7.30 program, Ms Thunberg issued a warning to Australians relying on politicians to deliver the actions required to save the planet: ‘It seems like many people in Australia think that now we have a new government, everything will be fine,’ she said ahead of the annual UN Climate Change Conference, opening in Egypt on November. Of course, that is very, very far from true. What an amazing leader she is. But what has happened to Aussie kids? Where are you?

And what role are teachers and other authorities, from parents to governments at all levels, playing in this non-event?

We are in a climate emergency right now! The proof is all around, from Pakistan to USA to NZ and Europe. We don’t need promises of a better future any more, we need a better present, today and tomorrow, and every day forever, and we need it yesterday! We do have to recognise the truth and act on it.

Do people really think that all the climate scientists and the president of the UN are actually having a bit of a laugh at our expense, just trying to wind people up? Seriously? Get freaking real!

It’s already too late to stop so-euphemistically-called ‘climate change’, but it’s not too late to minimise the deadly consequences of actual climate chaos, and the social chaos that is going to result from it. But not by burying heads in sand or driving while focused on the rear-view mirror. And meanwhile the elites go laughing all the way to the bank, and thinking:

‘How jolly, what a neat solution to the population problem,’ as they sail off into the sunset on their yachts. Good luck to them, with the stink of corpses at every port, and fires, floods, and unimaginable storms on every horizon, and no insects or wildlife keeping ecologies functioning, to contend with. Amen. So be it. Kids, it’s your future. Fight for it or lose it. IMHFO.

Daniel Berg Lismore