LETTERSto the editor HAVE YOUR SAY – Email your letter to editorial@theexpressnewspaper.com.au
ABC show amazes with climate program
parliamentarians representing their causes and enough consultation and advisory bodies in place – the most notable being the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA) established in 2019 with the 20222023 budget of close to $ 4.5 billion. Its team of 1300 is to work closely with indigenous communities to ensure that policies, programs and services address their unique needs. The purpose is to “enable the self determination and aspirations of First Nations communities. We lead and influence change across government to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples have a say in the decisions that affect them”. Senator Price asserts that the referendum is a waste of millions, and predicts that a constitutionally Voice to Parliament will lead to High Court challenges. Her concern is similar to former chairman of the Coalition Government’s Indigenous Advisory Council, Warren Mundine, who feared it will divide Australia and considered a voice enshrined in our Constitution as a Trojan Horse where Australians have no control over laws made under The Voice. Uschi Lang MAREEBA
management and resources strategy for Queensland started the State Government’s waste levy charges. I ask, why do the services and pricing in whatever shire or local council area a person resides in have such a large difference in costs? Is the cost of waste fees the shire management’s decisions? When I have enquired, no two shires have had the same price for many items. The money pressures of the day have made some customers abusive, unacceptably, and the frustration in the pricing at different shire’s transfer stations is understandable, given I have found the pricing of rubbish disposal is not uniform between the districts. Maybe the State Government could inform local shires for all residences via rate notices as to the price instead of transfer station attendants having to inform customers accordingly. Vicki Forrester KOAH
Questions over Thanks to who made varying waste costs I WAS reading a story in The Express project a reality (15/03/23) titled “Stop the abuse, know the
I’M near on 100 per cent sure that everyone, children included, know what a pedestrian crossing is and specifically how it works. It’s the simplicity of a pedestrian crossing and the wide range of knowledge in the public domain that makes them effective. In Mareeba, we have four different ways of crossing our streets, pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings), traffic lights, crossing anywhere but at a nominated crossing (probably as safe as zebra crossing) and wombat crossings. There’s no consistency. As far as I am aware throughout Australia, wombat crossings are raised pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings) that is they should be clearly identified with black and white markings giving pedestrians right of way. Why have our wombat crossings been designed different to what the apparent norm is and that is with the zebra stripes. Problem solved. I have come across two incidents recently, again. The usual with one, a vehicle stopping at the wombat crossing whilst the other vehicle continues on, and the most ridiculous was at the traffic lights where vehicles in one lane actually stopped on a green light to let pedestrians cross. The road is a dangerous place and pedestrians have a responsibility to ensure their safety but local authorities might want to give some thought to their irresponsibility. Sure, they have legislative protection but where you have a problem, the potential for serious injury, and it’s been known for a long time, foreseeability and other factors may not work well in the council favour. Barry Braes MAREEBA
RECENTLY on ABC TV, a short program came on about global warming. Firstly, it said that the “Little ice age ended in 1888” and that the earth entered a warm period and said that since that time, the Earth had warmed up by 0.8 of one degree. This is wonderful new and proves beyond doubt that the doomsayers are wrong. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) committee has also said that hurricanes, bush fires and floods are no worse but that more people are being affected because the population has increased since 1888. We now have a population of about 25 million in Australia and we had nothing like that in 1888. The mighty sun controls our climate and we know that the very existence of life on Earth depends on the light from the sun. It warms our seas, generates our weather patterns and gives energy to the growing green plants that provide food and oxygen for life on Earth. The Australian people are being fooled by the doomsayers and for ABC TV to put this into a program is amazing. P.W. English MALANDA
FOLLOWING the recent opening of the Allumbah Heritage Walk in Yungaburra, it is timely to acknowledge several entities and organisations for their support. To save any embarrassment on my part, I won’t name individuals as for sure I would miss some people out. Without the great support from Tablelands Regional Council, this community project would never have got to first base, let alone a successful completion. To Yungaburra Landcare, which was the auspice body, with many volunteers that helped with the sign design and installation. The Eacham Historical Society in Malanda for their historical knowledge and meticulous fact checking. To the folks at YAI and the Yungaburra Visitor Information Centre who were enthusiastic with their support. Finally, a big thank you to Yungaburra Indigenous elders and the many local residents who reminisced and shared their personal memories and experiences on life’s journey. Our hope is that this community asset will be enjoyed by future generations in the years to come. Paul Burnell YUNGABURRA
Valid concerns over Voice effectiveness
INDIGENOUS Senator for the Northern Territory Jacinta Nampijinpa Price opposes the Voice for a number of reasons: There are already eleven indigenous
State’s levy charge” and was amazed at Cr Kevin Cardew’s comments. I have been charged a minimum of $5 for a boot full of domestic and recyclable bottles and never had a “free” one cubic metre acceptance at Mareeba or Clohesy River transfer stations in the Mareeba Shire since charging has been collected at the transfer stations’ gates. I have always paid what has been asked of me, graciously, as we don’t have a garbage collection where I have lived for 30 years. My neighbours and myself have always taken our rubbish to the transfer stations and now pay at the gate like all other customers. I recently dropped off three mattresses and two bed bases to the local transfer station. The weighbridge attendant was very apologetic and explained it was “$31 per mattress – used to be $25 however 100 mattresses were brought in one drop-off, hence the price increase. All the same price at $31 however many mattresses the customers have”. I was in contact with the Ayr transfer station recently and the young man there told me: “$5 for all mattresses – doesn’t matter how many you have.” There was no charge on a lot of different rubbish disposals that are charged at Clohesy River and Mareeba transfer stations. One man at the Mareeba transfer station told me $91 per tonne for solar panels on my enquiry. I turned up in my ute loaded with solar panels only and the lady charged me $5! Cr Cardew, of Tablelands Regional Council, stated that since 2019, the waste
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Different crossings causing confusion
EDITOR’S NOTE: Byrnes Street, Mareeba, is controlled by The Department of Transport and Main Roads and is not managed by Mareeba Shire Council.
Know where the kids are these school holidays WITH one more week of school holidays to go, parents, carers and guardians are reminded they need to know where your children are and to ensure they are provided with suitable supervision and activities over the school holidays. Unfortunately, it is during the school holidays that many of the wilful damage and burglary offences occur within our local schools. During the school holidays and after school hours, it is an offence to be on school property without the express permission from the school principal. Any person on school grounds may be found to be trespassing and charged with this offence. This includes school students, no one should be using the schools as a
“shortcut”, using recreational equipment on school grounds or playing sports on the ovals during the holidays. Police will continue to perform extra patrols during the last week of holidays around our schools and will have a zero tolerance with respect to persons found to be trespassing on education facilities. This type of offending costs the QLD community millions of dollars every year and impacts on our local school’s ability to provide quality resources for students for their learning. Senior Constable Aleda Day is urging members of the community to report any suspicious activity within our schools either through School Watch 13 17 88 or via Policelink on 13 14 44.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK BY ADRIENNE MEREDITH The thewe was – Wet.
This little Sunbird was taking advantage of the rain in my Mareeba garden. Taken with a Nikon D500, f6.3 at 1/800 second. Enter your photo on Facebook at the Tablelands and Surrounds Photography Group page Atherton Tablelands & Mareeba 96.7FM Amrun 94.1FM • Aurukun 107.7FM Coen102.7FM • Cooktown 96.9FM Doomadgee 105.3FM Kowanyama 107.7FM Lakeland 100.5FM Lockhart River 107.7FM Mapoon 101.3FM Mornington Island 107.7FM Pormpuraaw 106.1FM Napranum/Weipa 94.5FM Normanton 98.5FM • NPA 91.9FM Woorabinda 99.7FM Wujal Wujal 107.7FM Yarrabah 92.9FM
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