This is your chance to speak up about current issues affecting your council.
Please forward your letters to sophieg@lgfocus.com.au
Travelling from A to B
At the risk of ruffling some feathers I offer the following observation.
In the January issue of Local Government Focus there is a lot of discussion about what governments should/could do for local government, and I applaud all of the local government aspirations.
With that same spirit in mind I respectfully suggest that local governments across Australia and its territories purchase locally produced vehicles rather than imported ones, in a spirit of support for our manufacturing industries.
A vehicle is simply the means to travel from A to B. When a vehicle infers an assertion of status for anyone, then that person is lacking in the qualities our communities expect from us.
Yours sincerely,
Councillor Alan Oliver
Port Eliot-Middleton Ward
Alexandrina Council
South Australia
Recognising Australia’s heroes
Natural disasters are a tough time for Australians; many families have faced disadvantage as a result of damage to their properties, we have lost families and friends at the hands of Mother Nature and it can take years to recover from the dent that these experiences leave on both individuals and on the community.
Earlier this year we have again witnessed or been part of terrible stories about bushfires ravaging Australia, leaving homes in ruins, removing physical traces of lifetimes of memories and leaving an emptiness in all our hearts.
These are times that test the spirit and strength of a nation. After witnessing our country facing the floods in Queensland in 2012 and then the bushfires recently, we have seen our nation pull together to make a difference and help those that have been affected by these disasters.
We have seen people in Australia putting the wellbeing of other Australians before their own, we have seen victims helping other victims, and we have seen people with very little giving to assist others who have lost loved ones and their homes.
Our firefighters are working overtime, often without payment, putting their lives on the line to stop the blazes that are destroying communities across Australia. One of these courageous individuals has given his life to protect families from the devastation that these fires have caused. Our firefighters will forever be remembered by us as heroes.
I would like to acknowledge the work of volunteers, without whom many of the crucial activities to assist with the fires would not have taken place. Groups like our SES Workers, Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs have put everything aside to give their time and resources to the bushfire cause. Ordinary people in Australia are making donations and contributions towards families that have lost their homes and properties in the blaze. I would like to thank these individuals for their honourable and selfless acts.
It is the generous commitment of these individuals that make me proud to be a part of this country and I encourage you to spare a moment for the people that have given their lives and donated their time to fighting the recent bushfires and to think about what being Australian really is about.
Yours faithfully,
Father Chris Riley
Chief Executive Officer
Youth Off The Streets Ltd
Editor’s note: Father Chris Riley was Ambassador for Australia Day in Albury, New South Wales.
