DEAR News Of The Area, AS a Councillor in his third term the issues that I am challenged over more than any other is the issue of Four Wheel Drives on our beaches. Thank you to Peter Sobey and James Sakker for bringing this issue into the public arena. There is an old Chinese curse, […]
Letter to the Editor: Koala park will bring economic boom
DEAR News Of The Area, I am writing to you as a Bellingen Shire Councillor, former Mayor, Environmental Scientist and Geography Teacher who has been involved in the campaign for the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) for the last 10 years. It’s been nearly two and a half years since the state election where the […]
Letter to the Editor: The reality of beach 4WD use in Nambucca Shire
IN response to Peter Sobey’s letter of 8 August, the Schlacer study he refers to compared beaches that have 250,000 cars per year with no car access beaches. Not surprisingly that volume of cars did have a negative environmental impact. Beach 4WD use in Nambucca Shire is a tiny fraction of that number. Anyone familiar […]
Letter to the Editor: Social media ban just the start
DEAR News Of The Area, THE social media ban set to begin in December is a welcome and much-needed step to reduce the growing impact of digital distractions on children’s wellbeing. But while it marks progress, it’s only part of the solution. We also need to look closely at school excursions, where mobile phone use […]
Letter to the Editor: Net zero nonsense
DEAR News Of The Area, WHEN Barnaby Joyce spruiked his private member’s bill to abolish net zero by 2050, I couldn’t understand how he could claim that net zero was why pensioners are having to pay high power bills. He implied that removing a target 25 years away would somehow have the immediate effect of […]
Legal Hypothetical: Secret daughter emerges to claim father’s estate
IN tragic circumstances, Wendy’s son, William, passes away. Aware that William did not have a Will, Wendy contacts a solicitor to commence the administration of her late son’s estate. Wendy believes that she is William’s “next of kin” on the basis that William was never married, was not in a de facto relationship when he […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, AFTER a couple of weeks away, my husband and I have realised that we get along much better when we are away from home. Our relationship improved, we both relaxed for the first time in a long time, and it became apparent that we are soft touches and often feel that others take […]
Tariff Fire
Letter to the Editor: Time to transition timber workers
DEAR News Of The Area, I WOULD like to make a few points with reference to MP Michael Kemp’s response to a letter delivered to his office on Wednesday 23 July by KoaLa Man (Peter Elzer). The event was reported in the Macleay Argus (online Friday, 25 July and in print Saturday, 2 August). On […]
Letter to the Editor: The conundrum of cars on beaches
DEAR News Of The Area, WHY do we allow people to drive on our beaches? A recent meta-study by University of the Sunshine Coast Professor of Marine Science, Thomas Schlacher, confirms that driving 4WD vehicles on beaches has serious environmental impacts. The vast majority of 4WD users follow the rules and do their best to […]