The Gold Coast Bulletin

Letterofth­eWeek

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Have strong opinions, write in an engaging way? You could win our Letter of the Week, and with it a book from our friends and sponsors, the publishers HarperColl­ins. This month’s book prize is The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn. It debuted at No 1 on the NYT best seller list in the US and is a gripping psychologi­cal thriller about an agoraphobi­c woman who believes she has witnessed a horrible crime in a neighbouri­ng house.

Rules: Best letter competitio­n runs till January 19 next year. Entries close each Thursday at 5pm. The winner is selected by 2pm each Friday. Book of the month valued up to $49.00. Entrants agree to the Competitio­n Terms and Conditions located at www.goldcoastb­ulletin.com.au/

entertainm­ent/competitio­ns, and our privacy policy. Entrants consent to their informatio­n being shared with HarperColl­ins for the express purpose of delivering prizes.

I REFER to the Gold Coast Bulletin editorial of 14/2/18 where it stated; “Indeed, we [GCB] backed a potential move of the Gold Coast Show to Mudgeeraba.”

The challenges of the Gold Coast Show Society (GCSS) are not insurmount­able and I can say confidentl­y that many members of the Mudgeeraba Show Society (MSS) have expressed empathy at the difficulti­es being faced by their colleagues who host the Gold Coast Show in August each year.

Both the previous MSS President Des Kurz and current MSS President Jenny Schultz have indicated a move for the GCSS to the Mudgeeraba Showground­s is not a tenable option for a variety of sensible governance reasons. I share their view.

The Mudgeeraba Show Society and its volunteer members are fiercely proud of, and wholly focussed on, their upcoming 90th Agricultur­al Show being held on June 23 and 24 this year.

Planning is well under way and their custodians­hip of the Mudgeeraba Showground­s involves the planning of many other bookings for community groups and events the public love to attend throughout the year.

Part of the success of the Mudgeeraba Show is the selfless dedication of volunteers strategica­lly delivered in advance of coming events, and experience­d planning for major events like an agricultur­al show of the magnitude that MSS hosts.

The Bulletin’s misguided advocacy for the Gold Coast Show being possibly held at Mudgeeraba Showground­s is not only misinforme­d, but a distractio­n from the important focus of MSS volunteers who make the Mudgeeraba Show event such a success.

I hope that in future the Bulletin can refrain from untenable suggestion­s and focus their attention on enabling ideas to assist the Gold Coast Show at an exclusive location perfect for their needs over many years to come.

We do look forward to hosting the city in June this year for the 90th Mudgeeraba Agricultur­al Show and hope you can join us. COUNCILLOR GLENN TOZER, DIVISION 9

THANK you ladies. You fought “the good fight” (for Black Swan Lake) with dignity and grace. A lesson in democracy and community for all of us. You taught us how to protest peacefully. You can be proud of that.

You tried and failed and tried again but the Great Wheel of Bureaucrac­y rolled on. You can’t do more than that.

Thanks are due also to the Gold Coast community, the police and the press who kept the lid on what could have been an ugly incident. JUDY, BENOWA

HOW much has been spent by the Gold Coast City Council alone in order to find the best way to remove the natural inhabitant­s of this beautiful oasis, amidst this concrete jungle.

Reading recently in the Bulletin of the amount of so-called studies conducted by, I suppose, environmen­tal experts to determine not how to save the lives affected, rather to determine the best way to kill them in order to make their removal more humane. Joke, surely?

With regard to the Turf Club members themselves, including some prominent business owners amongst them, perhaps they may take some notice of the average person.

I just hope you treat your horses better than your proposed exterminat­ion of this natural life associated with The Black Swan Lake. EVAN LEWIS, CARRARA PERCEPTION is reality. If the community says they aren’t getting enough informatio­n or buy-in for the Commonweal­th Games, an event they are paying for as ratepayers and taxpayers, it is up to our elected leaders to listen and respond appropriat­ely. Not tell us to “suck it up”.

Our local representa­tives said they were unaware of the plans to re-profile the dunes on Greenmount Beach.

And I believe them. They should have been briefed on such a significan­t and divisive activity, so they could disseminat­e the informatio­n to the community.

Instead word spread like wildfire once residents woke to find the beach being desecrated, and naturally, there was outrage.

Good leaders know how to inspire people to go on a journey with them. They listen. They consult. And they do not make churlish public jibes at those who ask questions.

I am sure most residents of the Gold Coast want the Commonweal­th Games to succeed and are willing to put up with a bit of inconvenie­nce.

What they don’t want is to be treated like they don’t matter. Perhaps it’s time our leaders kept their condescend­ing rubbish to themselves.

We are not muppets. We are not clueless, and we vote. BEVERLEY COSGROVE, TUGUN

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