Pause and reflect on Anzac Day

Right now we are facing the most significant challenge and threat to our way of life since the Second World War.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, and it will change how we observe one of our nation’s most sacred days this year — Anzac Day.

There will be no marches, no parades and no gunfire breakfasts or games of two-up at your local RSL, but Anzac Day has not been cancelled and we will continue to pause this year to honour our servicemen and women.

Australians are at their best when we come together to support one another and while we cannot physically gather to commemorate the service and sacrifice of our Defence personnel, we can show them our respect.

Whether it’s a solitary driveway tribute, baking Anzac biscuits, a small ceremony with your household, sharing a message for our service personnel, or watching the televised service from the Australian War Memorial on the morning of April 25, I encourage everyone to pause, reflect and say a simple ‘thank you for your service’.

Teach your children about the importance of the day and the service of the original ANZACs as well as the service of the almost two million Australians who have served over more than a century.

Think of those who are currently serving, both in Australia and abroad.

And reflect on the more than 102,000 who have died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations whose names are inscribed on the walls of the Australian War Memorial.

Anzac Day is now more important than ever and we will remember them.

Lest we forget.

Darren Chester, Minister Veteran

Affairs and Defence Personnel

Need for bypass

I frequently travel through the main street of Drouin and wonder how bad will the traffic flows be in another two years and beyond.

Presently, there are several land developers processing huge tracts of land south of the railway line with one development rumoured to have 5000 blocks in mind, with several parcels of land.

My sources tell me that there is no firm plan for a southern bypass, ring road, or multi lane feeder on the drawing boards.

If immigration numbers for Australia continue at the same rate we have had in recent years, (300,000 per annum unofficial) then the quality of life around Drouin will change dramatically as people are pushed out of Melbourne.

We need lots of new infrastructure now. I see the need to plan now for two ring roads.

Perhaps using McGlones Road across to Settlement Road, and then back onto the present freeway near Chairo school.

For stage two, and in anticipation of a further 20,000 people. A ring road that incorporates Sand Rd. Longwarry, and heads east across to Korumburra Rd. Then travelling east again and links up to the present freeway.

On the north side, it was mooted years ago that Dollarburn Rd. Warragul, would link up across Buln Buln Rd, Drouin, and connect with the present freeway via Higgs Rd.

It is now urgent. Discussion and action needs to be secured by the present council.

A lot of us left Melbourne a long time ago (some of us 50 years ago) to avoid traffic congestion. There is no quality of life sitting in a car, in traffic for half to an hour.

Planning and action now is the time.

Ian Honey, Warragul

Not the aim

Michael Groves (Gaz 14/4) has focused heavily on one aspect of my letter (Gaz 2/4) accusing me of federal government bashing.

That was not the main thrust of my letter. The federal government was slow to act on COVID-19, not as slow to act as other countries, but still slow. Australia had its first case of COVID-19 on January 25 and the government advice came out straight away not to travel to Wuhan.

Hot spots began appearing around the world It was naïve to think that with other countries now affected, people arriving from them wouldn’t travel to Australia.

However, the ‘do not travel’ advice extending beyond China did not change until March 11 .and people kept arriving from many infected places. The difficulty the Federal Government faced has possibly stemmed from the fact that they were looking at this as mainly an economic rather than a health issue.

Even their first stimulus packages were based on keeping businesses open, although doubling the Newstart Allowance certainly helped individuals.

After a horror weekend of mixed messaging on March 14 and 15, the Federal Government made an excellent decision to convene a ‘wartime cabinet.’

This was essential as the laws that had to be enacted to help combat the pandemic and take the pressure off the health system were state and territory laws.

Premiers and first ministers were the ones that had to implement them and convince the public that they were the right course of action.

The federal government made significant economic decisions to support those people out of work and businesses in trouble and this is to be commended. They have fallen short of supporting over a million casual workers and people trapped here from overseas, but that may change in time.

As for the Ruby Princess debacle, an investigation is underway as to the cause. Hopefully lessons can be learned about how we manage such events in an emergency in the future.

During this crisis, it has been an enlightening to witness a process of government where cooperation rather than party politics has come to the fore.

The federal government were late in acting and were guilty of mixed messaging, but have risen to the occasion.

Our federation style of government is a complex one. There are jurisdictions which overlap and others that stand alone. First and foremost, governance is all about people and if we come through this pandemic relatively unscathed, let’s hope that new understandings and new practices of government that are less divisive, become the norm.

Greg Tuck, Warragul