IN reference to the misnamed

Black Swan Lake. To local bloke, I heartily agree with you – councillors and council employees are there to serve the ratepayer, so why not let them get on with the job? We pay them enough.

To the lady who would be annoyed if the value of her home depreciated, I also agree with her, and like her I would do everything within my power to prevent it.

The issue is simple, a few people want to see the cesspool left alone, the Turf Club wants to fill it in. The council has decided it is in the interests of the majority of ratepayers that the Turf Club be allowed to fill it in. Simple!

Now who are the majority of ratepayers? Once again they are the Turf Club whose members are perhaps say 1500, their patrons who would number many tens of thousands, others who use the grounds for such things as seminars and other functions. Now we also have the Magic Millions. To all those many thousands who attend this week-long great event, more car parking would be a bonus, as it can be very hard to find parking, especially on Magic Millions race day.

Last but not least is The Gold Coast Show Society, who have lost their venue to the Commonwealth Games village and currently use virtually all the Turf Club’s parking area for show pavilions. This involves tens of thousands of mums and dads with their lovely children walking a distance to the show, as little, if any, parking is close to the pavilions.

We must also remember those disabled persons who may be affected.

In fairness to these hundreds of thousands who visit this iconic club and the events held there, the council has done an excellent job and made the right decision.

Both those who oppose the above and those who are for it have quoted pool samples of toxicity and no toxicity, so did they take the samples from the same spot, the same depth, on the same day? Obviously not.

I would say to all those who oppose this development, be honest, have you inspected the site? The smell, the visual scum, we should be ashamed to allow our feathered friends to inhabit that area.

We now have another miracle, a protected bird has arrived, we may read some zoo has left its aviary doors open! But is it a reason not to go ahead?

No, in the same way we move people from their homes and make them live elsewhere, for better roads etc, surely we can move a few of our feathered friends.

ALPAL