Woolworths’ carpark is a “disgrace”
As a resident and rate payer of Warragal, I was both appalled and astounded to read the response by both Baw Baw Shire and Woolworths spokespersons to the fall of Val Pratt in the Warragul Central business district car park otherwise known as the Woolworths car park.
The state of this car park has been a bone of contention and a disgrace for years to the residents of this shire. It is an obstacle course of constant potholes and uneven patching that disintegrates after a good downpour. The response by various stakeholders to the condition of surface of the car park, is ambiguous at best.
We as residents have now been informed by the article in The Gazette that there are numerous holders of separate titles to this land.
Therefore my question is to Baw Baw Shire Council, where is the enforcement that regular resurfacing of the entire car park be undertaken every few years.
If existing bylaws need to be amended why hasn’t this been done?
Val Pratt is a generational matriarch of this district, who along with her husband Adrian have contributed decades of countless hours to volunteering their time in raising money for organisation and societies within our community. Val, at nearly 90 years of age was Adrian’s career until recently when Adrian entered residential care.
If Val, had hit her head when she fell into the pothole she would no longer be with us, and I dare say nor would Adrian from the shock of the news of this accident.
Our shire has many elderly and disabled residents, young families with children and a fast-growing population, the condition of this car park is unsafe to all and needs urgent attention.
Joan Lye, Warragul
Questioning claim
Your report ‘Coal smog protest’ (Gaz 15/2) quotes a Warragul GP, Dr Benjamin Lewis, as claiming his patients are experiencing exacerbated health impacts from toxic air pollutants emitted from Latrobe Valley power stations.
How does he know these impacts were caused by those emissions? The short answer is he doesn’t, and couldn’t possibly, know the supposed cause and effect relationship exists. This could only be scientifically established by objective epidemiological research.
Just such research – the Latrobe Valley Health Study – was conducted in the 1980s, independently of the SECV. It showed that adverse health effects alleged by opponents of Loy Yang were not significant. I don’t recall underweight births being investigated, but doubtless any such anomalous trend would’ve been brought to the attention of the medical researchers. The diseases cited by Associate Professor Irving certainly were canvassed.
Another reason to question Dr Lewis’ claim is that the long-running Latrobe Valley Airshed Study conclusively proved ground-level concentrations of pollutants in the Valley generally do not exceed accepted safe levels, the exceptions being associated with bushfires or low-level emissions in towns. One general conclusion was that the Valley’s air quality is better than Melbourne’s.
Since then, Hazelwood has ceased operating, so it’s very unlikely air quality has worsened. In any case, the EPA has continued monitoring, and would certainly have raised the alarm had air quality deteriorated significantly.
I don’t doubt the sincerity of healthcare workers involved in the protest, but once again vague insinuations are being touted as facts. These very same people should be well aware, from the anti-vaccination pandemic, that pseudo science is non-science, and too often nonsense.
John Hart, Warragul
Russell – it’s time
I understand that the Member for Monash, Russell Broadbent, stated in Parliament that he was unvaccinated, got COVID recently and took Ivermectin.
He also said that he’d had “a bit of a rough time”
Perhaps it’s time Russell was put out to pasture with all the horses that also take the same medicine.
John Anderson, Bunyip
Good decision
Last year a developer put in an application to subdivide the land at 66 Buln Buln Road in Drouin.
The matter then went to VCAT as these things are want to do.
At the VCAT hearing Baw Baw Shire Council, and others, opposed the plans for the subdivision and, thankfully, VCAT denied the permit.
I am one of the first to criticise council when they don’t do the right thing so it is only fair that I congratulate council for being prepared to invest resources to stop this inappropriate development.
Hopefully, the efforts of council and the VCAT decision will raise the bar a little for development in Baw Baw.
C. P. Healy, Drouin
Bad look, bad smell
It was not a good look (or smell) in Walhalla on Saturday (February 19) when the main toilet block in the tourist town failed. The toilet block in Stringers Park had pans overflowing and no water supply to the facility.
In desperation local business operators placed out of order signs on the doors after reporting the problem to Baw Baw Shire.
The problem was identified early in the morning and the shire were notified immediately. Visitors to the town were forced to use the only other operating public toilet facility at the southern car park.
By mid afternoon the business operators in town were receiving feedback that these facilities had also failed. (The third public toilet block in Walhalla, at the North Gardens Camping Ground, has been closed for six months due to flood damage.) Walhalla is not a third world country and basic, clean and sanitary toilet facilities are not too much for visitors to expect.
Brian Brewer, Walhalla
Downright terrified
Geoff Lee suggests the rise of independents was a cause for concern (Gaz 15/2) and we should all be very afraid of independent parties in the next Federal election, and their ‘’hotch potch of the extreme left, Greens and global warming alarmists.’’
Personally, I believe that if the likes of Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts, or Clive Palmer and Craig Kelly, ever gain any traction in Australian politics, we should all be downright terrified.
John Duck, Trafalgar
Inaccuracies
In polite response to Geoff Lee (Gaz 15/2) “Rise of Independents a cause for concern”, I would like to point out some inaccuracies in his claim.
Firstly, ‘independent” and “parties” are in direct contradiction (not to mention the singular and plural) and therefore “so-called” by no-one but himself.
In addition, I am not afraid of his other alarmist claims. I welcome debate and choice in the electorate of Monash. Potentially, a change of MP or at least a shift in balance could bring the progressive action and changes Monash is in sore need of.
Helen Wilson, Neerim South
Ill informed
In response to Cr Darren Wallaces’ comments (Gaz 15/2) regarding the $70 million sports plans mentioning that the good land is used by developers and cut up into postage stamps and building retaining walls.
As a developer myself, I would prefer to have larger lots per hectare, however the PSP states we must have 12 lots per developable hectare.
It’s the shire, through the PSP, that demand postage sized lots for rateable land not developers. It’s all about rate revenue. As for retaining walls, the issues with these are something brought on by council not developers. Darren Wallace you are ill informed.
Leigh Rees, Drouin
Evolution
Roger Marks (Gaz 15/2) said the stupidity of evolution was pointed out in my letter Gazette 25/01/22 when I used the earth’s climate and atmospheric history to make a case against a looming climate catastrophe.
Over time, scientists have learnt a lot about the earth’s climate and atmospheric history, mostly from geologists drilling through the earth’s ice sheets and sediments, and by understanding the solar cycles and the Milankovitch cycles and trying to fit the puzzle together.
If Mr Marks only believes in the scientific process when it is in line with his beliefs, then he is no better than the climate alarmists, because that is what they do. If what Mr Marks is trying to say is that the theory of evolution has serious anomalies and even impossibilities, then he will get no argument from me.
A simple example: the eye is a very sophisticated self-focusing camera. If eyesight evolved by chance, what are the mathematical odds of two eyes evolving on your face, or even getting one eye to evolve anywhere on your body? Micro evolution is supported by empirical evidence. Macro evolution isn’t. The point I am trying to make here is, if it isn’t supported by empirical evidence it’s a belief or a faith, not science, and that applies to both sides of the evolution debate equally.
Mark Schellekens, Drouin