COVID death toll goes unnoticed

More than 100 deaths occurred this weekend. They were not in a mass shooting. They were not in an aeroplane crash. They were not in a bushfire or a flood. If they were, the numbers would have shocked and saddened so many Australians. No, they were from COVID.

They were hardly reported by the media. They did not really hit the consciousness of people apart from the friends and relatives of the victims and the emergency workers who were involved.

We have become blasé about them and immune to the fact that we are still in a pandemic. Mask up, keep social distancing and be aware of the dangers to yourself, your family and others in the community.

Greg Tuck, Warragul

Well done Team Dickson

I had the privilege of being given a guided tour by Jo Dickson of the Warragul and District Historical Society during their recent art exhibition "Early Settlers Homes of the District".

What an incredible collection of paintings and collectables on show at the museum at the Old Shire Hall. The "pièce de résistance "though was the magnificently restored board "Pioneers of Warragul and Early Settlers of the District".

Well done Jo and Malcolm, your dedicated committee and many volunteers to put this exhibition together. The many hours of research and organisation can only be imagined.

Mary Hardwick-Jones, Warragul

Not before time

Although pleasing to read that Baw Baw will introduce planning controls for long-term protection of natural assets it is not before time.

Based on history I wonder just how protected those assets will be in actuality. I do acknowledge the councillors on-side in this and dearly hope such protections come into fruition sooner rather than later.

I vote Friends of Drouin trees be given a meaningful seat at the table. It was shocking to discover long ago that in spite of working long and hard to protect our trees they've never had the necessary "teeth" to enforce their will when it counts.

Perhaps that has changed now, I do hope so as they are a mine of information regarding trees and birdlife here. Sometimes less is more and a light touch could be more advantageous than the total spoiling of everything before starting new projects.

Bellbird Park is becoming Bellbird estate. Let's hope enough habitat is retained for those very birds.

Drouin Civic Park, although a wonderful new play area for children has lost many trees and the beautiful established bird-friendly bushes surrounding the pond near the bridge. Can we not incorporate some older well-loved parts with the new? It feels like the soul is ripped out for some cookie-cutter model finishing up looking just like every other under planned, over developed town. Must we conform?

Hopefully it is not too late to save some of what is intrinsic to beautiful West Gippsland.

Jill Harris, Drouin West

Recession

This will be the fifth recession I have experienced in my lifetime.

This time, we are coming in to something quite different. Interest rates are low by comparison. (15% in the eighties). House and land price increases have rocketed at a dizzying rate. Now the share market has taken a dive. Fuel has never been so expensive.

People in "protected employment " continue to get pay rises regardless. Home grants continue to be handed out for houses with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two or three living rooms and a double garage. Meanwhile, there is an extreme shortage of building materials and skilled labour.

A shortage of housing stock and more homeless. Wouldn't it make sense to only hand out housing grants for a home which has three bedrooms, one bathroom, and perhaps one garage. Thus get people into their first home at a manageable cost?

To make land affordable, the State and Federal Governments should also release land and rezone parts of Seymour which is the same distance from Melbourne that Warragul region, is to Melbourne. Better freeway, water, railway and proximity to Melbourne airport , and industrial areas over there.

Now we have a Reserve Bank board putting the "disc brakes" on. What a ridiculous way to try and produce a stable and reliable economy. Instead of all of a sudden whacking on a half per cent, it would have been much more sensible to add "point one nought " each month so that some people wouldn't panic. Now we are going to continue with the old "down up down" economy. A pretty dumb way to run financial matters

Ian Honey, Warragul

Predictable response

I write in reply to Dr Brett Forge (Gaz 14/6). The essence of science is to ask an impertinent question, and you are on the way to a pertinent answer.

All variables must be accounted for to satisfy scientific rigour, as there can be a number of reasons for fluctuation in COVID cases, severity, hospitalisation and death. To attribute reduce (though still high) numbers to any one factor, ie vaccination or boosters, is false logic and a typical response from medispeak.

Resorting to confounding and questionable numbers and stat's, is nothing if not obvious and predictable casuistry.

Any individual in the medical fraternity is well aware of the professional consequences should they be so bold as to question the rubric of their colleagues.

The wires have crossed and there's quite a crackle. I have been reasonably terse given community scepticism and shift towards common sense.

Robert Gillespie, Warragul