Beach permits queries
Every morning around dawn a small group of people do their best to mind the beaches from Levy’s Point to Port Fairy. Who are they? They are your neighbours, ordinary members of our community, and they are there because they are concerned for our safety and the continuing degradation of our once-pristine beaches. A permit system has been developed in order to allow trainers to use the beaches for commercial training purposes. Every morning this group of community members observes various behaviours of some racing trainers and their riders which do not comply with the regulations of these permits. Riders must slow to walking pace when passing a pedestrian. This rule is currently, on the whole, not being observed by riders. Horses are trotting and cantering at arms length past recreational beach users on a regular basis. On Monday morning, for example, a woman on her morning walk at East Beach found herself amidst a throng of five horses, some skittishly dodging the vulnerable and seemingly bewildered figure on the sand. Who will be responsible for you if you as a recreational beach user or rider are injured by a runaway horse or a horse that has not been slowed to a walk or a horse that might shy in passing when that horse is at the beach on a commercial basis? No authority to date has answered this question, to my knowledge. Every morning horses illegally plunge the sand at a trot or canter alongside protected nesting zones unless a member of our community prevents them. These nesting sites are protected under Federal Environmental Law. They are well-signed and inform riders in some areas that horses must not pass the point of that sign; they must reduce their speed to a walk within 50m of nesting sites. Will the riders who currently flout these laws with seeming impunity change their ways under the licensing system? Warrnambool Racing Club will apparently be responsible in part for ensuring trainers comply with the regulations but has apparently declared that trainers will regulate themselves; to date there is little evidence of any form of self-regulation. In fact, the lack of respect, in the main, which has been demonstrated to date by most riders and trainers for any kind of regulation, has been nothing short of extraordinary. There is now more than sufficient documentation to illustrate without doubt the system of self-regulation, while there is the occasional exception, is largely failing. Who then will observe the horses on the beach on an ongoing basis to ensure their compliance with the regulations if the community members who are currently volunteering their time are not available? Perhaps Warrnambool Racing Club could employ a couple of trained independent ‘rangers’ to patrol the beaches and ensure compliance? After all it is their members who are benefiting from commercial access to our beaches. Will the trainers and riders who fail to comply with the conditions of the licensing system suffer a consequence? What is an appropriate consequence? I would suggest a hefty fine, the proceeds of which could perhaps then be invested in attempting to restore the beaches in the aftermath of commercial activity. Perhaps a persistent offender could also suffer the loss of their permit? The relinquished permit could be offered to a trainer demonstrating respect and regard for the conditions of the permit, for our safety and the environment.
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Robyn Wylie, Rosebrook
Fact-check violence against women stats
This is a complaint about your editorial (The Standard, December 10). You stated "but when the leading cause of death, disability and illness for Australian women aged 15-44 is still intimate partner violence, a lot of work needs to be done". The leading cause for death, disability and illness for women aged 15-44 in Australia is not and never has been intimate partner violence, it's not even in the top-10 causes, this blatant lie, along with many other lies was peddled by White Ribbon on their website and has been removed and replaced with the word "risk" and not "cause" which is still questionable. So the only bit that's correct is a lot of work needs to be done. Work by you in ensuring the correct facts are being printed and heard, work to undo all the mistruths and propaganda behind what is being peddled by several organisations protecting nothing but their own government funding. Work by editors like you to ensure your journalists’ articles are correct, truthful and non biased in line with the Press Council’s regulations. Work by journalists to investigate claims made by these somewhat unscrupulous organisations and inform the public of the real truth.
Jamie Roberts, Warrnambool
Editor’s note: The information was sourced from VicHealth and reproduced by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West, a domestic violence authority.
Keep kids safe
Australian parents are disregarding safety guidelines, with the majority allowing more than one child on a trampoline and most parents not supervising children while they use them. The Australian Child Health Poll found one in six Australian children sustained an injury such as a broken bone, concussion or strains and sprains while using a trampoline, yet only one in two parents know the specific first aid for treating the injuries. Regional Australia residents were more likely to report knowing first aid for a head injury, broken or dislodged tooth or an unconscious child, as well as having increased confidence in rescuing a child from a pool and administering CPR. The poll found one in six children don’t always wear a helmet when riding a bike despite it being a legal requirement. The results are a reminder for parents to keep their kids safe this holiday season.
Dr Anthea Rhodes, Director, Australian Child Health Poll
CFA volunteers left in lurch
It is no surprise that CFA volunteers feel left in the lurch this summer. With the enforcement of fire restrictions, there is still no Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) in place to ensure volunteers will be fairly treated and represented. So much has been said this year about the controversial EBA, but Victoria’s 60,000 volunteer firefighters just want to see the CFA sign a deal that doesn’t stop them from supporting their regional communities, just as they have for more than 100 years. With the militant United Firefighters Union (UFU) now delaying the vote until possibly next year for fear of it being rejected, there is an uncertainty over the role of volunteers, their relationship with members of the UFU and their future with the CFA over the coming months and years. Regional communities need to know who will be protecting the protectors this fire season. Many expect it to be one of the worst seasons on record, due to the high grass growth resulting from good spring rains, so we must be prepared accordingly. Given there has been no resolution with the EBA and the government has not been able to meet preventative burning targets, the Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino needs to consider and explain the impact this unresolved dispute will have on CFA volunteers this summer.
Simon Ramsay MP, Opposition Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Transport