Letters: 'Councillor's comments offensive, outrageous'

His comments in this week's Moyne Shire meeting and reported in The Standard on February 28 are despicable and shows his complete ignorance of gender issues. People, neither men or women wake up and decide to be different genders. This just does not happen. Transgender people take years and sometimes decades before they 'come out'. Councillor Doukas' ignorance on this is appalling but then to say that transgender people would then pose a threat to women and children in facilities or change rooms is beyond belief. To equate a transgender person with a sex offender or paedophile is outrageous and shows his ignorance of facts.

Does Councillor Doukas have statistics on issues like he states for Moyne, Victoria or even Australia? The percentage of transgender people is so, so small, then the percentage that could live or be travelling in Moyne, then the percentage that might need to use a public facility, then the percentage that might use this opportunity to act inappropriately towards women or children who might also be using the facility (why doesn't Cr Doukas think they may be a threat to males?). Councillor Doukas does not have these statistics because they do not exist.

The statistics that do exist, unfortunately show that transgender people are far more likely to be the victim of violence than the perpetrator of violence. Additionally, in Australia including Moyne Shire, statistically women and children are more likely to be assaulted physically or sexually in the home and by a cisgender (people who are assigned male at birth and identify as boys or men) person known to them. Cr Doukas would do well to keep his indignation for this major societal issue which affects hundreds of families, women and children in his council area.

If Cr Doukas is concerned about unsavoury predatory behaviour in Moyne Shire perhaps he needs to be more concerned about local cisgender males in utes cruising at Moyne Shire's free stays and caravan parks, leering and perving at women who are camping than his pure fantasy idea and preconceptions he has of transgender people. Would Cr Doukas stand up against this actual predatory, intimidating behaviour or shrug it off as 'boys being boys'?

As a councillor he needs to educate himself on the real statistics on gendered violence in his shire, against people he represents, before he attends council meetings again. Furthermore he needs to immediately retract his offensive comments and have them removed from council minutes, if possible) that unjustifiably painted transgender people as perpetrators of violence against women and children.

The purpose of this Fair Access Policy appears to be encouraging and educating councils and communities on the absolute benefits of having inclusive and accessible venues to all members of Moyne Shire including families, older people, people with disabilities, people of different cultural backgrounds, whatever gender they identify as. In other words, improved accessible community assets for the vast majority of his constituents. Cr Doukas would do well to work towards these benefits for all rather than expressing his hurtful, ignorant and hateful comments.

Erica Clarke, Warrnambool

Congratulations to Katrina Lovell for her feature article on the listing by Heritage Victoria of the hull, the anchor on Wreck Beach, and the clifftop monument arising from the Fiji shipwreck of 1891 (The Standard, February 26).

Public access via Rescuers Track, off the Great Ocean Walk, is now possible and the track name is highly significant. The search is now on to find descendants of the Princetown and Port Campbell men who waded into the wild sea to try to rescue the sailors on the fateful evening of September, 6, 1891. Others revived the near-naked sailors and assisted them up the cliff to the safety of Rivernook guest-house.

Overdue recognition for all those rescuers is planned, but we need to find descendants, ahead of a special event planned for mid-April, 2024.

Any reader descended from Arthur Robertson (later Rev. Robertson), William McKenzie (of Glenample), Willy Ward, John Evans, Frederick Stansmore, Leslie Dixon (or Dickson), Fenelon Mott, William Robe, Hugh Cameron, Edwin Vinge, Peter Carmody, M. J. Dunne, William Tregea, J. P, Rev. James Jennison, Dr Ewing and Mr Hamilton (both of Cobden), is invited to contact me on 0412 143660.

It is obviously 133 years on from the courageous actions which received unfortunate criticism at the time, but efforts are evolving to set the record straight, and to give descendants an insight into what their brave ancestors achieved.

Alan McLean, Queenscliff

My elderly mother had a fall in the carpark of Warrnambool's St John of God Hospital and fractured her hip on Monday afternoon.

She was transferred by ambulance to South West Healthcare where she was admitted through ED. She was treated with the utmost respect and received exemplary professional care for which we are extremely grateful for.

From there, she was admitted to the short stay unit. The wonderful staff cared for Mum until she went to surgery on Tuesday afternoon. She had surgery on her injured hip and lacerated elbow.

Mum returned to short stay and was subsequently transferred to the rehabilitation unit on Thursday evening, where she remains, receiving the necessary post-operative care, to optimise her opportunity to regain her mobility and return to her home.

Each day, since Mum's admission, my sister and I have endeavoured to ensure that she is supported and is not alone.

All day parking is an issue. Daily parking is limited.

The $378 million redevelopment at the hospital will further exacerbate this problem over the coming months. The underground parking will no longer be available as construction begins.

The recently completed 90 degree parking bays, which we have been utilising, on Merri Street have alleviated this issue, however many more spaces will be required.

The plight of employees of and visitors to South West Healthcare and their inability to secure appropriate and accessible parking is obvious.

Whilst WCC local laws actively patrol the CBD, their presence around the hospital, to ensure that parking remains accessible and appropriate for all users, is essential.

Narelle McLaren, Warrnambool

The Standard February 24 'Proposed vehicle standards debate', Wannon MP Dan Tehan said "he had been told the cost of new vehicles could increase by between $10,000 and $14,000" by the introduction of new fuel efficiency standards. Who "told" you Mr Tehan? If you can't name these experts then your statement is simply more hollow scare tactics that your government lived by for nine years. No names - it didn't happen, you made it up.

Our petrol is among the dirtiest in the world, where was your government for nine years? Our current emission standards were superseded 10 years ago in the rest of the world. Where was your government? Many vehicles we import already comply with the new standards overseas. They dump the dirty ones here. Too hard for the Libs to tackle?

The Australian car industry has failed to meet its own voluntary emission standards (which are more lenient than the rest of the world) for the last three years and they are getting worse. The proposed new standards will save the economy $6.1 billion in health and fuel costs by 2042.

Tony Weber, the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automobile Industries says, and I quote, "this is a necessary step". Well Mr Tehan will you please stop trying to scare us with unsubstantiated stories and actually get something happening in Wannon. Your record in government was woeful when compared to adjoining electorates. What a fool I am for thinking you may get something done in opposition.

Geoffrey Grec, Warrnambool