We are all equal
The Merri River School Council and the Merri River School staff would like to express our strong support for the retention of the multiple pedestrian crossings that now exist throughout the city.
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These pedestrian crossings are highly important for people with disabilities who rely on them in order to ensure both their safety, but more importantly, their independence.
The UN Disability Convention sets out how human rights and freedoms apply to people with disability. This includes the right to have the same access as everyone else to the physical environment, transport, information and communications, and other facilities and services, and to live independently and be included in the community.
The addition of multiple pedestrian crossings throughout Warrnambool help to fulfill these obligations that we owe to people with disabilities.
Russell McLaren, School Council President and Robert Dowell, Principal
Better at spin than Warnie
Since European settlement of Australia, human quarantine has been at the forefront of fighting pandemics in this country, beginning with arrival of the First Fleet.
Quarantine powers were the only health powers given to the new federation in 1901. In 1908 the Commonwealth Department of Health took over the responsibility for quarantine in Australia and the federal government still hold the ultimate constitutional responsibility.
Recently, the federal government have pushed partial assistance onto the states as a way of deflecting criticism for any failures and as a means of saving money - something that they have become rather proficient at.
Recent history indicates that we will be exposed to pandemics regularly: 1918 Spanish Flu; 1957 Asian Flu; 1968 Hong Kong Flu; 2003 SARS; 2009 Swine Flu and 2020 COVID-19.
Why won't our present Prime Minister show some leadership and become proactive rather than reactive and fund the building of Quarantine Stations around the country (based on the Howard Springs model) to deal with present and future pandemics?
Perhaps then he could start to get all stranded Australians home after he made another one of his regular broken promises of 'I will have all stranded Australians home from overseas by Christmas 2020'.
Mr Morrison is the greatest deflector of responsibility and master of spin in federal politics in my living memory.
Gavin Arnott, Allansford
Supporting the club and community
At the Moyne Council meeting on Tuesday May 4, the Officers Recommendation was "After having consideration of the Public submissions, Council resolve to confirm its intention to enter into a Crown Lease with Port Fairy Yacht Club and sub lease to Marine Rescue".
However, councillors voted 6-1 against the Officers Recommendation, and instead voted for the use of Licence Agreements, purportedly to provide more autonomy for Marine Rescue.
The actual reason for voting for the use of licences is to facilitate council's seizure of the club's facilities for council's own use for a meeting space and was stated in an email to the club from council officers in September 2020.
"The key rationale for council's preference for a licence is that circumstances are likely to require council regular access to a meeting room. As council is the committee of management for the land, it seems an obvious solution to the needs of council. Please note we are not talking only about council meetings, there are various workshops, staff meetings etc that would see council utilise the facility 4-5 days per week (office hours)".
A permanent video conferencing facility will be set-up within the club's main meeting room for live streaming of meetings, to replace the temporary facilities in the Mortlake office.
Councillor James Purcell is to be congratulated for supporting the club and the wider community by voting against the motion to use licences.
Arnold Brian, Port Fairy
Perfect time to reflect and act
Mother's Day is a day dedicated to expressing love and gratitude to mothers. I am a mother to three boys aged 3, 6 and 9.
Mother's Day has become bittersweet to me in the recent years; while I relish in the breakfasts in bed and handmade gifts, I also hurt knowing that my boys' futures are so uncertain because of the warming climate.
Science dictates that Australia needs to reduce its emissions by 75 per cent (below 2005 levels) by 2030 in order to secure a safe climate.
However, our current emissions reduction target is still set at 26-28 per cent by 2030.
"Meeting and beating" that weak target is still hopelessly inadequate, and threatens our children's survival in every aspect, from health to food supplies and water scarcity.
This Mother's Day, I call upon the federal government to act urgently on climate change, and to set policies and targets based on science.
All I wish is for all of our children to have the opportunity to live and thrive in a climate-safe environment in Australia.
Ching Ang, Kensington Gardens
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