Ode to an orphanage
With apologies to Bill Yeats, Bill Wordsworth and Bill Shakespeare:
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It sits upon its urban hill
The city down below
Its glassless windows sightless now
Its future we don’t know
Rafters silhouette the sky
Point up like witches’ fingers
Brick walls remain to testify
To memory that lingers
The walls still stand of shocked brick
Tall chimneys to the sky
It is an eyesore on the hill
And so the time goes by
It must be saved, cries heritage
Or history is lost
But will they cough up just a cent
To help defray the cost?
Decisions can’t be made, it seems
Alternatives are many
No matter what is done to it
T’will cost a pretty penny
Now summer comes with heat and wind
Long grass up to the fence
If it should burn, the neighbours say,
They must prepare defence
Embers flying through the air
No matter what the source
Endanger all the houses round
No one’s to blame, of course
Now some men want the buidling saved
Their home in childhood years
While others want the lot torn down
Recalling childhood tears
‘Ann O’Nymous’
New 'tax' not correctly identified
The new 'tax' as was written in the Goulburn Post (Letters to the editor, November 30) is not correctly identified by the sender.
For many years those who have chosen to take out home insurance have paid a levy that has been used for funding emergency services, ie. the RFS, NSW Fire and Rescue and also SES.
This seemed most unfair to me, as this levy was never paid by those who chose not to have home insurance.
The emergency service volunteers do not get paid for their efforts [such as] fire-fighting, [securing] storm damage or rescues from cliff falls.
This levy funds the equipment used by these volunteers.
I believe that it is only fair for this volunteer work to be funded by all.
Nancy Cheetham, Goulburn
International Volunteer Day
International Volunteer Day [December 5] is a time for us to reflect on the immense contribution volunteers make to our society and thank them for all that they do.
Red Cross is an organisation built on voluntary service, made up of 17 million volunteers worldwide.
Volunteers help us save lives, build resilient communities, support people in disaster, and prevent and alleviate human suffering in times of war and conflict.
Every day throughout the year our 35,000 members and volunteers in Australia improve the wellbeing of those who are experiencing extreme vulnerability.
I can’t thank them enough for their time, energy and commitment, and I feel privileged to work alongside them.
Voluntary service not only helps the recipients, but also the volunteers whose lives are enriched by the act of giving.
We aim to build an inclusive, diverse and active humanitarian movement based on voluntary service.
I strongly urge you to join our humanitarian movement and help your community by visiting redcross.org.au/volunteering.
Penny Harrison, director of volunteering, Australian Red Cross
Yowzer! at the bowser
With the lowering of the oil prices our petrol should be cheaper at the bowser. Actually, petrol should be below a dollar a litre.
Why has our high taxing federal government allowed the high prices to continue?
Fuel prices proportionately increase the moment oil prices increase.
Australia has been overtaxed for too long. How long will it take before we give the government a vote of no confidence for the ever increasing prices and taxes?
It’s time for the public to get relief from the heavy hand of government taxation.