Praise for 'out of town folk'
Recently I was doing my weekly grocery shop at Aldi in Warwick Qld.
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I noticed a bunch of youngish, clean cut and tidy males and one female shopping.
I was aware they were "out of town folk".
When I was packing up my groceries one young man came over and asked me if I needed any help.
I was absolutely floored, amazed how kind he was to offer.
I asked where were they from and he said Goulburn, then Croookwell NSW.
I said my sister taught in the high school in Crookwell about 55 years ago. Way before his time.
What a small world we live in!
The group were staying in Ipswich QLD and were going to some music festival.
I do hope they had an enjoyable time.
Also Crookwell residents keep up with raising such nice charming young people.
Helen Thomas
Childcare centre questions raised
The rejection of the proposed childcare centre on the corner of Decan and Goldsmith Streets is foreseeable due to its highly unsuitable and possibly dangerous location.*
A two storey childcare centre with an associated carpark for 25 cars and 105 children in a narrow cul de sac street of 16 homes housing 14 retirees including five in an NDIS house and alongside a busy public oval is highly unsuitable.
Yet this DA was passed apparently "in house" by the council planners and without any chance of a public meeting to address the concerns of those affected.
Two further applications within close proximity of Record Street were lodged and this week a further two were lodged in Elizabeth and Long Streets.
In all cases perfectly livable houses would be demolished to make way for childcare centres.
How many are fully staffed, how many are viable and realistically how many do we need?
- Goulburn Mulwaree Council has confirmed that the proposed 120-place childcare centre at 130 Deccan Street remains under assessment.
Suzanne Burgess, Goulburn
Calling for 'every single voice'
It has been thoroughly inspiring to witness the rising level of community concern regarding our council's proposed rate hike over the next three years - a total proposed increase over 50 per cent above current rates.
Since arriving in Goulburn a mere four years ago, I have never seen such a unifying element as this single local government travesty.
People from all walks of life - ratepayers, renters, retirees, students, business owners - all rising up as one to voice their objection to this proposal.
May I hasten to point out that I hold no grudge against the council employees.
In all my dealings with the council staff I have found them efficient, polite, personable and professional. Indeed, I am fortunate to count many council employees as friends.
But I digress. The story so far is baffling.
Late last year the council undertook a community consultation regarding the proposed rate rise.
By the council's own admission, a staggering 98 per cent of responses to the consultation said "no thank you". Individual submissions to the council's process were met with silence.
In an economic climate where so many are struggling through the biggest cost of living crisis in decades, the proposed rates increase seems untimely and callous. Nevertheless our councillors, who we ourselves elected, voted to submit an application for a Special Rate Variation to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
While IPART considers the council's application, a number of options remain available for the community to have their say. These include signing a petition to State Government, as well as submitting direct online feedback via the IPART website, as below:
Literally thousands of Goulburn residents have already signed the paper-based petition that is circulating throughout the community. Have you signed?
If not, please do! And as well as signing the petition, please visit the IPART website to make your voice heard - it includes a survey that takes a short five minutes to complete.
Occasionally one hears of people saying "there's no point signing a petition - it won't make any difference".
How defeatist! That's like suggesting that Ukraine should lay down its arms and quit the struggle against Russia!
Perhaps we should remember the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill - on giving an address to the pupils of his former Harrow School in 1941, following the destructive blitz, Churchill reminded his audience:
"... this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty... "
Every single voice makes a difference. So come on Goulburn!
