OPINION: Here we go again on the Cultural and Civic Space Opinion by News Of The Area - Modern Media - May 30, 2021 DEAR News Of The Area, HINDSIGHT is a wonderful thing. What a pity Freda Patterson (Knight’s Castle, Coffs Coast News Of The Area, May 21 Edition, p32) was not present at the public meetings to plan the Cultural and Civic Space (CCS). I attended at least three of these and I can assure her that the committee was anything but anonymous, encountering numerous hurdles before the DA was granted. One of these hurdles was an appeal to the state minister by those who wanted the CCS abandoned, however all was found to be in order and due process followed to the letter. With the coming forward of potential mayors we have the old chestnut ‘Vote for me and I’ll fix it’. Fix what? The mess which has seen this council voted ‘Aussie town of the year’ in 2020 along with other awards picked up along the way? I have to smile when I hear the current hopefuls promising to lower rates. Councils presiding over towns which have static populations may be able to keep their rates low but in one of the fastest growing areas in the state there is a constant need for more infrastructure to cope with swelling numbers as well as additional health, educational, sporting and cultural provision. Let’s be real. People on low incomes need support and I join with anyone who would prefer to see rates lowered, however for the foreseeable future this utopian dream will not be realised in Coffs Harbour. To any prospective mayor who claims otherwise, in the immortal words of Darryl Kerrigan I say “Tell ‘im ‘e’s dreamin’.” Regards, Margaret ENGLAND, Korora.
While I am cleaning my shopping trolley and sanitising my hands in any supermarket on the coast, and I do use most between coffs and Grafton, at least a dozen people walk straight through the doors without at least cleaning their hands. Now correct me if I’m wrong but keeping ourselves clean and sanitising hands and trolleys surely would help minimise contracting not only covid but many other unwanted germs and nasties. We hear continually people griping about isolating and the pandemic cramping their lifestyles, one would think that if we were all really conscientious about cleanliness life could return to a more normal cycle a lot faster. If my rough calculations are right a huge percentage us aren’t doing the right thing. It’s not that hard is it. Reply
