Letters, August 9, 2023

Resort misguided

The current Adelaide Hills Visitor Guide’s opening statement under ‘A world away’ includes “and don’t be surprised if the forests, the birdsong and the creeks begin to work their magic on you, and you start to feel strangely … restored.”

Presumably the SA Tourism Commission and the Adelaide Hills Tourism Board will not be supporting the Mt Lofty Golf Estate development application for the demolition of the existing buildings on the Stirling Golf Course, the removal of 80 large trees, destroying bird, koala and other nocturnal animal habitat and increasing the pollution of Cox Creek – the largest single contributor of Hills water to the Mt Bold Reservoir.

All this to make way for a five-storey hotel, 17 pods (where the trees were!) and 220 car parks (71 exist now) when there is the possibility of a hotel on the former Stirling Police Station site that will better serve the accommodation needs of the area with no negative environmental impact. We are only 15 minutes away from city accommodation.

We need to better understand and value what the Adelaide Hills environment is all about.

John Hill, Public officer, Stirling District Residents Association

Urban heat dangers

Will Mt Barker’s new housing developments prove liveable in future summers? As development surges in and around Mt Barker, are we being proactive about its hazards as well as opportunities?

A news.com.au article contained dire warnings about urban heat islands in Sydney’s western suburbs.

There, intense development meets urban sprawl with features growing more familiar to us here in Mt Barker. The proliferation of houses and town houses with dark roofs (usually grey but sometimes black), tiny yards, fake grass, and lots of concrete and bitumen.

Apparently, black roofs can be at least 6C hotter than white roofs and hard urban surfaces and buildings can be up to 10–20C higher than surrounding air temperatures. We have known about dark roofs for a long time but they continue to be fashionable. Why?

The article referenced three relatively low-cost solutions to counteract urban heat islands: addressing the ‘black roof issue’; planting real grass; and ensuring developments have enough large, deep-rooted trees to provide cooling canopies.

The Mt Barker Council Climate Change Action Plan 2019 included a reference to urban heat islands. I wonder what the council is doing about it now? And how much power the council has, if any, to ‘green’ or otherwise address coming issues where developers offer standard products?

Myrana Wahlqvist, Mt Barker

Bushland reservations

What a sad state of disrepair Stirling’s much loved Woorabinda Bushland Reserve has fallen into.

For almost 20 years I have enjoyed walking around the lake, but never have I seen it such a weedy, boggy mess with decaying boardwalks, fallen trees, unrepaired storm damage and taped off areas of danger.

I sincerely hope the Adelaide Hills Council has set aside adequate funds in the current budget to remedy this mess.

Cathie Morris, Stirling

Constitution for all

The Constitution identifies who we are and what we, as a whole community, are aiming for.

We create problems if we allow any government to use it as a political tool.

This is what has happened with the ‘Voice’ proposal.

We have legislation at both Federal and State level which can be used, and is already being widely used, to address any specific problem.

Bridging the gap cannot be achieved by fiddling with the Constitution.

The real concerns are education, health and jobs, and these are so much dependent upon where a person chooses to live. The further one lives from a large city, the greater the problems, irrespective of a person’s ethnicity.

Legislation is flexible to address problems.

Once a problem is solved, legislation can and should be repealed.

If legislation cannot solve a problem it is pointless having an amendment in the Constitution.

Problems can often arise with amendments to Constitution (eg 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution).

Personally, I am not aware of any country in the world where a Constitution, or legislation, has resolved differences between ethnic groups.

The opposite is the norm.

 If one sector of the community is given a legislative advantage, the human reaction to that is to use it as an excuse for a backlash. This is what we don’t want.

We are promoted as one community of Australians, both old and new, a multicultural community, all having one equal say in whom we elect to represent us.

It is a place of great opportunity for all who work to earn their place.

We are a beacon for immigrants from many countries, all due to the freedoms offered by our Constitution.

Harold Gallasch, Hahndorf

Save the trees

I read with interest Brian Measday’s thoughts regarding coal, natural gas and climate change (‘Disgraceful situation’, The Courier, July 12).

Obviously this all has an impact on our environment, but one thing I still can’t understand is that when I was at school we were always told that trees and plants take in carbon dioxide, apparently very efficiently. Go figure.

It made me think as to whether we could be doing some good by exporting these products, other than for monetary gain.

I tried to imagine what it must be like for those people less fortunate than us overseas who need coal and natural gas.

These people may well freeze to death or die of heat exhaustion or starvation because their air conditioners, heaters and stoves couldn’t operate because they can’t afford solar panels, storage batteries and other high tech solutions.

I also imagined all the trees being saved overseas which surely would be a good thing.

So I thought on the whole this a good humanitarian action.

Franco Costa, Clapham

Statement and truth

As citizens of our great country we deserve to hear the truth from our elected officials.

Our Prime Minister had stated that his Government will “Support the Uluru Statement of the Heart in full”.

He has continued to loudly proclaim on numerous occasions that this statement is very short and concise and can be printed on one page of A4 paper. In recent days under the Freedom of Information Act we find (surprise, surprise) the Statement contains 26 pages!

I urge every concerned Courier reader to obtain a copy and be informed about what the real goals are of The Uluru Statement of the Heart before you vote in the upcoming referendum.

I strongly believe a ‘yes’ vote will lead to a divided Australia.

It is high time we all moved on from the past with an attitude of forgiveness leaving behind a victim mentality.

Please Albo don’t take us for mugs and practice some ‘truth telling’.

Graeme Watts, Native Valley

Information on Voice

Several weeks ago I wrote to encourage fellow citizens to make an effort to inform themselves in readiness for The Voice referendum.

One book has answered each of the concerning questions I had at the time of writing and has done so clearly and fully for me. That book was written by Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien.

The Voice to Parliament Handbook is available at all good book stores (as they say), is excellent value for very little money, dead easy to understand, and well worth passing around.

Pam Hailstone, Bridgewater

Facts, not spin

It seems curious that in the lead up to a referendum it is legal to put lies and misleading information out there.

I suppose it’s the same as an election.  

To make referenda different and independent of political spin, people need to make a decision based solely on the facts. I asked Rebekha Sharkie for the bare facts, the wording of the changes. She emailed them to me. That’s all I need to know.

Caroline Johnson, Aldgate