Letters, February 8, 2023

Need for change

THANK YOU for your editorial of January 25 making the case for changing the way we celebrate Australia Day.

As a 75-year-old and therefore a member of a generation more likely to question the need for such change, I’ve come to agree that it is indeed necessary.  

In the 1980s, our family moved from Adelaide to Ceduna.

Despite my having grown up on Lower Eyre Peninsula, it was here that we became acutely aware of the story of displaced people housed and educated at Yalata Aboriginal Community.

Despite the heroic attempts of both the white teaching staff and the Aboriginal education workers, Yalata was often declared “in crisis” because of alcohol abuse and consequent violence.

Residents of the township of Ceduna generally had attitudes of despair, condemnation and hopelessness towards Aboriginal people as a race, although there were clearly many exceptions.

Happily in recent years, Yalata and Far West Coast residents have come to the Adelaide Hills as part of Reconciliation Week and told new stories of positive changes through education and more integration such as working together on Natural Resources Management.

But they still say how difficult it is to be “consulted” by fly-in, fly-out public servants with the best of intentions but lacking an ongoing working relationship with the people that need resources.

This is surely where the direct Voice to Parliament will make a difference.

Ceduna was where I first tried to cross the great divide between working as a psychiatric social worker, where people’s stories are theirs to tell in the way they wish and are able to convey in the context of a therapeutic relationship, to searching out and making people’s stories public and newsworthy.

Working as a “stringer” for ABC regional radio and the Adelaide Advertiser and friend of John Proud, editor of the West Coast Sentinel based at Ceduna, we covered local happenings for upper Eyre Peninsula and points west toward the Nullarbor.

Many years later, regional newspapers such as The Courier still have a vital role to play in telling individual stories that illustrate the need for change in public policy.

Some of the most effective legislation for social change comes from individuals who bravely tell their stories about homelessness, poverty, family violence and racial discrimination.

Really positive outcomes are often the result, as people respond with their own community-based initiatives.

I hope that The Courier and other independent regional newspapers will stay active in hard copy as well as digital form for many years to come.

The printed word on paper is still much treasured for its tangible weekly appearance on the news stands to buy, take home and read over the following days, months and even years.

Kathy Inverarity, Stirling

Wetland neglect

MANY people in our community strongly support Val Palmer who drew attention in The Courier to our council’s neglect which has allowed Laratinga Wetlands to be in such a badly run-down condition (January 25).

Apparently this aspect of environmental care now has a very low rating within council’s budget order of priorities!

Graham Bald, Mt Barker

Australia Day

I WAS not surprised to read in The Courier (January 25) that the Adelaide Hills Council was considering a motion proposed by councillor and SA Greens member Melanie Selwood, to move citizenship and awards ceremonies away from January 26th.

Consider the facts: April 29 1770 Captain Cook arrived at Botany Bay.

January 18, 1788, First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip and set up camp.

January 26, 1788, First Fleet moved to Port Jackson, Phillip raised the flag, claimed the land for England, and began to set up a penal colony.

January 1, 1901, Federation Commonwealth of Australia 1920 Nationality Act.

All Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders born after January 1, 1921, became British subjects like the general population.

January 26, 1948, Nationality and Citizen Act. All Australians born and other British subjects were now defined as Australian Citizens.

We all became Australians on that day which we celebrate as Australia Day.

Thus Australia Day celebrates Australia becoming an independent nation.

It has nothing to do with colonisation.

If we have to have an ‘Invasion Day’ it should be April 29 or January 18.

It is proper to honor our new citizens and award recipients on Australia Day as it is. We need to resist the social disrupters which includes the Greens who have a wider agenda.

As noted in your opinion column, Wednesday, January 25, there is much be done about the past and future of our nation but changing the date of Australia Day to suit the political whims of a noisy minority will do nothing but aggravate the silent majority.

Ronald Baker, Woodside

Climate drivers

THERE are a lot of opinions about climate change and there is no use in trying to convince either extreme of opinion.

All I wish to mention is my view of another thing that may or may not be seen as relevant. There is much talk about reducing the emission of certain gasses, but I have not heard much about design of structures that may also have a substantial effect on the situation.

Years ago, I was in Melbourne for some time and would often walk around the CBD. On one of the trips, I saw a weather station situated on Latrobe Street near the Carlton Gardens.

Although it was no longer being used, it did make me think about how a lot of the structures that we build influence the local and global weather patterns.

The streets situated between buildings became wind tunnels, all that concrete holding heat or cold, shadows and suntraps, stormwater running down drains (probably into the Yarra) and not given time to soak.

I know there are a lot of people who know the theory associated with these structures and they know much more than me on the subject, but I do not want us to look back in 20 years and think ‘we should have started looking at this 20 years ago’.

An article last week in The Courier about the increase in the temperature in the Hills, seemed to me to blame just the CO2 part of climate change; was this due in part to the increased infrastructure?

There has been a big increase in Hills infrastructure over the last 40 years.

On another topic, walking around Melbourne with its tall buildings and congestion, made me appreciate living around Adelaide.

Please do not let Adelaide become like Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane – learn from their mistakes.

Rodney Hawksworth, Callington

ED needed

AS a resident of Strathalbyn, I commend the Member for Hammond, Arian Pederick, in bringing to the public in the article in The Courier (January 25) “MP wants ED action” about the serious lack of medical care being available in this town and outlying towns after hours.

Currently the Mt Barker emergency department is operating at a very taxing level and the reopening of the Strathalbyn emergency department would certainly reduce the pressure.

Also, in a flow on effect, it would ease the ramping of ambulances as people without family or unable to drive wouldn’t mind asking a friend or neighbor to take them to the local ED rather than having to call the ambulance to take them to Mt Barker.

Often another problem arises: no way of returning home, unless paying a taxi fare. We need this ED service.

Rhonda McCarthy, Strathalbyn

Garden maintenance

MANY thanks to North Ward Councillor Jessica and council gardeners and householders for trimming gardens in Littlehampton Main Street, making it safer for elderly residents, pushers and gopher riders.

Ian Rosenzweig, Littlehampton

Best players

NOVAK is a truly great tennis player with his ability to repeatedly beat players as good at stroke play, but as he shows with a finger to his temple, it is a game of mental skill.

Djokovic’s skill, fitness and working out opponents mentally makes him one of tennis’s best ever players.

Glen Chenoweth, Goolwa North

Voice debate

DUE to the “no” case in relation to The Voice, being under represented in the media, voters may wish to consider the following:

1. The powers and functions of The Voice have not been comprehensively determined. As such, The Voice is asking people to hand a blank cheque on this matter to the political class.

2. Aboriginal people already have a voice – the vote – as do all Australians. 22 members of parliaments in Australia are of Aboriginal descent. They can provide a voice.

3. Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Country Liberal Party Senator for Northern Territory, said the voice will “institutionalise discrimination.”

4. Australia possesses countless methods of local consultation, which is far more effective than a national voice. There are many regional Land Councils, traditional landowners’ bodies, countless Government-funded service delivery and community consultation bodies that already exercise a voice.

5. Reforms desired by proponents of The Voice can be achieved by lobbying support from politicians and/or forming a political party to pursue issues.

6. The Voice will further divide Australians, rather than serve to close the gap.

7. The Voice will serve to accelerate the “victimhood” of the Aboriginal industry, thereby retarding the pursuit of desired changes.

8. There is the potential of negative outcomes produced by the High Court’s pattern of judicial activism in handling a constitutional clause which establishes a voice.

9. A race-based electoral body in the Constitution contradicts the essential race blindness our institutions should have. Inserting the Albanese Amendment would breach international law, resulting in legal challenges.

10. A voice would serve to entrench the identity politics notion that Aboriginal people are inherently different from other Australians – thereby not serving to close the gap.

11. Due credit goes to Gary Johns’ (Minister in the Keating government) book, The Burden of Culture, for providing the stimulus for some of the above.   

Christopher Collins, Mt Barker

Hydrogen production

SOME people are vocal about the new industry of hydrogen production.

SA can be the hub of production, for export to many countries, so they say.

No fossil fuel is burnt so there’ll be no carbon emissions. That must be good?

Greening the planet? But ... large amounts of energy are required to produce hydrogen.

Hydrogen must be stored under great pressure.

With a small spark it can be very explosive.

Any vehicle powered by hydrogen is by law required to carry signs noting that hydrogen is present and warning of its dangers. Accidents involving hydrogen powered vehicles could be catastrophic.

So, we go in a big circle.

Some new businesses with Government support make money, others lose out.

Water vapor is already the Earth’s most abundant and effective ‘green-house’ gas.

Harold Gallasch, Hahndorf

Greta’s book

I have read many books that explain climate change extremely well but The Climate Book, by Greta Thunberg and first published in 2022, is something quite different. It is, in my humble opinion, better than anything I have read before concerning climate change.

My mind boggles when I think about the massive amount of effort that must have been expended to produce this outstanding coverage concerning human caused climate change.

I only recently purchased The Climate Book in Adelaide, so I assume it will be widely available across Australia.

Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank

Difficult goodbyes

THROUGHOUT most of my life I have had an association with dogs which have provided me with companionship, support, security and total dedication to please.

Dogs have an ability to give without taking and have helped me through difficult times and provided benefits to my general health and wellbeing. Sadly there comes a day when we have to say goodbye to our wonderful companions due to age or ill-health.

During these difficult times we need only reflect on the benefits this partnership has given to our lives.  

Glen Chenoweth, Goolwa North