Break O’Day
REGARDING the article East is "open for business" (The Examiner, August 12).
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It is concerning that at its August meeting the majority of Break O’Day councillors voted in favour of the establishment of an Investment Assistance Program.
This program proposes a range of special financial and regulatory benefits for prospective developers including "financial assistance for infrastructure", "financial grants/loans", "rates and application cost relief" and the promise to "facilitate and expedite approval process".
With the cost of rates in the Break O’Day municipality increasing rapidly in recent years it is not acceptable for the council to be giving rate relief and cash to wealthy developers when ratepayers money should be being used for public services.
In addition there is clear conflict of interest when the Break O’Day Council offers financial and regulatory favours to developers when they are also responsible as a "Planning Authority" to make decisions as to whether these same developments should be approved or not.
Todd Dudley, President, North East Bioregional Network Inc.
Pedestrian Crossing
A NEW pedestrian crossing is being established at Kings Meadows. It would appear a lot of work is going into this area - redesigning, traffic lights and so on.
Why? Was the public asked for input?
This pedestrian crossing in situated between two sets of traffic lights, one at Riseley, the other at Blaydon Streets. Traffic entering this area is rather congested and slowed at best of times and to have a controlled pedestrian crossing in the middle I think is somewhat silly, why not just have a clearly marked pedestrian crossing like other areas do.
The local council muted sometime back in reducing this area to 40kmh, reduction in speed is and will be established with a pedestrian crossing.
What is a pedestrian crossing. I'm lead to believe it is to allow pedestrian to cross that portion of the road safely and all motorist will stop at that crossing to allow this to happen.
It is achieved in every other city, town in Australia.
Anywhere you go, a sign – as simple as it may be - alerts motorists pedestrian crossing ahead, no traffic lights as such, or some even have a flashing yellow (amber) light, as a reminder.
Painting of the crossing would have been a lot cheaper surely, and a couple signs either side. I wonder sometimes as to who suggests these changes and the enormous expense for the community.
Just a question as to why and could we do better? One would think that we are only a small state, could we not learn from much bigger states and there problem areas, or the rest of the world and not make the same mistakes.
What best suits our situation and not that of the a pencil pusher in an office. We must be able to better, surely.
David Brooks, Summerhill.
Recreational Drugs
THE biggest hurdle for those who advocate for an end to the prohibition of recreational drugs is the misconception that they cause mental illness.
The substances that the mentally ill use to self-medicate themselves with have not caused the illness.
The main factors that contribute to people becoming mentally unwell is trauma, poverty, bullying, social isolation, poor diet and inactivity.
A family history of mental illness also plays a part. I had major depression and anxiety by the age of 14 until my late 20's. It had nothing to do with drugs.
Drugs are what your local GP sells to people who are emotionally distressed.
Often without considering a more holistic approach to mental health recovery.