Time for popular mayor
Firstly let me say I have absolutely nothing against the newly elected mayor and was greatly impressed with what she had to say about all councillors working together for the benefit of the community instead of all the infighting.
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However, with all the ordinary decisions made by BVSC it's time for a popularly elected mayor. That way if a decision is tied the mayor who the people have elected will have the casting vote. Why? Because they have the confidence of the majority of residents.
All councillors during their term of office must make their political affiliations secondary to their community responsibilities because these affiliations seem to raise their heads when a new mayor is elected.
It's not just BVSC it's all the councils whose mayor is not popularly elected.
At least when a major decision is being made we know the mayor we have voted for is not being swayed by those councillors who voted for them.
What prompted this letter is the news where a motion that all financial briefings be on a monthly basis rather than "whenever".
Considering BVSC financial position of a $14million deficit and worse to come why would there be any opposition to looking more regularly at what council's main objective should be?
Being very prudent and careful with increasing amounts of money they keep taking out of residents pockets. Makes no sense to me. Does it make sense to you?
I would love to see in writing a logical clarification from council as to why they and many other types of councils so strongly oppose a popularly elected mayor.
Cost will be the thing they throw up but there is minimal cost if it is done at the same time as the normal council election. The councillor who gets the most overall votes becomes mayor.
Also if elected by the people the mayor needs to complete their term of office not play musical chairs midterm so everyone gets to be mayor at some stage.
Frank Pearce, Bega
Plan for prevention?
What is BVSC doing about bushfire prevention? Inside the township of Eden there are a number of council managed places littered with dead vegetation that if ignited could start fires that destroy many homes. Other towns and villages may be in the same situation. What is BVSC doing to reduce fire risk on council managed land?
Amanda Midlam, Eden
Searching for clues
Concerning your article on the former Nippon Paper employees donating to disaster relief (7/4/20).
I was stationed in Eden and worked for the chipmill from 2006-2012. I asked about Mr Shimmyo with my colleagues and several other persons.
I learnt that he resigned from Daishowa Paper (Nippon Paper now) just after he had returned to Japan from Eden around the mid 1980s. Then the colleagues lost his contact.
I found a phone number that is for "Mr Akihiko Shimmyo" but the number has disconnected. He may be 85-87 years old if he is still alive.
I don't have any other clues at this moment, but I'll try to chase him more. Regards.
Toshi Eguchi, Tokyo Japan
Fine is not enough
It is good that Forestry was fined (regarding work in Tantawangalo State Forest), but not enough. Let's hope that our local ABC gets stuck into them, but they are gutless when interviewing Forestry. Simon needs to get more informed about what goes on in Forestry.
When questioning Forestry in an interview, he forgot to ask about all the native animals living in the trees that are there. Get with it Simon, Bring back Tim Holt.
Lenore Taylor, Eden
Vote for action on climate
In the dying days of 2019 most regional Australians were absolutely over it - anthropogenic climate change was unleashing the worst drought on record with thousands of battling farmers driven to the point of total desperation with some even pushed to end their lives.
The Murray/Darling river system was nearing total collapse, devastating regional communities and causing a massive environmental disaster. Both federal and NSW Coalition governments struggled to explain mounting claims of large-scale water theft and endemic rorting of taxpayer funded water buy-back initiatives.
Again, due to ever-increasing climate change the bushfire season started some two months earlier and further decreasing weather conditions soon gave way to the most catastrophic bushfires Australians have ever experienced.
Then 2019 became 2020, the bushfires continued unabated, more suffering, death and loss of property. Finally the heavens opened, the bushfires were extinguished and the Murray/Darling catchment received the best rain in a decade and the environment slowly began recovering.
Can we afford to re-elect a Liberal candidate who will only strengthen a government that at best struggles to even believe, let alone enact vital policies to deal with the unfolding climate emergency.
We have a Prime Minister who says he believes it's happening, but can't say too much for fear of upsetting the National Party and the controlling extreme right rump of the Liberal Party who are embedded within the fossil fuel industry. The Coalition must be stopped from merely paying lip service to, and using climate change as a weapon just to stay in power.