Majority wants ‘justice’ for First Nations people
It is implied that a majority of Australians are opposed to justice for the “minority group” First Nations people when, in fact, these views are in the minority, not the majority (“Unequal rights” Letters 22/11/22).
At the state level, for example, the leader of the Victorian Nationals, Peter Walsh, has publicly stated that the Liberals and Nationals are committed to advancing the Victorian Treaty process. They have supported Victorian Labor’s efforts to bring about justice and self-determination for First Nations people.
Mr Walsh has also urged closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia, thus supporting the equality the writer objects to. The Victorian Greens likewise strongly support justice for First Nations people.
That leaves opponents in the minority.
At the national level, a clear majority of Australians are on board with an Indigenous Voice to parliament.
There is ample research, including from UNSW to substantiate this fact.
Maureen Donelly, Mornington
Rushed opinion
In trolling First Nation people it is asserted “Some of their members are already openly talking about a transfer of power to them” (“Unequal rights” Letters 22/11/22). If it is openly known, surely it must be acceptable to state the names of these fierce and dangerous individuals?
Or perhaps the writer simply fell asleep during a rerun of The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith and woke with a start when the cat jumped up the curtains.
Either way, don’t partake of your hot Milo before sitting down for the evening – too much sugar too early, look what happens.
David Martin, Mount Martha
Solution to waste
Australia has a waste problem. Take plastic for example. Australians throw away around 179 million empty bottles of shampoo, conditioner and other personal care products each year, contributing to 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, or 100kg per person. Of this, 84 per cent is sent to landfill. And this is set to increase with the recent collapse of the soft plastic recycling program, REDcycle.
And food waste is worse. The 2021 National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study found we create 7.6 million tonnes of food waste each year or 312kg per person. Food waste costs the economy a staggering $36.6 billion per annum and, like plastic, almost all food waste goes to landfill.
Fortunately, some new developments are in the pipeline. Australian company Rtec has discovered a way to recycle soft plastics in a single step. Another Australian company, Zero Co replaces plastic personal care bottles with a set of ‘forever’ bottles made from ocean, beach and landfill waste (OBL), and provides a set of refill pouches made from recycled plastic and a postage-paid return envelope. For food waste, the federal government’s Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service operating in about half of Australia’s local government councils has the capacity to reduce waste to landfill by 40 per cent.
It seems there are solutions out there. We just need to care enough to seek them out.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Self-centred
There are 79 local councils in Victoria, and they all suffer from the same “myopic NIMBYism” malady. Letters abound in local papers in all jurisdictions about shoddy practices by the councils. Each council has many community action groups and they all suffer from “myopic NIMBYism” and cannot look outside their own little square of the echo chambers of the like-minded. They seem to be incapable of realising that many of the issues they face are universal and if they swarmed together to identify and tackle these issues many of their problems would be solved.
So, rather than “anchor” the problems and swim together for common solutions and put forth a united front with a list of council candidates that all agree to solve the universal problems they face, they continue to swelter in their myopic NIMBYism hoping to solve their singular issues. Maybe even a bunch of candidates who will stand up to council officers and CEO?
The councillors, CEOs, and officers like this as they can divide and conquer when it suits them and suck up to the one or two who are the most powerful, mostly in the effluent (sic) suburbs and basically ignore the rest.
The old basic “squeaky wheel gets the grease” rules while the rust continues to accumulate on all the other wheels.
Many of these community action groups are self-centred echo chambers of the like-minded and will not even talk to anyone outside of their little square, let alone consider inputs.
So, in reality, we will continue to have the same complaints and actions that I have experienced for the 22 years on the Mornington Peninsula for the next 22 years. But no worries; she’ll be right mate, if only I can get what I want.
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Marginal Mornington
The Liberal Party can certainly pick them. At time of writing, it looked like Chris Crewther was likely to win Mornington by the slenderest of margins.
Chris Crewther is at least consistent. He started his parliamentary career by turning the once safe federal seat of Dunkley into a Labor seat.
Unsurprisingly, he was rejected by the Liberal Party when he put his hand up to try and win the seat back. He then spotted the safe seat of Mornington and after gaining preselection has managed turn this safe seat into a very marginal electorate.
Quite an achievement when the state swing to the Liberal Party was about 3.5 per cent yet Chris had a swing of 4.7 per cent against him.
Sam Groth in the neighbouring electorate of Nepean had a swing of seven per cent to the Liberal Party.
With candidates like Chris to represent them it looks like the Liberals will be in opposition for the long haul.
Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Best wishes
I would like to give a big shout out to our [former] local MP Chris Brayne, who has achieved more before his 30th birthday than most of us will achieve in a lifetime.
He won an election in 2018 he didn’t think he could win, shocked all of us when he proved to be a champion for our cause before losing an election he should have won but knew he probably wouldn’t. Thank you and good luck with your journey forward young man.
Fred Wild, Rye
‘Tireless’ worker
It was a sad day on Saturday with [Labor MP for Nepean] Chris Brayne being defeated by a tennis player
Chris has worked tirelessly for the local people on the peninsula getting schools rebuilt and bus services revitalised among so many other achievements
He has engaged with so many locals and always attended meetings
We will miss you Chris and hope to see your return very soon
[Liberal] Sam Groth has huge shoes to fill and without years of local experience.
Anne Lee, St Andrews Beach
Stagnation ahead
It’s hard to understand the psyche of the people of the Nepean electorate, they would sooner vote for a loser in Matthew Guy and elect a LNP member in the seat and suffer four years of stagnation than stick with Chris Brayne, a progressive Labor politician who was refurbishing or rebuilding local schools, getting us a better bus timetable including an express bus service to Frankston and protecting the green wedge, to name a few.
Ah well, we were never going to get a new Rosebud Hospital in a Liberal first term anyway. David Davis, the shadow treasurer, didn’t know how much money was in the kitty.
Mathew Guy is resigning from the leadership [and it] looks like it’s going to be a recycled Michael O’Brien as the new LNP leader, there ain’t anyone else who could take it on.
Personally, I wouldn’t tell anybody except close family that I voted LNP and stopped any progress for Rosebud and surrounding townships.
John Cain, McCrae
Letters – 300 words maximum and including full name, address and contact number – can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@mpnews.com.au
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 29 November 2022
