‘Ecological disaster’ unless cats are controlled
The suburbs of Melbourne that have none of the many species of birds once common in Blairgowrie have arrived on the Mornington Peninsula. Where have they gone? Killed by cats (Dumping a problem for cats and wildlife, The News 6/2/24).
There is a golf course estate in a neighbouring municipality where cats are banned. It has become a haven for many species of birds, and it is not unusual to see bandicoots and other animals in broad daylight. Cats hunt day and night and kill for food or to satisfy an instinct.
The peninsula is on the verge of an ecological disaster as the cat problem is out of control.
A domestic or a feral cat may kill 200 birds or small animals a year. At a time when the peninsula’s ecology is under threat the shire has suspended its cat trapping program because it can no longer vaccinate feral cats taken to its animal shelter because of a vaccine shortage. This decision is partly based on information supplied by the RSPCA that appears to show it wastes money on neutering and vaccinating feral animals despite Department of Agriculture advice that they may be euthanised.
Our shire needs to rethink its cat policy, feral and domestic. I walk at daybreak and see more cats on the streets than ever and most of the birds I see are introduced pests (Indian mynahs, doves, and starlings) that take over nesting spaces from smaller native birds. Fortunately, we still have healthy population of magpies and some parrots and Kookaburras.
As a former employee of a shire pest control contractor, I have observed the havoc created by the uncontrolled cat population and the shire needs to lift its game before we lose all our beautiful small birds and wildlife.
Eric Dettman, Rye
End animal cruelty
As Leader for RSPCA Victoria’s south-east region inspectorate, my team of six Inspectors and I share 85 years of experience investigating reports of animal cruelty.
The inspectors and I are often on the road around Melbourne’s inner-east, down to the Mornington Peninsula, and all of Gippsland to the New South Wales border.
Out on the road, we’re seeing how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting pet owners and their ability to provide basic care for their pets, such as enough food, and access to weather proof housing.
We’re also seeing people unable to provide crucial veterinary care and basic preventative medicines like flea and worming treatments.
We’re extremely grateful to the community for their ongoing vigilance reporting animal cruelty.
Over the past six months, we received 1288 reports and tip-offs about animal cruelty in the south-east and 269 animals were seized or surrendered into our care.
It’s estimated caring for these animals costs RSPCA Victoria at least $460,000.
Last financial year 508 animals came into our care and, sadly, it seems we’re likely to repeat this total again by the end of June.
As we enter what is historically the busiest time of year, we urge everyone in the south-east to remain vigilant for animal cruelty in our area and to report it to RSPCA Victoria by calling 9224 2222 or online at rspcavic.org/cruelty-report.
The community support we see every day keeps us going and makes each day just a little bit better.
RSPCA Inspectors are here to help and thankfully, many of the animals we encounter every day have loving owners who want to do the best they can for their pets.
Together, let’s end animal cruelty.
Stuart Marchesani, RSPCA inspectorate team leader (south-east region)
Sadistic amusement
It is outrageous that the Victorian government has refused to ban duck hunting despite clear recommendations by its own parliamentary inquiry, which received a record 10,500 submissions.
Native ducks are struggling to survive, with climate change, catastrophic fires and drought affecting their habitats. Surveys have shown that the wetlands are in long-term decline.
Yet every year, hundreds of thousands of birds are blasted out of the sky.
For each bird killed, another is wounded and will die slowly and in agony. Baby ducklings are left to starve.
Let’s not pretend this is sport or done for food – it is sheer sadistic amusement.
It’s time for duck shooting to be banned in Victoria outright.
Desmond Bellamy, special projects coordinator, PETA Australia
History repeats
As the captain of the First Eleven back in 2005/06, I welcome and applaud the decision to return to that model of structure for the upcoming Mornington Peninsula Shire Council elections in October (Wards new names, new boundaries, The News 21/2/24).
Hopefully, the state government stands firm in its commitment to promote this structure for local government in Victoria in the future.
Local government should be free from political influence and the councillors elected to represent their community within their respective wards should “come to the table”, primarily with the knowledge of and interest in “good outcomes for the community they represent” and not be distracted by matters that they can’t have any positive influence over.
Having said that, the councillors who served in that First Eleven proudly wore a sustainability badge which reflected three aspects of sustainability. Blue represented social, green the environment and maroon economic surrounding, yellow coming together as the community across the diverse, unique Mornington Peninsula Shire.
I proudly treasure the cricket bat I was presented with at the end of my mayoral term signed by Crs David Gibb, Bill Goodrem, Dave Gregan, David Jarman, Aldona Martin, Susan Beveridge, Tim Rodgers, Anne Smith, Reade Smith , Bev Colomb and CEO Dr Michael Kennedy. Sadly, Cr Ian Johnston died during that year.
Brian L Stahl, OAM JP, Hastings
Ceasefire in Gaza
The conflicts in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank have killed over 30,000 people including 12,000 children, wounded over 80,000 and displaced over 1.5 million people in just the past four months.
The bombardment and restrictions on Palestinians by the Israeli government as a means to defend itself and capture Hamas terrorists has been excessive and in violation of international laws.
I was surprised to hear that our MP for Flinders Zoe McKenzie and other politicians had flown to Israel and the West Bank before Christmas.
I am not sure what positive outcomes were achieved by their visit – these tours of Israel could be used to influence politicians and journalists back in Australia.
Our elected representatives, including the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Zoe McKenzie MP, must make a united stand in federal parliament to demand an immediate and enduring ceasefire and request increased access to humanitarian aid to avoid a genocide in Gaza.
If the Israeli government and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to ignore international calls for an immediate ceasefire, Australia must take action to cease financial and military assistance to Israel.
The 1948 Genocide Convention states “… genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which [state parties] undertake to prevent and to punish”. It also outlines that “complicity in genocide” is a punishable act.
Dale Stohr, Crib Point
Change voting habit
I truly hope that we finally demonstrate some self-respect as a voting public and be the electorate which leads the way in demanding a better standard of political leadership. If a friend was in a disrespectful relationship you’d be telling them to move on. We keep retaining political leadership that treats us with disdain, except when there’s an election.
Our public coffers are treated as personal expense accounts, limitless when supporting their personal or political ideals yet try to get funds for people who actually need it and the bank is dry.
There’s a saying that you get what you accept, and if we keep voting for incompetent political leadership that’s what we get.
We must tell all politicians to improve their standards by putting Labor low, if not last, in the Dunkley by-election. And the Liberals are not much better, deserting their traditional base trying to be popularist and losing their way all over Australia. Put them near the bottom as well.
There are decent contenders from minor parties and, if you vote them first, it won’t change the world immediately, but it will send a wake-up call – do a top job or you are gone.
If you are a traditional Labor voter, the Democratic Labor Party has your back better than Labor (pity they aren’t on the ticket). The rebranded Libertarian Party is a better option than the Liberals, and there are outstanding options among Independents and other minor parties. Stop ticking the Labor or Lib box out of habit.
If we return Labor, given their woeful state and federal performances, we simply say “go on, treat us like fools, no worries, with no self-respect we’ll just vote for you again”. Or we can draw a line in the sand and change things.
Dennis Schaefer, Frankston
Opinions are not facts
There is an old saying, ”you are welcome to your own opinion, but not your own facts”. Australia’s net debt is only forecast to be $491 billion, a vast improvement on the near $1 trillion that the previous coalition government left behind, thus substantially reducing the debt burden left to our grandchildren (Record of debt, Letters 20/2/24).
The suggestion that the Liberals are lower taxing than Labor is patently wrong. Of the governments over the past 40 years the highest taxing governments (as a percentage of GDP) have always been the Coalition not Labor.
Despite promising surpluses every year, the Coalition delivered nine deficits in a row, whereas the current government has delivered one surplus and likely will deliver a second.
Inflation is now lower than it was under the Coalition and wages have actually risen as opposed to being deliberately suppressed as was the Coalition’s stated policy.
Fairer tax cuts are being delivered, easing the cost of living burden. The retiree tax was largely a fiction of the Liberal Party. No retiree tax was proposed or even considered at the last election, nor was the Coalition favourite of the dreaded death tax, again another Coalition fiction.
Other issues are state issues and crime rates are falling, not rising. As an ex-teacher, the shortage has been known for about a decade and what exactly did the Coalition do about that in its nine years of government? That’s right, nothing, just kicked it down the road for Labor to deal with.
Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Candidate questioned
I write to express my deep concerns about what I see as questionable statements being quoted by Nathan Conroy during his current quest to be elected to represent the seat of Dunkley.
Nathan Conroy has said he is the first mayor of Frankston to have been elected for three consecutive years. Records show that Cathy Wilson was elected mayor for three consecutive years in the early 2000s. This can be verified on her LinkedIn profile.
Nathan Conroy is claiming he is responsible for the building of the three room kinder at the Langwarrin Community Centre. The facts here are, he was chased away from commandeering the much loved Long Street Reserve, Langwarrin last year after a gruelling eight-month fight with angry local residents who saved Long Street Reserve.
During a recent interview on Irish radio Nathan Conroy claimed that due to his Irish accent “he can get things out of people that no-one else can”. It’s just amazing, he says.
Kerry Gardeniers, Langwarrin
A warmer Earth
Some American academics, and others, set out to prove the Earth’s climate over the past 7000 years and beyond by taking known data samples and “reconstructing” what the climate was.
They fed selected and grossly inadequate data into their computers which had no further knowledge of the infinite complexities and variables involved in planetary climate and got their desired result: there is an “inference” that the climate has been stable, changing by only 0.01 per cent a century. What rubbish to claim this as fact and that now the climate is changing too fast and causing species extinction (Change is needed, Letters 20/2/24).
It is in historical records that just 1000 years ago the Earth was warmer; farming settlements were established in coastal Greenland, surviving for over 300 years until a 500-year planetary cold snap commenced and the settlements got frozen out and abandoned. The river Thames in London used to freeze over solid, until about 1850 when the planet started to warm up again.
I argue that the normal planetary temperature is a variable ranging over maybe five degrees. The sun provides the Earth’s climate.
Species extinction is more likely because of human activity and pollution rather than climate change. The Tasmanian tiger is a good example.
Greenhouse farmers often add carbon dioxide gas, not to make the hothouse hotter, but to nourish the plants and increase yields.
All green life, plants and algae, love CO2. Can’t get enough of it. Without this rare, heavier than air gas there would be no plant life and no humans.
Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Ute powered up
The US has had fuel efficiency standards since the 1970s. Of the developed countries, only Australia and Russia don’t have them. Nevertheless, the government’s decision to introduce them has created concern that vehicles will cost more and that there are no real alternatives to diesel-powered trucks and tractors. But the standards only apply to new, light vehicles, not trucks and tractors.
Car dealers may still sell a mix of internal combustion vehicles and electric and hybrid vehicles, as now. What’s changed is that dealers must meet a fleet emissions target encouraging them to buy and sell more low emissions vehicles. It’s hard to argue against lower CO2 emissions and cleaner air.
When Australians realise that the towing capacity of the Ford F150 Lightning electric ute at 4.5t exceeds that of Australia’s most popular car, the Ford Ranger ute at 3.9t, they will want one. Not only are they cheaper to run and maintain, but power tools and fridges can be plugged into them too.
State and federal governments need to provide incentives to increase the availability and reduce the cost of these amazing vehicles in Australia.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Heart of the matter
Heart Research Australia is dedicated to reshaping how Australians approach cardiovascular wellbeing without causing financial strain. Beyond our collective effort to raise funds for life-saving research, our goal this year is to shed light on the financial and health implications associated with heart disease, affecting individuals regardless of their financial circumstances.
Heart disease touches the lives of two in three Australians and stands as the leading cause of death. Prioritising heart health is an investment in both personal wellbeing and financial stability. In the midst of escalating living expenses, allocating resources for health might seem like a luxury. However, overlooking heart health can result in severe financial consequences, impacting wages, work capacity, career advancement, and long-term financial stability.
Knowledge plays a pivotal role in fostering a healthier heart, with eight out of 10 cases of premature heart disease and stroke preventable through healthy lifestyle choices. From heart-healthy, budget friendly diets to accessible exercise options and stress management techniques, there are numerous practical and cost-effective strategies.
We invite all Australians to explore our free online Heart Hub, offering a wealth of expert advice on cultivating heart-healthy habits.
Research is a lifeline, emphasising Heart Research Australia’s steadfast support for world class researchers. This is why we encourage all Australians to wear red this February and, if possible, extend a helping hand by contributing to fund vital research against heart disease.
For more information on RedFeb, heart health tips, and to contribute to this critical cause, visit heartresearch.com.au.
Nicci Dent, CEO Heart Research Australia
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 Mornington News – 27 February 2024
