Requests not surprising
I am a resident, ratepayer and member of the Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association.
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Councillor Britten has claimed that much of the information sought by the association is available through existing sources, such as minutes of council’s meetings.
Well, as anyone who has read the minutes of council meetings could attest, if that’s the standard of information available, then it’s hardly surprising that there are so many requests for more detail.
And if the council genuinely supports the objective of the government information act (GIPA) “to maintain and advance a system of responsible and representative democratic government that is open, accountable, fair and effective” (which it says it does), how can it insist that even the simplest of requests for information have to be made via this expensive process and then complain when it receives them?
Kay Burns
Tanja
Flawed concept
I am once again astonished at the latest BDN article about the proposed Chinese flight school here at Frogs Hollow!
Following on from the same old “glitzy” photo of five “unknowns” and a failed Deputy Premier, we are told by a sixth “unknown” that the planned development is well on schedule !
The sixth unknown, Norm Boyle, explains that: “No progress has yet been made on a purchase date or development application”; that “the search for investors continues and a DA is yet to be lodged with the Bega Valley Shire Council”; but “the pre-development plans are through council already and they were happy with what’s included”!
In other words, nothing has been officially proposed by this conceptual group, and the BVSC has no idea what “pre-development plans” are.
And, it is truly a conceptual group - I would challenge you or any of your readers to establish exactly who “Sports Aviation Australia” is and where they are based.
Sure they have a web presence through Facebook, and a page called “Sports Aviation Flight College Australia”, referencing the proposed Frogs Hollow site, but have neither physical presence nor a current base.
Further analysis of their horrific proposal, clearly shows the developers’ desire to decimate the rural tranquillity of this area.
The flight school proposal will involve “up to 10 ‘squadrons’ of 36 student pilots each on site, with the first intake by the end of this year”.
These 300-plus students would essentially be involved in non-stop flight training over the heads of the existing residents, and all those who now are building in the new Newlyns Estate subdivision, 300 metres away from the end of the runway.
I wonder how many of these new residents knew anything about a flight school being built next door.
And looking at the training requirements, from the Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, crucial circuit training involves “the act of repetitive take-offs, approaches and landings, as it is the first stage of practical pilot training. It involves making approaches to the runway, touching down and then applying power to take-off again” and “circuits are performed both day and night and airport management governs the times in which this occurs”.
I’m sure I’m not the only neighbouring property owner who is repulsed by the mere thought of this occurring , day after day, and night after night!
We can only hope that the decision-makers at Bega Valley Shire Council will recognise the plight and the rights of the existing BVSC residents, who purchased and built in good faith, and tell these money-hungry developers to take their proposal and “go to hell”!
Ian Gordon
Wolumla
Cloak of anonymity
To submit the letter you are now reading I am required to supply my full name, email, telephone number and address.
I need to carefully to think about what I am saying and be sure I want to be accountable for my views.
However, anyone who spouts anything via your Facebook or web page can do so with the coward's cloak of anonymity, regardless of how much or little they understand on the subject and how much or little they even care.
Why are these people then granted further voice in your print version of the paper?
Do you feel comfortable further distributing and giving voice to off-the-cuff comments as bigoted as the recent comments I have seen regarding asylum seekers?
I doubt that many of these individuals would stand there in one of your "vox pops" pieces and repeat the same views.
I don't feel it is responsible of the local paper to spread the opinions of anonymous trolls from the internet.
Please don't let the catch-cry "don't read the comments!" seep in to our normally-thoughtful print newspaper.
Marianna Ypma
Bega