Measured response
It has been well established that Facebook encourages instant and foolish responses, when a bit of thought would result in a more measured reply to irritation.
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I was an alderman of the City of Hobart and was often provoked into wanting to respond hotly, but that was before Facebook, so I could not retort rashly. That saved me from a lot of needless controversy.
At the bottom line, being insulting to voters is not a good idea at any level of a democracy. I learned to bite my lip.
When being questioned by a voter, “a soft answer turneth away wrath.” Let’s hope Cr Bain either has learned that lesson, or will do so very soon.
David O’Connor, Eden
Chance to engage
The Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association (BVSRRA) has made a submission to Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) in respect of council’s Code of Meeting Practice, currently on public exhibition.
The Association accepts BVSC is determined to improve the level and quality of engagement and consultation experienced between council and the residents of the Bega Valley. The Association shares council’s aspiration.
The Association believes one way of building greater community awareness of issues, along with opportunities to engage with and consult with council, is to provide opportunities for members of the community to become more aware of issues and to gather a greater understanding of their significance.
At the same time, the Association believes the community would benefit through being better informed on the background of important issues, as well as by understanding related constraints and difficulties necessarily confronted by BVSC officials in dealing with them and the views, opinions and actions of councillors in addressing them.
The Association believes that there is an ideal opportunity for council to enhance community involvement and engagement by allowing residents to attend the non-confidential sessions of council workshops.
While the Association understands that such an arrangement might make the management of related administrative arrangements somewhat more difficult, it believes that the potential benefits that would flow from greater community awareness of issues and council‘s responses to them would far outweigh any such difficulty.
John Richardson, secretary/treasurer, BVSRRA
Asbestos still a killer
Asbestos is a killer that continues to claim the lives of Australians including men, women and young adults years after it was banned in Australia in 2003.
To save lives we’re on a mission to educate more Australians than ever before about potentially dangerous asbestos products still lurking in one third of Aussie homes.
After losing a dear friend and colleague to mesothelioma, the memory of what asbestos did to my mate Harold Hopkins and that it might have been avoided still fills me with deep sadness.
Harold is among the countless Australians whose lives have been lost because they inhaled asbestos fibres.
As ambassador for Asbestos Awareness Month, former DIY renovator and tradie, I’ve met many, many people who like me, have lost someone dear to them and been unnecessarily exposed to asbestos fibres.
In recent times in what’s been dubbed the ‘third wave’ of victims, homeowners, DIYers and tradies have been identified as those most at risk when they renovate homes, unknowingly disturb asbestos and inhale the fibres that can kill.
Asbestos is not a thing of the past. If managed safely and products remain undisturbed, sealed and in good condition asbestos doesn’t pose a health risk.
However, asbestos remains in one in every three Aussie homes and if disturbed releasing fibres that can be inhaled, lives can be at risk.
Asbestos is not just in fibro homes. Any brick, weatherboard, fibro or clad home, even apartments built or renovated before 1987 will contain asbestos in some form or another.
Australians must take the warnings seriously to prevent this avoidable and tragic loss of life.
Visit asbestosawareness.com.au to learn what asbestos products might look like, where they might be lurking in homes and how to manage it safely.
It’s not worth the risk!