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Marie Wickenton, Brogo
Language barrier
Peter and Dianne Dawson's letter (BDN, 28/11) hit the nail on the head regarding safety of trainee pilots whose first language is not English.
I have a Masters in Linguistics and have studied Adult Second Language acquisition, and know a thing or two about how long it takes to be proficient in another language. It's one thing to meet the appropriate language proficiency standard for student pilots; it's yet another to be able to apply that knowledge in a crisis situation.
In most situations, unless you are highly proficient in that second language, it's only human to revert back to your native language. That's not a problem if you're out shopping or trying to order a meal. But it is if you have a split second to not only recognise a word and its pronunciation, but also to react immediately.
This is something we should all be worried about.
Amanda Richmond, Bega
Check carefully
The Frogs Hollow Airfield “Fact Check” (BDN, 1/12) states there will be many employment opportunities for the youth of Bega and surrounding areas. Could they be a bit more specific?
I also note they state the college will be clean and green with no demand on town water supply or water waste treatment. How is this possible when it has already been determined by a report supplied by them for the DA that they will have a water supply deficit for 11 months of the year where consumption will outstrip supply? This also impacts on the firefighting capabilities for the airport, which was also raised by their own report. How are they going to treat their waste water?
I believe everyone in the Bega shire should look very closely at this development application as the above concerns are only a small sample of their flawed DA.
Keith Childs, Wolumla
Competing responsilities
While the BVSRRA recognises that councillors have numerous responsibilities under the Local Government Act, it believes they have no more important duty than to respond to and represent the best interests of residents and ratepayers.
On that basis, the BVSRRA is profoundly disappointed with the manner in which councillors have thus far failed to respond to community concerns regarding the proposal to develop a flight training school at Frogs Hollow.
While community opposition to the proposal appears to be growing, BVSC has struggled to find a meaningful way to respond to those concerns. Indeed, it would appear BVSC is entirely uncertain as to how it should respond and how individual councillors should respond, in particular where they have other responsibilities that might intrude on their primary role as councillors.
Cr Allen raised the issue at the council meeting held on November 22, seeking clarification as to whether it was open to BVSC to make a submission to the Southern Joint Regional Planning Panel on the matter, given it ultimately is the determining authority.
In response, the acting director of planning and environment confirmed that councillors could resolve to put a submission to the SJRPP. In addition, the general manager confirmed that if the elected council resolved to make a submission to the SJRPP, then alternate representatives from Eurobodalla Shire Council could sit on the panel in place of the appointed councillor representatives from Bega Valley Shire Council.
