Until now I have chosen to ignore the mail however last week’s letter brought my wife Vicki into it and I quote “Vicki  seems to able to support you with her medial work”.  Vicki is a qualified age care worker as are two of my daughters and many  thousands of other caring Australians who work day and night looking after the aged and fragile members of our community at a time when they are very often not able to do the simplest things for themselves.  Providing love and care often in the last months, weeks and days of their lives.

The carers are often the last ones there when they pass away and because they inevitably get close to the people they care for they go to lots of funerals. I am extremely proud of the work done by my wife, my daughters and all the aged care workers put down by this thoughtless person’s comment.  The person should think about the time to come when they will again be in a nappy and needing to be cleaned up and cared for by a “menial” worker.

Please don’t worry, the aged care working community doesn’t discriminate, you will be looked after.  

The most significant impact this development will have on the area affected by the proposed flying operations is the irrefutable reality that the Bega Valley as a community would be changed forever.

Regardless of the depth or significance of the change, the impact is going to enter the consciousness and alter the reality of everyday life for a substantial number of people in the Bega Valley. 

The already diverse makeup of this community ensures a dynamic range of interests that enable community members to enjoy a rich tapestry of culture and a lifestyle that is the envy of many.

To sacrifice this in the name of profit typifies the underlying strength behind the motivation of a select few to ensure their agenda is met.

There can be no denying that the current Chinese Government has an agenda to increase its influence in the South-Pacific and is prepared to exert its economic influence as a matter of course as a means of achieving this agenda. The developers, eventual owners, operators and staff and the community of the Bega Valley, therefore become merely a conduit to enable the Chinese Government to achieve its goal. 

It must be pointed out that in no way does the above paragraph represent an underlying intolerance towards the Chinese people or the significant contribution they have made to this country. The fact that it is for the training of Chinese recreational pilots is irrelevant, it is simply the wrong enterprise in the wrong place that has raised the concerns of so many.

I feel it is plain rude and selfish to expect the Bega Valley community to have its reality forever altered, to suit the aspirations of a few all for the sake of profit. It would be prudent to take a step back and consider what would be best for the Bega Valley community as a whole.

A pathway that addresses a more sustainable social, environmental and economical direction, needs to be at the forefront of our planning mindset.

This development application relies on the theoretical presentation of data and its likely impact on the Bega Valley community.

I propose that the Bega Valley community be provided with an extended and sustained trial period of flying that could be expected to be experienced using these or similar aircraft, so as to enable a realistic appreciation of the immediate impact these flying operations would have. Only then can arguments for or against a longer term scenario be truly addressed.