Letters to the Editor

The reason for our letter is that recently we’ve become aware and concerned that the closure of the Echuca Tourist Information Centre is imminent. This decision seems hard to believe, given that Echuca Moama is a top tourist destination.

The first question we have is “Why?’

Actually, I rang the Echuca Tourist Information Centre and asked but, interestingly, they didn’t have any information - about the reasons for the closure!

On many other relevant topics, they have heaps of information, such as Accommodation venues, restaurants, hotels and local tourist attractions and events.

The extremely friendly, helpful staff tastefully showcase some quality souvenirs (often made by local artisans), such as the beautiful red gum clocks and items, and local produce such as a variety of wines. Whenever I need to buy local souvenirs of our beautiful area, the Echuca Tourist Information Centre is the best place to go.

It surpasses the souvenirs at the Discovery Centre, where local souvenirs are few and far between (though they do have numerous Australian-themed souvenirs).

The treasure of the Information Centre is actually the friendly, helpful staff and volunteers and we believe you cannot replace these real people with an Internet Service. Actually, the Echuca Tourist Information Centre is much more than an Information centre, it is a Community Service. Perhaps the value of this Service has not or cannot be calculated accurately?

Of note, are the wonderful volunteers who have devoted years of service to promoting our region.

When we have the chance to travel, we regularly visit Tourist Information Centres to meet local people who know the local area, attractions and events, as well as souvenirs such as local produce. It is a valuable experience.

Generally, it is the older population who hitch up the caravan to see Australia and we think they look to Tourist Information centres to enhance their information and experiences.

Given several years of COVID restrictions and the recent floods, the visitor numbers may/may not be typical of Pre-COVID numbers?

Question 2: Shouldn’t we strive to improve the Visitor experience rather than close the Tourist Information Centre?

Apparently, the Echuca Tourist Information Service has been run/managed for a number of years by Echuca Moama Tourism. Whilst this organisation may be run by community-minded people, surely it is the responsibility of Campaspe Shire to ensure that the Tourist Information Service survives this closure decision?

Perhaps, it may mean the Council needs to re-gain the management of it?

After enquiries of some other Victorian Tourist Information Centres, it appears that the majority are run/managed by their local Councils:

For example:

Bright, Myrtleford and Mt Beauty (Alpine Shire Council)

Mildura (Mildura Regional City Council)

Swan Hill (Swan Hill Rural City Council)

Daylesford (Hepburn Shire)

According to the front page article “Wrong Call” (The Riv, 9/8/23), even Ms Mariani, chief executive officer of the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, stated, “the visitor centres play a crucial role in the local community”.

Whilst funding is possibly an issue, we believe it is important that Campaspe Shire Council members try to work something out to keep the Tourist Information Centre open and finance it adequately. We would appreciate a response to enlighten the reasons and research leading to this imminent closure.

We strongly encourage you to re-think the closure so that it might be postponed or, ideally stopped completely.

Prue Crowe-Galea and Jim Galea,

Echuca

Yes is the word

Federal Parliament discussed changes to prescriptions.

The LNP didn’t like the proposal, they felt it would result in regional pharmacies closing. Repeatedly they implored the ALP to listen to the voice of pharmacists, the Pharmacy Guild.

Its good government to listen to combined voices of those impacted by policy. The opinion of organisations like Small Business Council, Minerals Council, ACTU, corporations and media are thrown in the mix. The referendum wants to secure another peak voice.

If we say ‘no’ to voice of one group, lets stop all representative bodies having access to politicians discussions. Sounds fair.

The National Party at both State and Federal level have spoken out against a voice for Aboriginals being enshrined in the constitution. We don’t know all the details so default position is to vote no. If they vote in favour of anything these politicians must be absolute experts on that subject, some would say that is impossible.

During Covid, doing your own research was encouraged. If you don’t know, look it up. The reasoning is out there. Watch, listen, read, have a think, both sides, good, bad, make your own mind up.

Federal Nationals leader, David Littleproud, revealed in Parliament Question time they want the ability to shut down any First Nations peak body. Just like so many other times, the last being ATSIC. Not enshrining a voice in the constitution is about control. Be careful about what you say and do, we hold the keys to your offices. Its time we left this attitude in the past.

Our First Nation peoples deserve a voice free from risk of shut down. Its a step forward for us as individuals, our history and for the country to write yes on referendum day. Its not scary, its a voice.

Kevin L’Huillier,

Koyuga

Observations from flood inquiry hearing in Rochester

Having attended the Victorian Legislative Council Environment & Planning Committee Inquiry into the 2022 flood event into Victoria, in Rochester, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, these are our observations:

1.The community of Rochester is still in a state of shock, 10 months after the flood event. This is because:

•998 houses were affected by the floods,

•Residents received little or no warning of the floods.

•Not enough volunteers were on the ground to help.

•The SES had only two volunteers and even they needed to protect their own properties.

•The CFA came in and were better organised, but not trained in swift water rescues.

•Community support came from the Community House and Salvation Army, often at the expense of their own needs.

•The Health Centre was flooded, food stores were understaffed.

•Dairy farmers lost cattle – some were lost in calving, others drowned.

•There was a lack of sandbags.

•Three local schools were flooded, causing trauma, loss of connection with friends, relocation to Bendigo and other sites.

2.Frustration at having to apply for funding, insurance applications and being able to rebuild.

3.Mental Health is being seen as the greatest issue in establishing well-being.

4.Preventative measures are now seen as the key, such as:

•Receiving reliable information from the Bureau of Meteorology in a timely fashion

•Water to be released from Lake Eppalock before it reaches 100 per cent capacity.

•Better training for volunteers; more trained SES workers.

•Greater coordination and better systems of communication.

•Better pre-planning, such as evacuation procedures.

•The need for a portable alarm system

•A technical specialist, such as Echuca Search and Rescue to be on hand.

•Equipment, such as rigid hull highwater boats, life jackets, sandbag machines or geo-synthetic panels.

•Building a pipeline which could send water back to Greens Lake and Lake Cooper.

•Re-examining the role of Murray Goulburn Water, which was identified as a private company, but protected by a Victorian State Minister.

Overall Impression:

The overwhelming impression from listeners at this Public Hearing was the devastation felt by the people of Rochester, who felt unprotected and unconfident that the Government would protect them in future emergency events.

Climate Change was a big factor in their thinking. As one Responder put it: Mitigation is the solution; human life is valuable, not a commodity, like water.

Even today, 10 months on, people are still living in around 300 caravans; many houses have not been rebuilt; some businesses are still closed or require repair; bureaucratic hurdles are preventing people from completing funding applications; insurance premiums have doubled – some are uninsurable; the NBN is still not a great service; people are really tired, burnt-out and would be further traumatised if this should happen again.

Rochester may have lost a generation of children who cannot face the prospect of another flood emergency, while the town has lost residents who take with them their social history.

Marilyn Jacksch,

Campaspe Community Association Inc secretary

Be safe around pools this spring and summer

Royal Life Saving Society – Australia research shows 549 children under five have drowned in the past 20 years in Australia, predominantly in backyard swimming pools.

Drowning is silent and quick. By the time you count 20 seconds, a young child can drown.

The children who are most at risk are aged just one year old. As young children become more mobile and independent, they are often drawn to water.

We know that eight times that number of children are involved in a non-fatal drowning incident and can be left with life-limiting disabilities.

While pool fencing legislation has significantly reduced the number of young children drowning, there is still more we can do.

Kids can’t help themselves around water, you need to. Keep Watch.

There are four key things everyone can do to help prevent young children drowning: supervise, restrict, teach, and respond.

Supervise: Always keep young children within arm’s reach when you are in, on, or near water is critical. If they’re close to you, you have time to respond to any emergency.

But no adult can be on-watch 24 hours a day. We know distractions happen. Another child needs help. The doorbell rings. The adult in charge needs to use the bathroom.

Restrict: That is where pool fencing comes in. The physical barrier buys precious moments during those distractions to notice the child has wandered away – moments that can prevent a tragedy.

The last few years have been tough across the country with floods, fires, and unseasonable conditions. All those environmental factors can undermine the safety of your fence. Does the gate still self-close and latch? Have any of the fence posts moved or been damaged? Is the ground still holding the fence solidly in place?

You can download a free home pool safety checklist here: https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/keep-watch

Teach: It is important to discuss water safety with your child and set some rules about what to do around water and how to use them consistently in all water environments.

Respond: We know no prevention system is perfect. So, if you haven’t done CPR training, or you completed it a long time ago, make that a priority this month.

Keep Watch and protect the littlest members of your family.

Justin Scarr,

Royal Life Saving Society - Australia chief executive officer

Plan changes mark a low point

What a sad and sorry state we have reached in Australian politics.

Last week Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a revised version of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, including the return of water buybacks which have historically decimated some rural communities and severely impacted others.

That is why federal and state governments of various persuasions agreed that buybacks had to be a last resort, with no social and economic impacts on our rural citizens and their livelihoods, and this was reinforced only five years ago.

In one fell swoop, Minister Plibersek has abandoned this promise to her fellow Australians, in particular those in southern NSW and northern Victoria who will be the most severely impacted.

And for what? It is well known and documented that the Basin Plan can be completed without buybacks, however it will need some lateral thinking and would benefit greatly by increased support from South Australia, including end of system infrastructure works and utilising its taxpayer-funded desalination plant.

But it’s easier and quicker to buy water from farmers, even though the communities which rely on their production will be sacrificial lambs.

That is not the way Australia used to operate and for those in these affected communities it is a somewhat repugnant example of our current political system and more particularly the individuals who wield power.

With such a lack of empathy for fellow hard working Australians, Ms Plibersek should hang her head in shame.

Stephen Ball,

Mayrung,

Labor failing Victorians on housing

Victorians should not have to choose between keeping a roof over their head or feeding their family.

But, under Labor, that’s the sad reality for too many Victorians.

Recent PropTrack data shows that rents are rising at double the national rate in some parts of Victoria, while rental vacancies are alarmingly low.

The RBA reports a more than 50 per cent overnight increase for mortgages coming off fixed rates, forcing many homeowners and families to lose their homes and flood the rental market.

And, since 2021, the social housing waitlist has ballooned out by almost 15 per cent with 58,000 new households sitting on the waitlist, and more than half of that waiting list qualifying for urgent priority access.

The Andrews Labor Government has had years to get ahead of the housing crisis, but all they’ve given Victorians is hot air and broken promises.

Six years ago, Labor announced spare government land would be used for affordable and social housing – and yet not a single new home has been built.

In 2022, Premier Daniel Andrews ditched crucial planning reforms that would have boosted new housing developments across the state after backlash against a controversial levy.

This was followed by Labor immediately ramming a tax on new homes through the parliament.

Housing industry experts, builders and real estate professionals have all said the tax will halt new housing developments across regional Victoria as well as adding an extra $25,000 to the cost of a new home.

And with the Commonwealth Games cancelled by this incompetent government, the purpose-built athletes villages – which would have later become social housing – are now up in smoke.

For almost a decade, all Labor has done is halt housing development with new taxes and broken promises.

Now, Victorians are being slammed with skyrocketing household bills, struggling to find or keep their home, and desperately fighting to make ends meet.

That’s Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan’s legacy.

Peter Walsh MP,

Leader of The Nationals

Member for Murray Plains

OPINION POLICY

The Riverine Herald welcomes letters to the editor.

All letters must carry the writer’s name, address and telephone number for verification purposes.

Preference will be given to shorter letters emailed to editor@riverineherald.com.au or you can post your letter to Riverine Herald, 28 Percy St, Echuca, 3564.

Editor Gregor Mactaggart reserves the right to edit all letters, either for length or legal reasons, or omit letters.

The views of the letter writers don’t necessarily reflect the views of the paper.