Help must be thought out
In a letter in the South Coast Register (October 5) the Mayor, Amanda Findley, called on state and federal governments to tackle homelessness in the Shoalhaven.
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This, at first, appears a laudable idea. But on analysis, it has three major flaws.
Firstly, we as a community suffer the indignity of having to beg. Surely, after considering hundreds of alternatives, the council’s only solution is not to beg for assistance. Or has it not canvassed the community for solutions? Just because the homeless beg, doesn’t mean our council has to.
Secondly, it will condemn the Shoalhaven’s future to even greater numbers of hopeless and homeless. Helping people by never making them contribute to society just endorses their predilection to remain forever dependent on handouts. It is a plan that will fail. It fails to help the disadvantaged because they remain opposed to following the community norm of being participating and contributing members of society. If other disadvantaged see how well we reward non-participation, and non-compliance to rules, then undeniably, more will come.
Thirdly, it fails to serve the needs of the whole community. The people are afraid or intimidated by a unreasonable few who flout the law. It is simply catering to a small minority at the detriment to the safety, civil rights and the civil liberties of all the stakeholders in the Shoalhaven. All that catering for the homeless will succeed in doing is to encourage other disadvantaged to come to the Shoalhaven and that will create even more unlawful activity.. This is just increasing the workload for an already overtaxed police force.
Is the Mayor content to serve only the needs of the few in the community? Surely, council should serve to improve the needs of all of the community. If council wishes to permanently help all the community then why isn’t its priority to improve employment?
R. Pollard, Nowra
Rates move is needed
I am full agreement with the new council going ahead with raising the rates.
I may not like the idea of having to pay more but the fact is my family and I want to enjoy all this wonderful part of the world has to offer – including good roads, parkland etc – and someone has to pay.
It is clear council needs us all to do our part if we want the amenities and services required by a growing community.
J. Burke, Nowra
Unit plan untenable
Bob Dylan has just been named Nobel Laurette for Literature and just as other great lyricists from the 60s and 70s highlighted significant issues of their day. Now they are coming to a village near you, springing up in the Shoalhaven.
Little boxes on the hillside of Anson Street, St Georges Basin are being proposed by the developer, which allow four storeys (13m whereas the rest of St Georges Basin is 8.5m) voted by the majority of the last council. They are going to change St Georges Basin forever as the developer owns eight blocks of land on Anson Street.
Where will the children play, go to the doctor, go to a child care centre and school? Where is the infrastructure to support this increase in population? St Georges Basin and Sanctuary Point primary schools are full and there is only one doctor.
This development and any future development will increase the demand for community facilities or community services in the area.
The health and well-being of the neighbouring residents as well as those in any new development need to be considered.
Hopefully the answer is not just blowing in the wind but the new Shoalhaven City Council will listen to the concerns of residents and develop a holistic and integrated planning approach that links social and cultural, physical, environmental and economic issues to achieve sustainable development.