I WRITE In response to the strange letter Crossing Water by Daniel Kurka (Mail, 11 October).
Mr Kurka asked for an explanation on the waste of money for a pedestrian crossing in the main street of Warburton.
Warburton Senior Citizens Club has been trying to get a pedestrian crossing here for many years.
I’ll try to answer Mr Kurka’s questions and statements, sentence by sentence.
He mentions the proposed move of the Tourist Information Centre across the road to the Upper Yarra Arts Centre. Are they moving? I didn’t know that.
Next, will people who park on the south side of the road scramble up the steep bank to use the footpath to get to the pedestrian crossing? I think not.
The south side of the Warburton Highway near the water mill is the bus stop, which serves people from the East Warburton area. Beryl, who lived in Riverside Drive, had tunnel vision for years and wanted pedestrian lights opposite the post office. This is what we senior citizens want.
Where is the steep bank we’re supposed to scramble up? We’re sure Mr Kurka will tell us where this steep bank is on the footpath alongside the bus stop.
Next, how many car parking spaces will be lost? I think one space will be lost on the south side of the highway, and one space will be lost on the north side of the highway.
Could Mr Kurka please explain how a crossing would benefit the partially deaf? Mr Kurka you certainly have a hearing problem. What I said was a pedestrian crossing was urgently needed for people with poor eyesight, at the time I was thinking of people with tunnel vision.
The next comment about politicians and bureaucrats and the loss of car parking, and the strange aboutface on how it’s sad for locals, especially the elderly and frail who would need to park their car close by.
Answer your concern for the frail and elderly and their parking problem on the north side of the highway is commendable, but what about the frail and elderly on the south side of the highway. I’d provide them with a pedestrian crossing. Mr Kurka, you’re against that, so what would you do?
John Cantle
Warburton Senior Citizens
JIM Nicholson (Mail, 18 October) harks back to the past regarding the proposed gaming casino in Yarra Junction and does nothing to advance the political cause.
Is he referring to the Super Clinic for Lilydale when he suggests Christine Fyffe “move on and leave politics to those who can bring fresh and constructive community projects to the community in the Evelyn electorate”?
This project was proposed by Labor in 2002 and is not due for completion until 2007. That’s five years!
The privately owned medical centre in Lilydale took only 18 months to complete.
I believe the current Member for Evelyn has been given the honour of officially opening the building. I also believe the Member for Evelyn is chair of the Lilydale Super Clinic Planning Committee. Will Labor be around to open it too?
June Delbridge
Lilydale
PHYLLIS Crawford and Jim Nicholson (Mail, 11 October) seem to be suffering repressed memory syndrome by only now recalling meetings of almost 10 years ago and using these faulty memories and old issues to attack the Liberal candidate for Evelyn Christine Fyffe. Let’s move forward please and not forget the issues at hand now!
With regard to Mr Nicholson’s comment “bringing constructive building projects to the Evelyn community”, is he referring to the promised Super Clinic?
Please note that the organising committee is chaired by the incumbent Labor member, Heather McTaggart. The clinic looks like taking (if it ever happens) five years from the 2002 election promise to its proposed completion date of late 2007.
Compare that with the new medical centre in Lilydale that has taken only 18 months and has been due to the foresight and commitment of private businesses!
Scott Forrest
Launching Place
I AM writing because of the article (Mail, 11 October) Hopes To Return To Heady Days Of Steam.
While the members of YVTR are indeed interested in steam trains the photo is of a diesel, not a steam train. Also, the first paragraph reads “bought an old steam locomotive”. It is not a steam locomotive, it is a diesel!
I really appreciate your paper and look forward to reading it each week, but this incorrect information makes me wonder how many other articles I take as truth also may have false information in them. Thank you for a great paper, but please make sure facts are correct or it discredits what I read in future.
Jennifer Gearing
Warburton
THE Kookaburra Awards are Parks Victoria’s recognition of the contributions made by volunteers.
On Monday, 3 October at Brimbank Park I accepted an award on behalf of The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater.
The award is the Community Partnership Award, which recognises achievement in the establishment of partnerships supporting parks.
The success of the Friends for over 16 years is due to many people and organisations.
Firstly, there are many hard working volunteers who work at the Friends nursery and in the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. The membership of the Friends exceeds 200 and the numbers of regular volunteers is increasing.
School teachers and students provide a critical workforce that revegetates much of the reserve.
We work closely with our neighbours, the Macclesfield Landcare Group, and both achieve mutually satisfying results.
The close cooperation from the personnel at Woori Yallock office of Parks Victoria ensures that the maximum positive result is achieved. This includes assistance from DSE and DPI personnel as well as PV rangers.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges has been receptive of the Friends concerns and reacts positively to the Friends requests.
Healesville Sanctuary provides support in many ways.
Melbourne Water provides much assistance, particularly in streamside and floodplain rehabilitation.
In recent times the Catchment Management Authority has provided valuable input with respect to catchmentwide planning.
The local members, Tammy Lobato (Gembrook), James Merlino (Monbulk) and Heather McTaggart (Evelyn), have been wonderful ambassadors for the Friends and their efforts.
All of the above accounts for much of the success that the Friends have achieved in attempting to revegetate the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve and in spreading the message about our state emblems in Yellingbo.
However, the success is only partial. The Helmeted Honeyeater remains critically endangered, Leadbeater’s Possum is still endangered and the special habitat is threatened. The Friends will continue to work for the conservation and improvement of these wonderful Victorian emblems.
If the situation is to improve radically more help is required. The Friends are ever ready to accept assistance.
Robert Anderson
President
Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater
I WOULD like to thank Wayne Farrow, Julia Rowe and staff of the Black Spur Cafe and Healesville RSL Lighthorse Bistro. My friends had organised a venue in Healesville for their wedding reception but were informed a week before the big day it would not be available as promised.
Wayne and Julie, on less than a week’s notice, made the reception so special. The RSL venue looked beautiful, the food was superb, and their efforts for two special people made their day perfect.
Thank you both so much, with special thanks from Angus.
Judith Port
Healesville
