REMEMBER when a few years back the town was divided by the decision of Australia Post to relocate the Main Street post office?
The management of Australia Post has now declared that the Walk Post Office will no longer open on Saturday mornings, effective 2 September.
I live in Healesville and, like so many residents work “down the line”, but I always try to support local businesses.
With the Saturday morning closure I will be unable to collect registered parcels, apply for passport, purchase office supplies from the post office.
I will now be forced direct parcels to my business address (not in Healesville) and most probably be forced to shop at adjoining businesses while using another post office.
I am surprised that the management of The Walk and Coles would permit this. What would happen if other businesses elected to not open on Saturdays? Come on residents and Saturday morning shoppers, where is the body of support and emotion that confronted Australia Post in the past?
Don’t let distant corporate managers in ivory towers shut down any part of this great little town!
Daryl Horsfall
Healesville
ON BEHALF of the Vietnam Veterans Day Combined Committee, comprising Vietnam Veterans, Healesville, Upper Yarra and Warburton RSL subbranches, I would like to express our appreciation to all who attended the inaugural Vietnam Veterans’ Day Combined Commemoration held at Healesville on Saturday, 20 August.
Special thanks must be extended to all who volunteered their services on the day, but notably to bugler John Stanhope, piper Ian Townsley and sound engineer Dennis Reeves. Their combined efforts were instrumental to the day’s success.
This is but the beginning of an annual event that will be hosted by each subbranch in turn. Next year’s hosts will be Warburton RSL. We look forward to seeing veterans, and all who wish to join in this important Australian Commemoration, there next year.
Bob Gannaway
Chair
Vietnam Veterans Day
Combined Committee
I WOULD like to ask one question of all the Sarahs, the Chelseas and the Peters: Have you ever taken the time to walk 10 to 20 kilometres into the bush that surrounds us and take a good look at what is actually happening in the forests and parks?
The deer, which I am proud to say I hunt (and do adhere to the tread lightly policy), have done more devastation to the forests over a shorter period of time than what 7400 head of beast have done to thousands of hectares in 170 years.
I know of a property in the nearby hills which has been taken over by deer. The owner is not able to get a permit to cull the problem and is now not only going out of business but can not manage to keep the fruit supply which you so love to eat coming down to the shops.
So, if you are so behind keeping the cattle out of the High Country, and not logging our forests, then why were the deer made a protected species and the mountain cattlemen banned from grazing in the High Country?
I believe that all of the Green movement is based on opportunism. The original issue was not logging, nor was it recreational use. The original issue was that of the cattlemen grazing so the proof is obvious that Sarah and her group have used one issue to go on.
Take a good look before you start jumping to conclusions and accusing the one creature of all the destruction that is being done in our forests, there are many all humans being one!
Dale Jackson
Country Alliance member
Launching Place
I WRITE in response to Bob Rich’s letter (Mail, 9 August).
Firstly Mr Rich, in my younger years I did run cattle. My family unfortunately did not have a farm so I had to agist. I bred some Melbourne Show champions, which were of strong mountain cattle based genetics.
I discontinued as agistment was getting too costly and I was not in a financial position to purchase my own farm due to increasing land prices.
I knew back then that the cattlemen were getting cheaper agistment and it didn’t bother me as I saw first hand the amount of work these people did in weed control, planting native vegetation, and improvement at these areas to balance out their lesser costs at their own expense. However, I took my hat off to these people and their forefathers who took the initiative to settle what were then unsettled and remote areas and I still do.
As far as I’m aware Mr Rich, the invitation was open to anyone 170 years ago to take up mountain cattle grazing, so why the jealousy now?
Mr Rich, if your family had chosen mountain cattle grazing four or five generations ago, then no doubt you would be up there today. Undoubtedly the underlying issue of jealousy which is apparent in the statement of “why should I feel the slightest sorrow that at long last this unfair advantage has been removed”, would not be present.
I was brought up the with the understanding that being jealous is unAustralian, and that you have to work hard to get what you want out of life, as my parents have. I am also working hard towards my goals and objectives, which are to one day have my own farm and beef enterprise.
I would like to know when the law was passed that monetary value is more important than happiness and lifestyle, and since when we had to live by socioeconomic laws, or do we under dictatorship?
Is it possible Mr Rich that you may need to examine yourself and see if you have some personal resentments that may be affecting and clouding your own objectivity and need to resolve them? Only you know.
People had this opportunity 170 years ago and presuming you are fourth or fifth generation Australian Mr Rich, your family would also have had the opportunity which for whatever reason they did not take.
Why should these people now be penalised? At the end of the day you create your own future and happiness, and your own path in life to better yourself and your family, which these people did. I know if my family had been a major part in building Victoria’s beef industry and part of our agricultural heritage, I would not be happy with some modern day cowboy bureaucrats taking away part of my family’s traditions and heritage.
Our government was happy to use the theme of The Man from Snowy River for the Sydney Olympics for financial gain, which no doubt generated more profit than the cattlemen ever could, now they want to turf these people off their leases. Maybe it is time for Australians to start claiming racial and cultural discrimination, after all it is clear we accept everybody equally but we continuously lose aspects of the Aussie way if life. Will we have to visit museums and libraries to find them?
Unfortunately today’s society appears to be living by the law of the concrete jungle, not the law of the land.
David Risojevic
Country Alliance member
Launching Place
