Youth Off The Streets has continually taken an active approach when responding to the needs of our Aboriginal communities, particularly the young people. Our approach has always been about identifying gaps in services available to Aboriginal youth and establishing the support services that fulfil their needs, so we can build a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Unfortunately, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population still suffers from a lower life expectancy, lower rates of literacy and general health and is over-represented in the justice system when compared with the non-indigenous population.

We are trying to close this gap by working in partnership with Aboriginal elders, local service providers, government departments and community members with the aim of continual and lasting improvement in outcomes for the young people, families and communities involved.

It’s now up to everyone to come together and continue to work for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander equality. Committing extra resources to closing the gap, as well as coming together as a nation to recognise a group of people, is an achievable goal for next year’s National Reconciliation Week.

IT costs $138 for full registration each year of your dog in Wodonga.

There are 14,748 dwellings in Wodonga. So $138 x 14,748 (assuming each home has one dog – those with multiple pets cover those that do not in my calculations) is $2,035,224. Why isn't this money going into looking after our pets and their welfare? Because Wodonga Council would rather buy lifeless pieces of art of animals rarely seen in this town than take responsibility for the animals that are alive.

Instead, their plan is to send them to their deaths in Albury.

DRIVING along Melbourne Road towards Wodonga's CBD late morning on May 25 it was noticeable that council had contractors demolishing a tall eucalyptus on the nature strip in front of Caltex on the corner of Morrison Street.

How long that tree took to get to its 20 metre-plus height who knows. For the public record, Wodonga council needs to provide to The Border Mail a copy of the arborist’s reports confirming the tree was sick or dying, or a danger in some other way.

Perhaps someone complained – it was blocking my view, it was dropping leaves and bark (how inconsiderate).

No doubt the replacement will be anything other than native, probably a Manchurian pear with its stinking spring flowers or a plane tree whose leaves adorn High street now through winter, providing ample risk to slipping as you walk. An A-plus award is due here for environmental vandalism and wanton destruction.