For all the best efforts of some Wodonga Council staff, here are some cold hard facts about the current works on High Street, Bond Street to South Street.
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Dust mitigation is an after thought by the contractors, only done when a trader contacts the council.
Contractor employee vehicles use the “public” car park in the old car yard when it suits them. This car park is also largely parked in by local businesses and I am happy to name all of them, one does not even operate in the effected area.
Signs for access are all very well but the fact is those traders still operating have experienced downturns in trade of 70 to 80 per cent due to no parking and little pedestrian traffic. One trader, and likely more, will close during this disruption and it is no surprise. Meanwhile Wodonga Council will still collect its rates, their staff their pay.
The invisibility of the councillors in walking the street is telling the traders where they can expect no support or concern.
Beware the south end of High Street, you are next on this program of CBD destruction.
Walk High Street both sides and see the cannibalism of shops moving to the new Woolworths centre.
Paul Upton, West Wodonga
A word from Churchill
In 1953, when Winston Churchill was again British Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues were very concerned about John Foster Dulles, the American Secretary of State, who was being particularly difficult over the defence problem of Europe.
The Prime Minister remarked that: “Mr Dulles makes a speech every day; has a press conference every other day; and preaches on Sundays. All this tends to rob his utterances of any real significance!”
How much more appropriate are these comments to the endless meaningless twittering of the current American President.
Jim Jefferies, Bethanga
Time to ponder
While the brand of politics we're seeing in the electorate of Indi has changed since 2013, the outcomes for residents and the immense issues we still face have not.
With the question of whether our current MP Cathy McGowan will stand again up in the air, it's a perfect time to think of what we all want to see in our elected member. What qualities and what results. Personally, I believe the community wants a fresh voice and set of eyes. A fighter who is willing to stand with the people when times get tough, but importantly, stand for something.
The way our federal Parliament has functioned in recent years, it wouldn't be a stretch to say an election may be around the corner, to the anger of many Australians. However, it is an important time to have these discussions around what we need to fight for, and what we need in our representatives.
Eric Kerr, Wodonga (and former Indi candidate and Indi ALP spokesperson)
How did they get here?
I recently read how the AFP had obtained warrants for about 40 ISIS fighters who were believed to have returned to Australia. My question is how the hell did they get into Australia? Is our border security so weak that they can come in or maybe they all got canoes and paddled in the back door. We have seen criminals leaving Australia on the passports of other people, so do we have the same problem coming into Australia?
