One thing I loved about my walk was stopping and reading the posters that adorned the unused spaces between the shops and in shop windows along the way advertising school musicals, local art exhibitions, community theatre and fetes and fairs.

Through this information just this year I have attended local pet shows, the winter solstice, an art exhibition, battle of the bands and a number of community theatre shows.

Over the time I have been in Albury I have lost count of the number of times a walk up Dean Street has resulted in a great night out the following weekend. Dean Street had become my “what’s on” and guide to Albury-Wodonga.

However, over the past week I have noticed the posters and flyers disappearing. Not only in Dean Street but all around the neighbourhood. Gone now is the feeling of community connectedness of being part of something more than a sterile nameless shopping precinct. Now there are only bare walls or ugly patches of old blue tac and tape where there used to be bright profusions of community colour.

Unfortunately, there are no centrally located or prominent community noticeboards where this information can be found either. So what is going on Albury Council? Where did all the posters go? And if they had to go, then surely – because there were so many – this might be time to invest in some community noticeboards where we can see reminders of our vibrant community life proudly displayed as in invitation to all community members to take part. 

As an Anglican Archdeacon, the product of an Anglican education and a member of the board of an Anglican school, I believe it is time for an Anglican apology.

The Bishop of south Sydney’s unconvincing deflection of the charge of bullying and intentional damage made by Alex Greenwich highlights the tragic neurological malaise that has robbed the church of its flexibility and feeling and now in angry denial is being pushed from public life.

Sydney Anglicans pride themselves on wielding power and the investment against marriage equality compared with the commitment against domestic violence and drought gives disturbing clarity to their motivations. 

The plight of farmers was met with prayer and an appeal, domestic violence initially received acknowledgement and $5000. Marriage equality inspired fervent prayer in opposition backed up with a million tax-exempt dollars resulting not in hallelujahs but in the current desperate counteroffensive.

Sydney Anglicans can take credit for the vendetta against the LGTBIQ community through GAFCON, powered by the spiritual fossil fuel of religious prerogative. It is frightening to see your own spiritual family gathered around prejudice rather than compassion. 

The open letter by Anglican principals fails every test, illuminates the problem and reads as a cry for help and an educational betrayal. It is time politicians jumped in to defend people of all faiths and none from the unexploded bombs of legislative exemption.