Donate, don’t dump
Most people are unaware or are on purpose dumping their rubbish or things that are not eligible for reusing at op-shops on the Border. As a result, our charities are using their money to pay fees to the Council to pick up bucket loads of rubbish to take to the tip. No one knows this better than the people volunteering.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They are disgusted at the behaviour of some local donators.
However, there is a reason behind all this confusion. People are being lazy. They are dumping everything to the op-shops and leaving the volunteers to do the rest. Because of the cost to go to the tip, people are not bothering to go there, and the horrible thing is that as a result, valuable charity money is being spent on fees.
However, some charities are in great trouble because they are continuously having to pay significant fees in which case most community members disagree with the fees being charged by the council.
Some of the items being “donated” include torn clothes, damaged bric-a-brack, books with drawings and tears in them, and things like broken glass cups and figurines. This has got to stop. You are not helping if you are donating these things. Don't dump ruined and broken things on charities, and to council, please, don’t charge charities with the fees for the tip. They are trying to help and if they have to keep paying a lot of money, that's not going to happen. Our Border charities are not a dumping ground. They are there to support people in need.
Brianna Emmett, Thurgoona
Record still unbroken
Several claims are being made about historical temperature records being broken. The Bureau of Meteorology's Albury airport site officially recorded 45.3 degrees a 3.13pm on January 16. This was not quite as hot as 11 January 1939 when Albury hit 46.1 degrees (recorded as 115 Fahrenheit) in a severe heatwave week that included Black Friday.
Several local people died from exhaustion, while bushfires in Victoria claimed more than 70 lives.
However, in 1860, the official Albury observer for the NSW meteorologist record noted January's hottest day hit 116 degrees Fahrenheit, equating to 46.67 Celsius, which seems to be the record unbroken after 159 years. Albury was then one of only 10 towns and cities in NSW to notify such statistics to the government Astronomer. There is no reason to doubt their accuracy.
Howard Jones, Albury
Make the pools free
All pools should be free to use on days over 40 degrees, from 8am to 8pm. If it costs thousands of dollars, just add it to the Lavington Oval development account, or cancel next year's Christmas Carols that the elderly people can't go because there is not enough room for them to attend safely.
The beautiful Civic Centre (QE11/Albury Entertainment, whatever, for those new to the area) is just not big enough for all to enjoy. Then while the kids have the pools to cool off, pump the aircons up in all Council owned buildings from 8am to 8pm and invite all the elderly who haven't got/can’t afford to run air-conditioners down for the 40-plus days to get some relief. Treat these days just like any other natural disaster. Heatwaves are Australia's deadliest natural hazards.
