Just plain wrong
Graeme Richardson writes ('Depan was full of no hope', The Border Mail, June 8) a very critical letter concerning the redevelopment of the Lavington Sportsground and, in particular, of the failure and liquidation of the contractor Depan. This is certainly not Albury City's proudest moment and I am sure that councillors and staff would have had it turn out differently.
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It was Arthur Conan Doyle who said "It is easy to be wise after the event."
Prior to awarding the tender numerous checks were made including using the reputable firm Dunn and Bradstreet as well as checking references from other parties who had used Depan on their projects.
But Mr Richardson with his words "the process to confirm the tender to Depan Group took the six councillors present less than two minutes" seems to imply that the decision was reached without proper consideration.
Yes, it took less than two minutes to vote on the matter but Mr Richardson should know that councillors would have received the meeting agenda and accompanying reports several days earlier and would have read them prior to the meeting. So, in effect, the decision was arrived at after each councillor had considered the business papers over several hours. As an example, the agenda and business papers for the meeting this week amount to 475 pages and I will spend quite a few hours reading them.
I can take criticism (it comes with the job) and I am sure my fellow councillors and the Council's staff have broad shoulders but the implication that this decision was taken lightly and without proper consideration is just plain wrong.
Cr David Thurley, Lavington
Roll up your sleeves
It takes 18 people donating blood monthly to treat just one person living with blood cancer. That is why this National Blood Donor Week (June 9-15), the Leukaemia Foundation is challenging more Australians to step up and become a regular blood donor.
More than 100,000 Australians are currently affected by blood cancer, including people in your local community, and many of these people require regular donated blood products to manage their cancer.
What many people don't realise is the sheer volume of blood needed to support blood cancer patients.
More than a third of all blood donations (34 per cent) collected by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service go towards supporting cancer patients and people living with blood diseases. One 470ml blood donation unit includes red cells, plasma and platelets. On average, one acute leukaemia patient will need nine units of red blood cells each month, or just over one litre of platelets each month during treatment.
This means for every blood cancer patient in your community, we need 18 Australians to roll up their sleeves every month - not just once, but for every month of that person's treatment time.
With 35 people every day diagnosed with a blood cancer in Australia and this number expected to increase to 50 people per day by 2025, we know more Australians will become critically reliant on blood products into the future.
You can find out more by visiting www.leukaemia.org.au or www.donateblood.com.au.
