Get serious on seniors
With much fanfare Indigo Shire Council signed an agreement to be part of the WHO Global Network for Aged-Friendly Cities and Communities. But it would appear very little progress has been made.
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Recently, Mayor Jenny O'Connor announced the results of council's annual Community Satisfaction Survey. Overall performance dropped from 61 points in 2019 to 57 points this year with residents aged 50 to 64 years the least satisfied. What about the 65+ age group which makes up over 25 per cent of our population, how satisfied are they - not?
Indigo Council divested themselves from providing home care services to a private provider from 1 July 2018. At the time Mayor O'Connor said all services were going to remain the same. However, the result paints a different picture with the loss of subsidised services, such as window, gutter cleaning and garden maintenance. These services are very important so people don't injure themselves whilst attempting to do things that lead to being admitted to full-time care.
Council's communication response to the January bushfires was extremely poor with no direct contact to people who did not have social media, IT skills and/or transport.
There are no longer safer places to evacuate to except at Wangaratta and Wodonga. What a disaster if the fire directly impacted on Beechworth and the main roads were closed. What about the $3.5 million grant received after the 2009 Black Saturday fires to create better places for us to evacuate to? It went into buildings that were deemed not suitable for evacuation purposes.
Look at the shocking stake of our many footpaths that force seniors and others to use our roads or give up all together and rely on others to provide transport to them.
It is time for Council to 'listen' to their community as it has a long way to go to convince many seniors that it is serious about their future well being living in Indigo.
Christine Stewart, seniors advocate, Beechworth
No cuts? Surely you jest
As the Coalition continues to exact its revenge on the ABC, the impact falls on the millions of listeners and viewers, ordinary Australians whom our elected representatives are supposed to represent.
Those not blinkered by I-always-vote-Liberal loyalty will see these politicians for what they really are, a disgrace.
Andrew Hipwell,Lavington
Train tests a terrific idea
I totally agree with Bill Tilley that passengers as well as crew boarding V/Line trains should be temperature tested. After all, you are generally on the train for some hours, enabling an infected traveller to spread the infection. We have been very lucky on the border, but a further precaution of temperature testing passengers would be sensible.
I am surprised that more wide temperature testing is not taking place.
I am also dismayed that people who have spent their 14 days in isolation are permitted to refuse a test. Adding 10 days to their isolation is a good step, but not enough. If people are not willing to be tested - at least temperature tested when they leave isolation after entering Australia - they should not be allowed into our country.