YOUR SAY: Letters still flooding in about council's Australia Day decision

It has been on the calendar for years, now all of a sudden you all want to change things. Stop pussyfooting around and leave things alone.

Australia Day was not called such and recognised as such by all states and territories until 1935. It did not become a public holiday across Australia until 1994.

For more than half my life (I'm a Boomer) it was no big deal for most people. There was not all the nationalistic jingoism that surrounds it nowadays. My parents' generation steered clear of overt displays of nationalism, for good reason given the experiences many of them had.

First Nations people do not support the date, so change it. The Albury Council's decision is fine, how its implementation was managed is not.

All those who are so outraged, direct your anger at something more compelling such as our slow action on climate change.

On Saturday, November 18, whilst shopping in Lavington Square, I suffered a heart attack.

I was lucky this happened near the chemist shop. Within minutes I was being treated by the chemist on duty and given necessary medication. He then called the ambulance, who arrived within minutes.

I was placed in the ambulance and treatment started with injections and medication.

I was then taken to Wagga Base Hospital for the angiogram. The treatment given to me by the chemist, ambulance and Wagga hospital was marvellous.

I was told by the cardiac specialist in Wagga if I had not had the immediate treatment I would not be here to talk about it.

It is so important to seek immediate attention to any chest pain or weight.

A big thank you to all concerned and I hope you all have a very happy and merry Christmas. My heartfelt thanks.

My wife and I were in Albury last weekend to attend a family function. We had an enjoyable time meeting friends and family.

While we were in Albury the experience was marred by the lack of or hard to read street signs.

We are an older couple, we were using paper maps and Google Maps on a tablet. Travel between functions took more time than anticipated and increased stress for both my wife and I.

Albury City Council, what are you doing? The decision to allow a trial of e-scooters in Albury must have only been considered from a commercial basis, what it's worth to council, but not the effects it may have on our community.

Please research the data on the effect the introduction of e-scooters have on hospital resources. Both Australian (Melbourne) and international studies show huge increases in accident and emergency admissions and significant injuries including fatalities.

Our hospital is already overstretched to deal with this sort of trauma, perhaps address that with our state government before adding such stresses to an already under-resourced health system in Albury.

Councillors should not just listen to minority interests, look harder at the issues before you and make informed decisions. This issue is just one of many lately that shows a poorly performing council. Mountain bikes, e-scooters, Australia Day and many other decisions show how out of touch and ill-informed our council is.

Being a dedicated and committed police officer is a tough, taxing job and not one for the fainthearted. I take my hat off to them.

But that act of appreciation won't cover their mortgage, rent, medical, dental, family costs etc etc. I stand with them and fully support them in their industrial action.

I guess that is their only option when dealing with woke, crippled, incompetent executives at a Victoria Police and government level.

Simply put, you cannot replace a 25-year experienced veteran officer with some well-meaning fresh-faced rookie fresh out of the academy. It's not fair to them and the society they serve, blind Freddy could see that.

As the saying goes, a fish rots from the head down. Best of luck to you all in your endeavours, stay safe and keep up the good work.

Sadly, the smell and pong of rotting fish is also applicable to the health system.

I read in your paper that our council has decided to run a 12 months trial on e-scooters.

Up until now for good reasons they were banned from our streets.

They will be unsightly around our district, being left propped up all over the place.

In addition for safety risks that they create, they will be a menace.

You don't see older people riding them, only the younger generation, who have a don't care attitude.

Come on Albury Council, show some common sense and cancel this move.

Here we go again, the Anglophiles are appalled they were not included in the Albury Council's decision on the Australia Day ceremonies.

Stop for one minute to consider the true meaning of the day and that is one of dispossession. The results of the referendum in recent times show we are not really truthful with ourselves when it comes to the real facts of our nation.

I am from Wodonga and wish Wodonga Council would follow suit. I also want to change the date of Australia Day to more truly reflect the diversity of our wonderful country.

Our elected representatives owe us their hard work and their judgement.

No consultation was conducted with the community before the council made this change. Need I remind Albury City that Australia Day is a day that belongs to all of us.

I appreciate that Australia Day is a controversial issue for some. But by delegating values-based judgement to a bureaucrat, our council has betrayed us. After all, advisers advise, but it is politicians who decide.

If you are not willing to make tough decisions and stand by them, you should not put your name on the ballot paper in the first place.

The protest in Newcastle port stopping coal ships arriving and leaving port was devoid of facts.

Firstly, the majority of flotation equipment used by the protesters is made from hydrocarbon products. Maybe dugout canoes would have shown they were serious about the issue.

Secondly, a lot of the coal going out of the Newcastle port is premium hard coking coal used in the production of steel so are they promoting that steel production be banned? The steaming coal used for the production of power is used in many countries to provide essential power which we take for granted.

Thirdly, by banning coal exports the Australian, Queensland and NSW governments will make a significant impact on their source of revenue. What services will these governments have to cut to meet this reduction?

With the Greens promoting this protest why do they not show leadership in their electoral areas by banning all construction which involves the use of all hydrocarbon products which includes bitumen, concrete plus they become the first areas to be electrically load shedding when power shortages occur.

It appears that councillor Alice Glachan takes a very narrow view of her role at Albury City Council.

When asked about her position on the controversial proposal for a strip club in Olive Street, her response was that she is "focused on the planning requirements and regulations" and does not involve herself "in any other aspects".

Surely the assessment of the proposal's legality and permissibility is undertaken by council's planning team and does not require duplication by councillors.

The 2021 NSW government's councillor handbook makes it clear the local councillors "represent their local community's needs, wants and aspirations" and "serve their communities by listening to people in the local area and then representing those views on council".

It is not enough that Cr Glachan is 'aware' of people's feelings out in the community.

Her job is to listen carefully to what they are saying and to find the fine balance between her obligation to represent the interests of individual constituents with the need to make decisions on behalf of the whole community.

Given that the proposal for a strip club is highly divisive and emotional, this challenge is not for the faint-hearted.

But that is what councillors are elected to do.

Never let it be said that unelected bureaucrats would let little things like democracy and free speech get in the way of their social engineering. Australia Day has been for all intents and purposes cancelled in Albury "without public consultation or a discussion or vote by councillors'' (November 28).

Were the bureaucrats afraid that if they asked the good citizens of Albury about this matter they would get the same result as the recent referendum? Instead they have done it by stealth. Australia Day is a national holiday. If it is to be changed it is a matter for the nation as a whole after free and fair discussion consistent with the democracy Australia is supposed to be. It is not in the remit of local government.

Survey after survey has shown that the vast majority of ratepayers simply want our local councils to concentrate on basic services, "rates, roads and rubbish", and to stop telling them what to believe and how to live.

People have every right to celebrate on January 26 what a great nation this country has become. If someone doesn't want to participate then by all means go to work or stay home.

Should Christmas or Easter no longer be public holidays because they might cause offence to non-Christians? Something to think about.