![Albury Council's Australia Day celebrations at Noreuil Park, pictured here in 2023, were altered this year, with councillors recently announcing plans for the activities in 2025. File picture by James Wiltshire Albury Council's Australia Day celebrations at Noreuil Park, pictured here in 2023, were altered this year, with councillors recently announcing plans for the activities in 2025. File picture by James Wiltshire](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zVtrQGhRGBmiD3RNa8bKgt/d55dc998-409a-43a2-b343-1286513451c8.jpg/r0_0_5472_3648_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Council fixated and distracted
Yet another example of just how ridiculously out of ratepayer, broader community touch this current Albury City Council is. They are so consumed, fixated and distracted by unrelated matters that have no bearing on its primary and only duty of roads, rates, rubbish and graffiti. This bunch of councillors, "chose to roll the dice" experiment with Australia Day, typically without any consultation then embarrassingly buckled and backflipped under the backlash only to now continue to not listen to the broader public's honest assessment and scathing feedback!
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I wonder what our heroic local ADF members that fought and repelled the Germans at Noreuil, France, during the World War I campaign would have said to these councillors given their chance.
I have proudly attended Australia Day ceremonies at Noreuil for many years including alongside the late honourable Tim Fischer.
It was no surprise Wodonga City Council had a far, far larger unifying celebrity crowd this past Australia Day unlike this hugely divisive Albury City Council whom are fixated and consumed, undermining and deliberately agitating further community division!
Albury deserves far better!
Steve Panozzo, Wodonga
UN vote will embolden Hamas
I feel Israel (Australia's ally and only democratic country in the Middle East) and Australians who support Israel have been betrayed by the Albanese government and the action of Foreign Minister Penny Wong in voting in favour of future Palestinian membership of the United Nations.
On October 7, up to 4000 Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel, carrying out on women, children and families the most barbaric acts possible. Killing 1200 people and taking about 240 hostages back into Gaza.
It was with this scenario in the background that leading up to the day of the UN vote, how Australia would vote was shrouded in secrecy. To my knowledge, the federal Opposition and Israel was not in any way consulted on their views of the way Australia should vote and the effect it would have. It appears the only consideration was whether it would gain the Labor Party the vote of certain sections of the community.
It is very important to note that prior to the UN vote, Israel had cornered Hamas, and they were seriously considering releasing all of the remaining hostages in order for Israel to consider a ceasefire.
Once the UN vote was taken, Hamas knew they had won the propaganda war and stopped offering to release the hostages (we can only imagine what a terrible result). The government's vote in the UN has worked to undermine Israel and Australians who support Israel. And it will embolden Hamas and all the pro-Palestinian demonstrators across Australia to continue their activities.