No strings attached
IT is great to get more funding for our airport as long as there are no strings attached to require us to accept any industrial scale pilot training school now or into the future.
These international pilot schools often get into rural airports facilitated by big grants for upgrades, like a Trojan Horse.
Often with photo opportunities with National Party members and close to election time which makes it hard not to become cynical.
Save Swan Hill Serenity Action Group (SSHSAG) Inc. applaud council obtaining the extra funding and planning to cater for supporting the aeromedical and other community needs and cater to the region’s continued growth.
Now the talks are “suspended”, but the CEO did say on ABC radio when asked if the talks with Australian Aviation Alliance (AAA) could resume that “it is prudent to never close the door”.
We cannot ignore how rapidly and secretly the negotiations were advancing — the city even making a preliminary offer to AAA.
SSHSAG Inc. will continue to push back and demand our skies are free of this type of aviation activity. The importance, and current lack of, a Swan Hill airport master plan is evident. The absence of an airport master plan could lead to a series of reactive, ad hoc development decisions. A master plan is a comprehensive document that includes things such as community impact assessment, noise management plan, community engagement strategy, environment impact assessment.
Mass pilot training and its repetitive, low-altitude, noisy circuit training is not compatible with the residential, agricultural and tourism interests in Swan Hill or anywhere in the Murray Valley.
The state government agencies responsible for land use planning and development put in place protections for existing airports from the encroachment of incompatible development, such as residential areas.
It is vital for established communities to expect similar respect from state and federal governments and relevant departments to address the other side of the coin — to have mechanisms put in place to protect existing residents from the sudden and large scale expansion of aviation operations at their airports and the impact that has on their amenity, wellbeing and health.
Dr Jacquie Kelly,
Save Swan Hill Serenity Action Group Inc.
Environment protected
RECENT considerations of a proposal to establish an international flight training academy in Swan Hill highlighted the need to balance the benefits of large scale projects with full consideration of our environmental integrity.
This town has lost too many of its historically significant buildings over the years in the name of progress.
Naturally, everyone would welcome a plan to strengthen the economy in Swan Hill but in terms of this proposal, vague hopes of increased economic benefit to the town were not backed up by any evidence and it was obvious that there would be environmental costs.
Just like precious architecture, there are some aspects of the natural environment that simply cannot be retrieved once they are destroyed.
It was heartening to see that the responsibility of considering our environment was swiftly taken on by members of our community.
The Save Swan Hill Serenity Action Group established themselves to defend one of our most precious assets.
An environment that would have been compromised on many levels by the introduction of a large scale aviation activity in the area.
They argued that any proposal for a flight training school in Swan Hill needed to acknowledge the challenges that would have been imposed on this environment.
They worked hard to remind us also what was at the heart of what we may have been dicing with.
They call it our ‘serenity’, but they didn’t just mean peace and quiet.
They meant our clarity of air and our instinctive understanding of the natural beauty in the area that has stillness we all absorb, simply by being here.
It’s something that becomes innate in us and that is what makes it so vulnerable; so easily overlooked.
Whatever the degree of persistent long-term air and noise pollution a large scale flying academy would have brought with it, our relationship with this aspect of our environment would have been disrupted; possibly forever.
Marg Serra,
Swan Hill
Fears for Pioneer Settlement experience
TIME is closing in on the decision which our councillors will have to make on the location of the building of Our Place attached to the Pioneer Settlement.
I have major concerns that not all connected groups are getting the same message, particularly as the COVID-19 has made for difficult communication, albeit not impossible as some groups can attest.
My main concern is that some stakeholders are being encouraged to support option one and from what I can gather, in a very convincing way.
The rationale is that the survey indicated a strong support for option one. It would help to clarify this issue if the results of the survey were to be made public.
That survey in my opinion was biased in its presentation in that option one was presented with positives compared to opposing negatives for option two in each of the categories of access, impact, heritage artifacts, and proximity to entry.
Under the heading of ‘site specific costs’, there is an indication of what costs need to be considered, but no indication of dollar values. So how can one compare?
At the end of the survey, there is no provision to tick a box to indicate preference.
I am advised that some people chose not to respond because of that. So is the survey a true reflection of people’s thoughts and wishes? How many people realise that option one will separate the riverboat Gem from the settlement, thereby reducing the controlled story of the pioneer experience.
I have been advised by the project manager that the decision of the location of the preferred option will be made by councillors and I make the point that councillors are elected by the ratepayers for and on behalf of them and it is incumbent on councillors and council staff to listen and consult with interested persons who have knowledge and involvement of the Pioneer Settlement since its inception so that it may be preserved in its original concept and maintain that iconic tourist attraction.
I urge concerned residents to communicate with all councillors and express their fears that option one will destroy a large part of the Pioneer Settlement experience.
David Quayle,
Swan Hill
On the nose
THERE has been a large amount of public comment recently concerning Bromley Road, Robinvale,
The importance of the removal of the out-of-date white lines and the position of some temporary bollards, mentioned by council’s CEO in his clarification of Bromley Road (the disaster that is now our town’s main thoroughfare), fails to observe the embarrassing lack of right-hand turns available from the eastern side (or south-bound) lane.
One of the turns, which allowed direct access to Robinvale’s information centre, public toilets, V/Line bus stop, tourist attractions and off-street, long-vehicle parking has been removed.
Motorists now face a further 700-800 metre drive, including a “U” turn to reach these things.
As they make the drive among the many new signs, they see one that says ‘museum’, but points directly to the fire station, while they try to break into the stream of north-bound traffic, which most likely includes a couple of three-trailer hay trucks.
There has been no talking to the people on the ground.
I hesitate to say this council, but communication is a two-way street (or road).
James Holland,
Robinvale
Recognised community planned
I AM writing on behalf of Lake Boga Inc to acknowledge and thank Swan Hill Rural City Council for recently sealing Cemetery Road, Lake Boga.
The road had been in poor condition and often required maintenance from council to reduce deep corrugations.
The road now has a smooth, even surface which is greatly appreciated by all who visit the cemetery and the war graves contained there.
Lake Boga Inc are proud and pleased to have raised the issue with council and encouraged them to take action to improve the road surface.
Cemetery Road was listed as a priority of the Lake Boga community in our community plan. It is gratifying that council recognised the importance of community planning and listen to the wishes of the Lake Boga community.
Lake Boga Inc look forward to continuing to work closely with council, and other authorities, to realise other initiatives in our community plan.
Steve Matthews,
President
Lake Boga Inc
Turned his back
DANIEL Andrews has turned his back on Victorian producers.
China’s unjustified decision to impose an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley threatens Victorian jobs and our state’s economy.
It clearly shows the cracks in Daniel Andrews’ secret Belt and Road deal with Beijing.
Victorian farmers are being smashed by Chinese government imposed tariffs, but Daniel Andrews is still moving ahead with final stage negotiations to shore up his cosy relationship with China.
The Belt and Road initiative is a key pillar of China’s economic and foreign policy which sees Chinese companies paid to build Victorian infrastructure.
It also claims to promote “trade development and market access…especially for agricultural products”.
But the tariffs on barley show this deal is all one-way traffic that’s running over the top of Victorian farmers.
Rather than increasing our reliance on China, the state government should be investing additional resources in our Victorian trade offices in Indonesia and India to expand our global presence by June 2021.
It’s a positive step forward we can take to strengthen Victoria’s economic base and get Victorians back to work and back in business after coronavirus restrictions are eased.
Peter Walsh,
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Minister for Agriculture
