Good people of Swan Hill
SEE, the thing about small towns is that they’re full of cliches and good people.
And often you don’t know what you’ve got in your own backyard or in my case, what was standing right in front of me on site one morning.
And just in case the good people of Swan Hill didn’t know about one of the best, “good” people I have met, I couldn’t leave without spreading the word.
My name is Stephen Buhagiar and I am the owner of the electrical company that has just completed the new United Petroleum service station on Karinie Street, Swan Hill.
She’s a beauty, isn’t she?
But with my business being based back in the big smoke and regional Victoria becoming shut off to Melbourne due to COVID-19 with every day that passed, it was looking like I was going to face some roadblocks of my own.
Bringing my crew of sparkies up the Hume (Highway) for weeks at a time here and there was no longer an option and travelling back and forth was not viable either. I had toyed with the idea of hiring a local company, but not knowing anyone or anything about Swan Hill in the beginning, I was hesitant and thought I’d head up, get started, assess and address when I got there.
Now this is not about my company, but instead it is about a local electrician who one day walked up to me on site, shook my hand, introduced himself as Dennis ‘Buddy’ Boyd and immediately I thought, good bloke.
Buddy was looking for some more work as an electrician while he starts up his own electrical business, Buddy Boyd Electrical. So he took the initiative to come down and see if there was any work going.
Perfect! Just what I was looking for, so I thought, “Why not? Put your boots on and let’s see what you’re made of”.
Well, he’s made of the good stuff. You know those people that just make you smile?
Buddy fast became a site favourite. His presence alone brought so much energy which helped create such a positive vibe and happy work environment for all trades on this project. Not only that, his professionalism and work ethic that was constantly relayed back to me, really eased the stress from my perspective when back in Melbourne. I could rest assured that not only was the job getting done, but my company was being represented by a well-liked, qualified electrician.
Buddy essentially became our full-time onsite sparky and this build rolled along smoothly.
With the Lady Augusta being fully booked one week, I had nowhere to stay and much to my surprise, Buddy and his long-term partner, Jacquelyn Mase, invited me into their home for a couple of days where I got to experience first-hand Swan Hill living.
Let’s just say, Jacquelyn can cook.
One more stress of this project, effortlessly eased by a simple, but grand gesture by good people.
I now had a home away from home.
Now I can speak to his character and you may know him from around town and agree, but as an electrician and business owner of 13 years, I can also assure you his skills on the tools are just as good.
His courageous decision to use his initiative, put himself out there and just ask, speaks volumes of his character and paid off in spades for all involved.
It will continue to do so as his new electrical business grows within your community.
After six months of enjoying the Swan Hill way of life on and off, the new United Petroleum service station on Karinie Street is complete and I couldn’t be prouder of the work that we have produced.
I am proud to have Buddy’s name in association with my company and now proud to call him my friend.
I look forward to seeing Buddy Boyd Electrical blossom into a small business the people of Swan Hill would be fortunate to have around town and I look forward to coming back up the Hume for one of Jaqueline’s home cooked meals and to chat shop with good electrician and great bloke.
Stephen Buhagiar,
Director
Current Group
Mask rules needs to be reviewed
AS the weather heats up and cases stay low, the rules around mandatory masks must be reviewed.
After nearly two weeks of no new cases statewide and with just four active cases in a state of nearly 6.5 million people, it’s difficult to understand why Daniel Andrews refuses to budge. Even public health experts are questioning the rule.
Chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, Professor Catherine Bennett, says as cases stay low “masks don’t add a lot” and that strict enforcement may actually encourage non-compliance.
Meanwhile, Professorial Fellow in Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne, Prof Tony Blakely, says based on current numbers by the end of the month we won’t “need masks at all”. I wrote to the Chief Health Officer and asked the health minister in State Parliament to be transparent with Victorians and provide the public health advice that supports the rule — but they refuse to respond.
We can all agree they’re necessary in high-traffic places that bring in a crowd — in the supermarket, the local hardware store, down the main street — but why should we be fined for not wearing a mask to walk the dog alone? To play golf solo? Or go fishing?
Daniel Andrews has admitted that on masks he has gone beyond the public health advice.
Victorians should not be subject to any more ‘captain’s calls’ from a premier whose government caused Victoria to suffer a second wave.
Peter Walsh,
Leader of The Nationals
More widely known
FIRSTLY, the Residents and Ratepayers Association would like to congratulate councillors on being returned to office and Stuart King on being elected to council, we look forward to again working with you to achieve better outcomes for Swan Hill Rural City.
In light of this, we ask councillors that with a budget running into millions of dollars per annum, how much would it actually cost to let the residents of Swan Hill know about the offer of free green waste at the Swan Hill landfill for one weekend a year?
The date of this event was October 31 and November 1.
A few dollars thrown at advertising this event to make it more widely known, would I suggest, be of more benefit to the community, especially in light of the fact that green waste at Swan Hill landfill is not free unless mulched (unlike Mildura Rural City where domestic green waste, mulched or not is free all year round).
However, the Residents and Ratepayers Association welcomes the initiative of council to help residents to dispose of larger volumes of green waste as this would certainly promote tidy gardens throughout our municipality.
But, with such a short notice and low level of exposure across the media, few people were aware of the offer and not in a position to take advantage of it.
Council’s current practice in some ways discriminates against older people and those with a disability.
Residents with families, carer responsibilities, weekend work rosters and other important commitments need adequate notice to plan their activities so that they have that weekend available to take advantage of this free offer.
Older people and those with disabilities who can only do physical work in short stints need more time to spread the task over the weeks leading up to the “free green waste” weekend.
To make it fairer for everybody, would council please consider widening the publicity of the weekend and extending the period of notice from mid-September.
At no additional cost to council, notices advising of the weekend could be included in council’s newsletter for September and in the What Do My Rates Pay For brochure which is enclosed with rate notices sent out in August.
Or better yet, perhaps council could offer their residents the opportunity for 365 free green waste days a year, instead of just two free days that have been poorly publicised in the past.
Roger Day,
Secretary
Residents and Ratepayers Association
