Archive for May, 2008

Latest news

admin May 19th, 2008

The opening of Lenthalls Dam Crest gates, scheduled for Wed 21st May, was arranged by State Govt departments not by WBW, to my knowledge, and most definitely not by Council.

Council does have many community buildings and I defend its right to do so. May I remind the community that if Council owns something that means you own it. Council is a public entity so when we ‘own’ things it is on behalf of everyone in the community and the community buildings are for the community benefit. Most Hervey Bay ‘public buildings’ are leased and managed by community groups who manage to run the buildings at a profit to themselves rather than a cost and with little outlay from the Council budget. While this system has some flaws I think the model is generally a ‘win win’ one and of benefit to everyone. There is no doubt in my mind that we need more community buildings not less here in the Bay. If you are a member of a community group and wish to hold a meeting or function it is practically impossible to find cheap space when and where you need it. Try booking a place into the Urangan Community centre for instance. So yes we need halls and buildings and we need them to be cheaply accessible to our community for the many fun and important functions that these groups provide for all of us.

Now just a personal comment on our Planning and Development Meeting from last Wednesday. Yes I was the only lonely ‘NO’ vote against a recommendation to build 250 units on a block of land at Urangan. The complex comprises 3 building up to 6 storeys high and will require a double basement carpark to accommodate nearly 400 spaces. The whole block including adjacent blocks, has a Natural Area overlay covering it. I personally felt that the application was over development for that site and we now have set a precedent which will threaten adjoining blocks that also have a Natural Area overlay on them. Specifically the large block on the corner of Boat Harbour Drive and the Esplanade at the marina. This block is covered with beautiful old trees!

I fail to understand how a Natural Area overlay can be ignored to the extent that I feel it has been. Maybe I’m missing something and can’t interpret our Planning Scheme properly but I had a bad night on Wednesday night worrying about what the future holds for Hervey Bay in terms of development, now we have our new Council.

So finally a plea from me. I am thinking of starting up a branch of the ‘Save our Suburbs’ group locally. http://www.sos.org.au/new_home.html

We could possibly call it ‘SAVE OUR BAY’ but anything will do really. Maybe Maryborough residents and residents that live rurally would also be keen to join so we would need a generic name.

The aim would be to lobby Government in terms of development issues and to ask that community consultation is increased and that ‘urban consolidation’ policies be reviewed to ensure that they meet the outcomes they are designed to meet, without destroying or negatively impacting on the lifestyle of existing residents within our community. The primary purpose of the group would be to promote sustainable development.

I anticipate lobbying etc would be done primarily electronically but if we could get many members we could have a very strong voice. Meetings and the associated needed time commitments would be rare as we could communicate via email. I am happy to start to organise this if there is enough interest so please email me and let me know if you are interested as soon as you can please. Email to ssuuee@bigpond.net.au

I would also ask that if you don’t want to join a group an email to all the Councillors outlining your thoughts about development and Letters to the Editor may be a good idea also.

Cheers and thanks for reading this, Sue

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May 5th News

admin May 19th, 2008

Hello again everyone. Time I put fingers to the keyboard and sent out a bit of news I think. Before I start can I welcome new comers and explain that yes I do collect email addresses when people take the time to write to me and I then try to send out an email at least monthly with some news about council related matters. So if this is your first email from me welcome to the group but please remember if you don’t want to be included simply reply and insert the word ‘remove’ in the subject line. No I won’t take offence as I realise that not every one wants to hear from me regularly.

So what has been happening in Council? It seems we are as busy as ever but that meetings agenda’s don’t seem very full or are not yet full of new and interesting policy related items or controversial developments etc. I think that we are all working to finalise our Council structure and get everyone comfortable in their seats. By this I mean both staff and Councillors. It has been a huge exercise bringing 4 Councils together and I must give thanks to Andrew Brien who quietly and with little fuss seems to have managed to keep things ticking along very well.

I personally want to see the CEO position finalised and some more tweaking and adjusting done to our Councillor portfolios asap. Yes Council decided to advertise for a CEO so that process will have to be completed before I feel ‘properly’ settled. Council did decide on the final structure of Council which means some certainty in terms of reporting structures and who does what but until the CEO position is finalised I still personally feel slightly unsettled.

Now everyone has been busy as ever ringing and writing about issues for Councillors to deal with. I haven’t received much correspondence from residents from afar but plenty from Bay residents. If anyone knows of a woman down Doolong South way who rang me about litter from a building site in Doolong Sth road please ask her to call me again. I accidentally deleted her message and feel terrible as I cannot track her number and she must think I’m very, very rude! So please realise I do make mistakes and if you don’t hear from me please try again….

This is the link to familiarise yourselves with what Councillor does what at this point in time. http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/council/councillors.shtml

I have been busy trying to highlight, what in my mind, is an uninformed decision to erect fences around Happy Valley and Eurong to exclude Dingo’s. I have recently spoken with Kingfisher Resort staff who happily tell me of the Dingo’s that frequent that Resort. The Dingo’s have nicknames and have learned many tricks to broach the fence surrounding Kingfisher. A fence that does not do what it was designed to do. I believe the destruction to the environment around both townships and the lack of community consultation and reliance on rumour and innuendo has resulted in a hastily made and very badly implemented plan. I feel so sorry for the townspeople who have tried to argue their case against the fence but so far have failed. Council has formally asked for a meeting with our Local Member Hon Minister Andrew McNamara to discuss the fences and I hope some positives may come out of our meeting.

Of course Traveston is still also an issue and the Greater Mary Assoc have worked tirelessly to keep the media focus on this travesty also.

The issue about Councillor cars is a complex one. I was quite determined to retain my own car as I don’t owe money on it etc but was advised that over 4 years the cost to Council is less not more if I do use a Council car. It is very complicated trying to decipher the information relating to how it is all costed out but as my car is now 7 years old and will be 11 years old in 4 years time I decided to opt for a Prius. It will be interesting to see if this car does live up to the hype of being a ‘green’ car but I look forward to driving around for a thousand k’s or so between fill ups! I will let you know what I think of the car once I get it. I have to keep a log book for 3 months which I am rapidly getting used to and pay back Council for the private travel I do. This was why I didn’t want a Council car but at the end of the day I am travelling many more kilometres than I used to so hopefully my decision is a sensible one for both myself personally and the community.

R.E.S.T. is another complicated issue that was a Maryborough City Council decision prior to amalgamation. As a new Councillor to the FCRC I could find no reason to try and reverse a decision made by the previous Council. While I personally applaud the very hard work and dedication that members of charity organisations provide to our community I also am aware that financial rigour must be applied fairly to such organisations. As a Councillor I must be sure that public monies are expended in a very responsible manner and I support decisions that uphold this principle.

A Tourism Levy has not been raised in Council but the media reported information incorrectly by quoting some comments from some individuals. I hope that our local press can remember to differentiate between a Councillor’s personal comments and opinions and those made by a Councillor speaking as representing Council. There is a big difference and I will ask Council to release prompt press releases to ‘set the record straight’ when needed.

On Saturday Graham and I took a day off and flew over to Lady Elliot Island for the day. This island is right up there as my top holiday spot. We had magnificent calm sunny weather and after hiring ‘shorty’ wetsuits both of us enjoyed 3 snorkels and still had time for a lazy lunch and a quiet afternoon drink and read before flying home. I didn’t spot the elusive Manta Rays but did see two reef sharks and a huge turtle. Every time I visit the island I see something different. The coral and fish life defy description and I highly recommend you take the trip one day soon. I think we take our local attractions too much for granted sometimes. We honestly live in a truly magnificent natural wonderland.

Enough from me. Hope I haven’t bored you and take care.

Friday morning – Happy Easter everyone

admin May 19th, 2008

Phew! It is a relief to finally know that I have been successful in gaining a place as a Councillor on the new Fraser Coast Regional Council. Apparently the outstanding votes are not likely to greatly alter the current positions of the candidates with the only doubt being the 10th place. I am currently in 8th place.

http://election.lgaq.asn.au/electionResults_Fraser%20Coast_C_Fraser%20Coast%20Regional%20Council.html

You can easily copy this across into Excel if you like to sort the results. The week has been a very stressful one for everyone and I am so glad that it is over.

Firstly I would like to send my congratulations to those that have been elected and I am looking forward to working with a majority of women on the new Council, rather than a majority of men! All seven women candidates have been elected.

Secondly. I would like to thank all the unsuccessful candidates for their hard work and the excellent way in which they and all their helpers conducted themselves. It is a shame that we couldn’t have a larger Council as many candidates were worthy of the ‘job’ I feel. I wish Trevor M. and Bob C. all the very, very best for the future as it has always been interesting working along side them. Although we had differences in outlook these gentleman always showed respect and consideration for me and I appreciate that greatly. Good luck guys!

Lastly to all of you. Without your support and interest in your Local Government I am sure that I would not be your representative. I cannot thank you enough. I apologise for the odd hiccup on election day and do wish to reassure you all that I am honest and hard working and will do my very best in the years ahead to represent you fairly and ‘without favour’. Do let me know if you think I am ever misguided or heading down the wrong track. Constructive criticism is always welcomed and a necessary part of growing and learning as we adapt to new circumstances etc.

Newpapers

admin May 19th, 2008

Today I am the target of an inaccurate opinion piece by Nancy in her editorial. Am I surprised? Not in the slightest. Am I annoyed? Yes I am. Nancy is unfair and inaccurate in her statements and I will be asking for a retraction first thing this morning.

Now for the facts.

1 My behaviour is NEVER out of kilter with my ethics. Firstly I don’t peddle nasty unfounded opinions about other people. I do not publicly speak of anything that I am not prepared to say directly to someone face to face. This is my brand of ethics.

2 I don’t knock developers when they develop in sympathy with our Planning Scheme and produce good quality developments. I will never support development which is designed simply to return the biggest profit possible to the developer. I do not want our city to grow in that way.

3 I have only once ever been asked by my fellow Councillors to leave a discussion about a retail development and that discussion was to do with Centro well over a year ago. I did leave the discussion and did not participate in the debate, or vote, for that particular application when it came to Council. Feel free to check the minutes. At other times my fellow Councillors have welcomed my input and my very strong arguments to provide more not less retail development in our city. I supported the extensions to Pialba Place (with reservations due to the design) but because people told me they wanted ‘more shopping choice’. The new Big W is the biggest competitor in town to our own business Mind Games! If I was trying to protect my own business why would I be lobbying against the Planning Scheme that restricts the ability of large retailers to set up shop here? I want more shops not less and have supported all applications for ‘retail shops’ anywhere in the city to my recollection.

4 My colleagues have not directly intimated to me that they are concerned with my conflict of interest so why did they not do this? Who are my colleagues who are complaining? I would like to know. Maybe this comment is as a result of a decision at our last Council Meeting to give delegated authority to the staff, to make a decision on a commercial application at Bay Central, which is across the road from Centro? Maybe the Chronicle is confused and can’t understand the difference between making a decision about how an application is dealt with by Council, and actually making the decision itself? My involvement was simply about a procedural matter NOT about deciding on the extension to the centre, which I would most likely support anyway! Maybe this perceived ‘conflict of interest’ (according to Nancy) arose because the Mayor Ted Sorrenson wrote to the Acting CEO asking that the decision on this application be made by staff and not be brought to the public arena at a full Council or DSC meeting. Myself and Cr Belinda McNeven both thought that the application should be decided by Council so both of us voted against the recommendation. All this is recorded in the Council minutes on Council web site. To put it simply, all the other Councillors wanted the application to be decided by the staff and I. along with Cr McNeven, thought that this was inappropriate and voted accordingly.

5 The blog that Nancy refers to published peoples opinions about other people just as Nancy is doing herself in her editorial today. I agree that some of the published material is unflattering but much of it was accurate. I have information about Council that is private and personal and I am duty bound by Law to respect confidentiality. I have never broken that confidentiality via any web site anywhere.

6 The reporter when interviewing me last week did not ask me if I had posted to the blog site anonymously. On this web site I declared that my very FIRST postings were under a pseudonym called ‘babbling’ as I was defending information written about myself on the blog. What I do like about the Internet is that we can say what we like unedited, as I am doing here. I contributed to the strewth blog site when I knew that information being posted was incorrect and I will maintain that attitude and continue to do so. Do we shoot the messenger when we don’t like the message?

7 May I enquire as to whether the editor feels that she is defaming me via her editorial today?

8 If anyone should learn to ‘walk the talk’ it is not myself!

Please find here extracts direct from the Council Minutes and Agenda. All available via Council web site!

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting No. 3 held on Wednesday 27 February 2008

ORD 10 OFFICERS’ REPORTS

ORD 10.5 Application for Development Permit for a Material Change of Use for Shops and Offices - CRI Australia Pty Ltd C/- Ken Hicks and Associates - Located at 135-143 Boat Harbour Drive; 7 and 15 Central Avenue; 6, 8, 12 and 14 Bay Drive; and 122 Beach Road, Urraween

MOVED ( Campbell / Dalgleish )

That:

1. Council delegate its power to determine development application 513/3-

071176 to the Acting Chief Executive Officer under section 472 of the

Local Government Act.

2. The register of delegation be updated to record this specific delegation.

AMENDMENT ( McNeven / Brooks )

That:

1. Council delegate its power to determine development application 513/3- 071176 to the Acting Chief Executive Officer under section 472 of the Local Government Act.

2. The register of delegation be updated to record this specific delegation.

3. Any planning issues or conflicts with Planning Scheme Policies that arise in the assessment process will cause the application to be brought to Council for determination.

The AMENDMENT was PUT and LOST (1/7). Upon a Division being called the following voting resulted:

FOR: Councillor McNeven

AGAINST: Councillor McDonald

Councillor MucKan

Counicllor Brooks

Councillor Kruger

Councillor Sorensen

Councillor Campbell

Councillor Dalgleish

The MOTION was PUT and CARRIED (6/2). Upon a Division being

called the following voting resulted:

FOR: Councillor McDonald

Councillor MucKan

Councillor Kruger

Councillor Sorensen

Councillor Campbell

Councillor Dalgleish

AGAINST: Councillor McNeven

Councillor Brooks

Letter I sent to the editor last week

admin May 19th, 2008

The editorial (FCC 5-3-08) poses some interesting questions about the use and circulation of information in our modern age. As a Librarian, finding and using information was my livelihood for many years. I recall however a moment when I was much younger, sitting in my classroom at school. I realised that the history text book I was studying, had been written by someone who had never lived in the times being discussed.

It was on that day that my life changed because from that day on I realised that nearly every single thing I ever read is someone’s opinion. Yes we have science and maths text that teach us ‘factual’ information (we are quite sure that the earth does revolve around the sun for instance) but the bulk of the millions and millions of words I will consume in my life time are simply ‘opinion’. Two people writing about the same event will describe it differently. Let’s not forget what was once written eg ‘the world is flat’!

Newspapers, magazines and web sites have that in common. Newspapers select and edit the letters that they receive and journalists interpret the words I say or the events that they witness in their own individual way. Not always accurately I might add.

The Internet has empowered more and more people to be heard. As long as we remember we are reading opinions and that we continue to treat each other with respect, it is a brave new world we are entering. Let’s not condemn the medium as easy communication across the seas and quick access to information is also very useful and empowering.

The newspaper versus blog wars!

admin May 19th, 2008

Well today the newspaper greeted us with the headline about the demise of Strewth!

My thoughts. I agree that the blog did target individuals and that sometimes the personal attacks were ‘gutless’. I refrain from that activity but would love the chance to speak my mind about the behaviour I have observed of people I mix with both privately and professionally. Wouldn’t we all! But if you want to criticise someone put your money where you mouth is and speak up without a cloak of anonymity. If you are being critical of an organisation and not personally attacking someone I think anonymity is sometimes the only way to express yourself if you want to remain employed. Much bad behaviour is ‘legal’ so it is a difficult line to balance upon.

So to today. I believe we have an example of the pot calling the kettle black. Yes Strewth! stooped to some very low points at times but it also increased debate and I am sure some people learned from it. If nothing else we all learned that humans do seem to have an appetite for ‘gossip’. I personally received some positive comments but also took a beating when I tried to explain how I operate in terms of preparing for Council meetings. The fact that I come to a meeting having read the report and researched the topic and with a point of view already made and arguments and questions ready to be asked and debated upset several bloggers! Apparently I should turn up and listen to everyone else and THEN make up my mind. How can I argue and debate if I don’t have a point of view first as a base for discussion… But I won’t start that debate again here.

Now the newspaper today tells us that the site was cowardly, vicious and malicious among lots of other negative adjectives. I can agree with that but also would add that it obviously was a forum for debate which many people were keen to use. Unlike the newspaper everyone had fair and equal opportunity to defend or correct anything that was posted there. In my opinion, our FCC publishes anonymous content also. Some examples are ‘The Squid,’ ‘Fast news,’ ‘SMS to Ed’, Brickbats and Bouquets’ ‘Letters to the Editor’ and leading news stories that don’t include the writers name! I have personally been quoted incorrectly within the FCC. After seeing my words in quotation marks, after a Council Meeting, I returned to Council and enquired as to the actual recording and minutes of the meeting. I simply didn’t use the words attributed to me.

Letters to the Editor are edited and selected. So all the letters sent in aren’t printed and those that are can have big chunks taken out, which shouldn’t alter the context but sometimes does. Names and addresses aren’t checked and I have heard of people regularly writing under pseudonyms. Our prolific local writer John Neve didn’t ever stop writing to the editor but after posting on the blog site he suddenly was never heard of again via the Letters page! Is this prejudice and bias at work? The daily editorial often is simply no more than the writer’s personal opinion. It should simply be headed ‘opinion’ and I would not have a problem with it. I do however have a problem when members of our community take the Editorial as accurate information. I am always concerned that in this day and age with everything revolving around money and profit, our papers and the media as a whole, has lost its purpose. I was raised to believe that the text books I learned from at school and the information printed in the media was ‘true’. It took me a while to realise that no, what is written in the media and in books is more often ‘opinion’. Two people witnessing an event will describe it differently. So for me, every time I read the paper I still want to believe that what I am reading is true but I have to remind myself that it is only opinion. Not much better or worse than anything you can read on the Internet or anywhere else. I love the Internet as it is a tool for quick and easy communication practically anywhere in the world. It is the biggest encyclopaedia ever created, with information freely available to those with access. Just remember to use it with caution as we should do with every book, magazine and newspaper and TV show that we read or watch.

Now to the story today about me. My hats off to Jessica as she has done quite a good job. I also understand that her story that she writes is subject to an editorial process so may be altered even though it has her name attributed to it. Yes Jessica and I met last Monday, and she asked me many questions including questions about Strewth!. I did say that ‘All’s fair in love and war and the cyberspace’. I would however qualify that remark by saying the use of the Internet for illegal activity is abhorrent to me. I didn’t make the comment at the time but this is my true belief. I was not a ‘regular’ contributor to Strewth! as is reported. I contributed when needed to try and correct inaccurate or incorrect information that I was aware of personally. I was never asked if I contributed to Strewth! anonymously, (and yes I was expecting the question) and would have replied that yes, in the early days I used the alias “Babbling’ as someone had described me thus. I then decided to be up front and used my name for further posts.

My email list is between 200-300 people and anyone can be included or opt out of it. I try to send out info about Council and ask for feedback. This is time consuming for me but I feel that it is a good cheap and quick way to communicate with residents and better do my job of representing them. My comments about defamation were in response to being asked if I thought that the site author(s) could be caught or charged with defamation. The picture of me that is used for the story is when I was trying to highlight the dangers of more and more high rise along our foreshore. It was taken before I was elected over 2 years ago (in winter) and is in front of the Bay apartments while they were under construction. An interesting choice of picture I think.

So at the end of the day I believe that blogs have a place. I prefer them to be hosted by someone prepared to use their name but I would only criticise a blog if every newspaper in the land decided to tell ‘the truth’ unedited and accurately and this simply does not happen. Even our ‘free’ newspapers have to make money so they have to advertise. These advertisers wield power and can be favoured by the paper. It is all a murky world and information now is reduced to short stories in short paragraphs with very few words. As you can see I am never short of a word or two or three. I am personally not perfect. I have many, many flaws. I sometimes drive too fast and have received a speeding fine or two in past years (although advancing age has seen me a much more sedate driver these days), my house is a total mess and I have no idea how my cleaner survives, I talk too much and interrupt people (although I know I do this I find it very hard to stop), I am not married but live happily with my partner Graham. Both my kids have had good times and bad and I love them to pieces no matter what, I forget to return calls to my friends but always try to return calls to residents, (my poor neglected friends…), and I have made bad judgements in my past. I still make mistakes but have learned to front up and own up. Life is much happier I find when one can own up when we get it wrong. But I am truthful and try to do more good things in the world than bad! I don’t care less if anyone ever remembers me when I am gone. I do what I can now while I am here and want to help my community and my planet, not hurt it.

Lastly. This is all my opinion and is my version of events. I write it and believe what I say to be true. Take care and remember that this is my own opinion and not to be construed in any way to be the opinion or in any other way related to Hervey Bay City Council.

Stop Press. Son (or daughter) of strewth is born it seems. http://strewthreloaded.wordpress.com/ and now another one http://bringbackstrewth.wordpress.com/

Cheers, Sue

Now for some much needed relief

admin May 19th, 2008

CHECK FOR ALZHEIMERS

The following was developed as a mental age assessment by the School of Psychiatry at Harvard University .

Take your time and see if you can read each line aloud without a mistake. The average person over 40 years of age cannot do it!

1. This is this cat.
2. This is is cat.
3. This is how cat.
4. This is to cat.
5. This is keep cat.
6. This is an cat.
7. This is old cat.
8. This is fart cat.
9. This is busy cat.
10. This is for cat.
11. This is forty cat.
12. This is seconds cat.

Now go back and read the third word in each line from the top down…

I betcha’ you cannot resist passing it on.

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My speech for candidate’s evenings

admin May 19th, 2008

I was once a Primary School teacher and then went back to Uni, after having my two children, and qualified as a Librarian. I grew up in Victoria, where I lived in both the city and the country. I moved to Bundaberg in 1993, where I met Graham and together we moved to Darwin for 4.5 years where I managed the main Casuarina library. I moved here over 9 years ago now and adore living at Dundowran Beach just a little bit outside Hervey Bay. There were no traffic lights back then and I was considered to live ‘out of town’. My don’t things change fast! I became interested in becoming a Councillor when I felt that our coast was in danger of becoming another Gold Coast. This still worries me greatly. I don’t want to live the ‘big city’ lifestyle.

I want to preserve and protect our natural environment but just as importantly I would like us to move towards building a sustainable economy. An economy that embraces the skills and knowledge of residents throughout our entire community.

If we look to the future we can provide only so much water and develop so much land, before we run out of these natural resources. Population cannot continue to grow and grow and grow forever. Our new Council must ensure we have strict controls placed on development approvals and that we don’t let development compromise our natural environment and water ways. Sensible road networks must be planned for now.

Over the last 2 years I have learned a lot and believe I have the skills needed to try and influence change, especially within our Planning Schemes, and within our policies, to ensure that our Council delivers what the community wants. I do remember however, that working within Council is a team effort. We must all remember that it is not Council’s job to tell you what is good for you it is your job to tell your Council what is good for you!

I want much less red tape and I want our Council to ‘get back to the basics’. I want sensible decisions to be based on common sense and good old fashioned excellent customer service. I don’t believe that our community demands more than it used to. I think we all simply expect decent service and decent facilities and that our Government doesn’t waste our money! I believe that we deserve to receive excellent services no matter where we live.

I want Council to treat everyone with care. It isn’t enough to turn up to Council meetings and simply vote on the reports that the staff provide for us. Councillors must be proactive and progress change. If our Laws and our legislation don’t provide the outcomes we want then we must change them. I believe I have developed the skills needed to progress changes within the Council structure. In Council meetings I often put motions and amendments forward for consideration. A motion, such as the recent Council Traveston Dam submission, which thankfully was supported by the majority of our Councillors, was a recent example.

I promise to do my very best if elected to our new Council. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes but I always try my best to do a good job!

I am confident that if we all work together we will ensure our Fraser Coast region stays the happiest place in Australia!

Too Gossip or Not to Gossip

admin May 19th, 2008

Well these last few weeks have been interesting as more and more people log onto Strewth http://strewth.wordpress.com/ for their daily update on mainly Council focussed issues. What do I think of Strewth I am frequently asked. Firstly I absolutely love the net. Being a Librarian and a person with what other people have kindly described as ‘an enquiring mind’ (although the term ‘nosey’ has also been used,) I enjoy the ability to find out stuff from anywhere and everywhere at the click of a mouse. I love being able to chat in real time to my kids when they are overseas. I love the ability to communicate with friends and strangers. Yes I even like email.

I have always understood that information found on the net may not be true. This is also very true of books and newspapers. A book contains information written by someone and the information contained within the pages of a book is only a record of what a particular author believes or wants to tell us! I can remember being quite young at school and suddenly realising that what was written between the covers of my school text may not necessarily be true. Newspapers are a business venture and depend on advertising to make a profit. The information found in a newspaper is influenced by the forces of the mighty dollar and is also always a journalists or reporters interpretation of an interview or an event. There is much excellent reporting and wonderful articles reproduced in newspapers but there is also inaccuracy and misquoting and manipulation of the truth. I have personally experienced that. Even words in ‘quotation marks’ having been reportedly spoken by myself at a Council meeting have been wrong. I know this because I checked the Council minutes which come directly from the audio tape of our meetings. Television simply uses the tricks of the editing process to alter comments and this can produce an inaccurate version of events.

So where do we find the truth these days? Here on my site I write my own stuff! Warts and all and typos included. I tell anyone who wants to listen to my version of events and my opinions etc. If anyone wants to contact me directly they can and I will be more direct when corresponding one on one. The rules of defamation and Council confidentiality stay at the front of my mind and I attempt to always stay within the bounds of decency. I tell the truth but it is you, the reader, who has to decide if what I say is true!

Strewth is different because the people that write and comment are anonymous. Many people say this is a gutless way to communicate. I agree to a point. When I worked for the State Govt a condition of my employment was that I could not speak to the media. When one is employed it is very difficult to be critical of that employer and retain ones job! At the end of the day a mortgage and a family to feed lays heavily on ones mind! So what do you do when you see injustice around you? Society is quick to condemn and whistle blower protection is not for all!

So maybe the fact that on Strewth anyone can say whatever they like and hide behind anonymity is an outlet for expression that has value. I personally worry that if I comment on strewth I am either encouraging ‘gossip’ or will be criticised for participating in a ‘disgusting hurtful gossip’ column. But it disturbs me when I can see people writing stuff that I know to be incorrect and I want to ‘give my opinion’ on certain matters. So I leave it to you. Feel free to let me know what you think.

For now I will take a line of least resistance and post my own thoughts here. Yes a blog is a free for all but I don’t like publicly made accusations remaining unanswered so from time to time you will see me comment directly on strewth.

I nominated for Council because I feared that the future of my city was in the hands of people who were very pro development. I also decided I had skills that were useful and that I could possibly ‘make a difference’. I detest lies and untruths but I love a chat and always try to find out the ‘truth of the matter’. If someone talks to me my first instinct is always to believe them. If however I find they have misled me I will never ever trust them again! I will maintain a professional working respectful relationship with such people but trust will be lacking ever after. Time and life experience means that I trust my judgments and feel confident that I get it right more often than I get it wrong!

If you care to read a bit more there is information further below this letter that will give you an insight to my thoughts about WBW, the Planning Scheme and our CEO! If you want my opinion on other issues and concerns or you wish me to raise issues within Council please don’t hesitate to contact me directly. I will respond to anonymous contact also!

Cheers, Sue

And lastly I think this may make you smile…

Engineers Patrick and Seamus ( Dublin mechanical engineers) were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking up. A woman walked by and asked what they were doing. We’re supposed to find the height of the flagpole,” said Patrick “but we don’t have a ladder.” The woman took a wrench from her purse, loosened a few bolts, and laid the pole down. Then she took a tape measure from her pocket, took a measurement, announced, “5 metres,” and walked away. Seamus shook his head and laughed. “Ain’t that just like a blonde! We ask for the height and she gives us the length!”

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Hello world!

admin May 8th, 2008

Welcome to the blog of Sue Brooks!

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