Circus Animals and other topics
Sue Brooks June 1st, 2010
Tomorrow Council will consider several options in relation to allowing Circuses that use exotic animals, to perform here. Many other Councils have put a stop to circuses that use animals such as lions and elephants etc and I personally believe this is a good thing. I don’t think animals should be kept in cages and travelled around the countryside purely as entertainment for humans and I like to think our society is developing a much more humane attitude to the treatment of all animals. But tomorrow is decision day so feel free to peruse the report on the Council agenda and let me know what you think. http://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/web/guest/ordinary-meetings
The other important item for discussion tomorrow is our Draft Sustainability Charter. This is an important document as it sets out our aspirations and implementation strategies in relation to developing a more sustainable Fraser Coast. Comment on this document is also encouraged.
Other items include minutes from the Economic Development Advisory Committee, an admin building at the Showgrounds and delegations for the new Development and Community Services Committee.
Lastly it was great to see the Hervey Bay Pier featured on Sunrise this morning. So good to see our whales and our wonderful Fraser Coast weather so very well presented. Cheers, Sue
- Council related issues
- Comments(11)
My fear is that if all councils ban these circuses, what will happen to these animals? Presumably they will have to be put down, which surely is worse than how they are treated now? Maybe? Maybe not? Maybe a plan to phase them out via natural attrition may be worthy of investigation instead.
Of course the bigger issue is where all this will end? Will we next ban greyhound racing because these dogs are ‘kept in cages and travelled around the countryside purely as entertainment for humans’? Then what’s next? Ban bird shows? Will council force me to kill all my racing pigeons? Is this just the beginning of the end?
In fairness to Emily, racing pigeons and bird shows aren’t what’s in question here. Council has three options, ban exotic animal shows on Council land, referr the issue to another authority or, do nothing. I would go with the recommendations from Ipswich & the RSPCA and follow suit with the 33 other councils and ban them.
There is talk of a hovercraft coming to Hervey Bay and that it has council approval.
Is this so, what of an environment impact study? Wonder why their not else where?
Run over the tidal flats, seagrass areas and wader bird feeding sites. Very interested to here your comments and that of council. Thanks
We are already over governed and over regulated. The last thing we need is council telling us what type of entertainment we can and can’t watch.
I am disappointed it was even discussed by council in the first place as I am sure there are far more important issues to consider.
Hopefully one day we will see this kind of cruelty and other kinds of cruelty banned. Unnecessary cruelty to animals, whether it is Japanese whaling in Australian waters, the torture of kittens or dragging elephants up and down the highway to perform tricks is wrong – good on you Sue.
Hi Frank. Can you explain where exactly the Japanese are whaling in Australian waters? If you are referring to the Australian Antarctic Territory, or the Australian Whale Sanctury, are you aware that Australia’s claim to sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory is recognised by just 4 out of 195 countries in the world. They are the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Norway. Japan does not recognise this claim, neither do another 190 countries around the world.
Emily,
Do I take it from your post that you support the hunting of Whales?
Regarding recognition of Australia’s claim on the Antartic,
most of the countries have no interest in the place, they just don’t care. There are a lot of people who do not recognise your or my ownership of this country!!!
As for racing pigeons!! I doubt you could beat me over 100 metres.
Hi Emily,
Yes Australia’s claim to the Antarctic teritory is not universally recognised – neither is a whale’s right to roam the open seas, the scientific worth of Japan’s whale carcass research, or the ethics of taking an animal from the wide open planes of Africa, stuffing her in a cage on a truck and pushing her out into a tent on the Pialba Seafront Oval to perfrom tricks. My point was not one of international law or territorial disputes but one of the morality of treating animals cruelly for base human amusement.
Sadman, no I don’t specifically support the hunting of whales, but I have made a point of finding out the both sides of the story. Let me explain. Let’s say your house and land back onto a large vacant block of land, and every weekend local kids ride around that block on their trail bikes. You are annoyed by this practice, so you approach the kids and tell them that you have decided to declare that any land that is 200 metres from your back fence is now a Trail Bike Sanctury (TBS) and that they are now prohibited to ride their trailbikes in that sanctury. Do you think the kids will obey you, or will they laugh at you and continuing what they were doing?
Now this is what the Japs think the Aussies are doing. Firstly they don’t even recognise that the Antarctic Territory is part of Australia, and secondly they don’t recognise the Whale Sanctury – which makes sense if you think about it – because how can they claim a sanctury on waters adjacent to land you don’t even know?
So what I’m saying, is that the first example I gave you about the trailbikes makes more legitimate sense to the Japanese whalers than what Australia is trying to enforce on them. Why do you think Mr Rudd has been so slow to take action in the International Court? Because he knows the case will be laughed out of court. He was only trying to please the greenies and the tree-huggers by showing that he was “doing something”.
Now back to the trail bike example once again, add this to the mix – a group from greenpeace try to stop the trail bike riders by throwing acid in their faces, set up boobie traps, and try to push sticks into their wheel spokes in an attempt to send them away. Who do you think will get in trouble? The kids, or the greenies?
Emily,
Frankly while it’s a good story, I see little in you bike scene that impacts on whale hunting of the Antartic!!
More to the point, Australia’s claim on part of the Antartic is a supportable as our European ancestors claim on what we now call Australia. Are you telling us you live here illegally?
Sadman
Don’t let the animal libbers win! The RSPCA has been taken over by them.
I reported cruelty to them, they only came when threatened with the media and they did nothing. Just a few puppies, no media mileage there.
Yes, by all means make sure these animals a well looked after, but banning them.
Some not so common sense please!