A Busy week
Sue Brooks August 14th, 2010
Howard Progress Association – Monday evening saw us at the Howard Progress Association. A well conducted meeting and residents thankful for improved communication with and the activities of Council locally. Several questions were raised including queries about entrance signs, rating categories, mulch surviving the wet weather etc. Information was provided to the president in the following days in response and I wish to congratulate the residents on their progressive attitude and for their hard work in raising funds for their local community. Council is hoping to use community newsletters such as the highly successful Burrum River News to improve its communication with residents across the region. But don’t forget to subscribe to the Council enews also.
Meet the candiates Tuesday evening saw a poor turnout to listen to all the Federal candidates for Hinkler at USQ. I was impressed and surprised with the Greens candidate who was articulate and down to earth sensible. I was upset with the Family First candidate whose grasp on what it means to be a ‘non traditional family’ left me cold. He simply recited a series of beliefs with no evidence of how the Family First party would ever be able to implement any of their policies. I was a single mum for a time and have children who survived bumpy patches but are now living successful lives so I don’t enjoy hearing my own family being labelled as somehow insufficient or undesirable. Paul and Belinda recited party rhetoric mostly, but I was pleased to hear Belinda speak passionately about issues like abortion and the proposed Aldershot mine. Paul spoke more negatively as per party lines and promised more money for yet more studies….. but he doesn’t seem to be slowing down with age and sounds keen to carry on. I think by the time I reach 70 years of age I will be putting my feet up! Maybe I am slightly biased but I want to hear what politicians can actually do for my neighbours and I, rather than a repeated litany of how everyone else is terrible and they are the best!
Council meeting and Aldershot Mine
On Wednesday Council did decide to reduce the footpath dining fees as a result of queries from Maryborough based businesses among other things. Council is undertaking drainage works on the Hervey Bay foreshore and a long list of resolutions to be discussed at the upcoming LGAQ Confernece were discussed. All the minutes are available on the Council web site so feel free to check them out for more details.
I attended the AADAM meeting in Aldershot on Wednesday evening and yet again was totally impressed with the hard work being undertaken by the residents to demonstrate the negative impacts of the proposed coal mine on their back doorstep. A very progfessional and sobering DVD has been made and I expect that the group will pop it up onto facebook for everyone to see. I can’t see enough economic benefit to our region to support this mine. Jobs will be few and far between for locals and at what cost? The proximity of the site to Aldershot and the RAMSAR listed Great Sandy Strait and the wonderful natural ecosystems found on the site combine to make one wonder if any corner of our planet will be preserved and saved from the hungry jaws of the mining machines and the need for more of us.
A night at the Opera
Graham and I attended The Merry Widow at the Brolga on Wednesday evening. This Opera Queensland performance with a live orchestra was superb. The Opera was in English which made it very easy to follow the story and the beautiful costumes and staging complimented an entirely talented cast. Well done to all the sponsors and our Governments for enabling regional dwellers to experience such a wonderful evening out.
Fishing Zones
Lastly I am receiving a hammering about a comment I made via email to a group of recreational fisher people. My comment was along the lines of the opposition to ‘no fishing zones’ generally speaking but primarily to the focus in this election of fisherpeople saying that they will only vote for the party that promises not to close any areas for fishing.
I tried to argue that I only support closures based on scientific evidence based research, but that I do believe the ocean should be treated like the land and have some areas preserved or kept free of fishing like we do on land by way of National Parks. My inbox lit up with an influx of passionate opinions against anything that stops recreational fisher people from fishing. This disappointed me and I do believe there are many fisher people out there that can see the benefit of protecting some areas of our waterways into the future. This morning as I walked my beach I saw 18 boats out on the water. When I moved here 13 odd years ago there would probably have been less boats. If in another 10 years there are 40 odd boats and so on and so on, how will we ever find fish to catch? But some recreational fisher people tell me that there would be heaps of fish for them if the Commercial fishers were more restricted. I don’t agree with this argument entirely. I believe we all should take responsibility and demand our governments undertake proper research and listen to the locals about their experiences. Only then can we make informed and sensible decisions to ensure the ocean is full of fish for generations to come.
The sun is shining it is too nice to be stuck inside so enjoy your weekend and maybe I will see you at the Walk Against Warming tomorrow. Cheers, Sue
- General News
- Comments(1)
Re Fishing Zones
Unfortunately Sue has not stated the truth here.
I do not comment on blogs as a rule, but I do feel obliged to correct intentional misinformation when it involves myself.
The emails started from a circulated email that discussed voting for a party that put a moratorium on implementation of Green zones until genuine consultation with stakeholders was conducted and based on good science, not based on lobbying from foreign multinational radical lobby groups and poor science.
Sue’s inbox lit up because of her objection to people who agreed that decisions SHOULD be based on good science and consultation. It did not light up, as Sue stated above, because people wanted to vote for a party that promised no Green Zones. This was pointed out to Sue at the time. Sue has chosen to ignore that and again imply that Anglers are totally against Marine Parks.
Sue did not just make “a comment” but made a number of accusations about Sunfish [and recreational fishers in general] and when corrected made no attempt to apologize.
Sue chose to ignored any science or data that conflicted with her opinion. She referred to the term “Precautionary Principle” but used it inappropriately and apparently without knowledge of its true meaning. Sue refused to acknowledge that her interpretation was wrong.
Sue made a number of comments stating that she would still want large areas closed off to everybody even when good science showed no threats.
The point was made that Marine Parks are about protecting areas from serious threats not managing fisheries. Recreational fishing has been recognized as posing minimal to no threat to the important ecological values in the Fraser Area for Further Assessment. Yet Sue, and people like Sue, want to see recreational fishing shut down in these areas without the Marine Park legislation addressing the real threats to the marine ecology.
Sue continues to raise the conflict issues of recreational vs commercial fishing as if this somehow supports her argument for closures.The point was also made to Sue that debate should be focused on the type of fishing apparatus used and not the user.
If you want to manage marine parks, manage marine parks. If you want to manage fisheries then manage fisheries. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that stopping fishing is all that it takes to manage a marine park.
I am not sure about the relevance of 18 boats and 13 years ago that Sue refers to. Over 20 years ago I was in one boat in a group of over 100 boats in front of where Sue lives now. Winter whiting are still plentiful.
I have also asked Sue to call a public forum in her role as Councillor with the Environment portfolio to discuss issues relating to marine parks and closures as well as to discuss the possibility of a recreational fishing licence. I look forward to that forum.
Regards
Randal McLellan