8 COLLIE RIVER VALLEY BULLETIN, JANUARY 26, 2023 SEDDON on THURSDAY
TTTTTTTT TTTTTTTT with Zoe Hawks
Country kids in the big city
LLLLLLL EEEEEE
JJJJJ’’ ’’’’’’’’
Boat exclusion areas needed at Stockton
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WITH the horrors of the Gold Coast helicopter crash and the more recent Mandurah estuary boating tragedy still fresh in our minds, we recently ventured to Stockton Lake. We watched family members enjoy cliff jumping and swimming in a delightful water paradise. Listening to the roaring boat and jetski motors dampened the enjoyment considerably, but the sight of boats roaring within metres of stranded skiers, paddlers and some of the more adventurous swimmers, frankly filled us with dread. Surely the prospect of human error
and/or a moment’s distraction by a boat skipper is an obvious recipe for another water disaster. If Lake Kepwari and Glen Mervyn Dam are insufficient to cater for those with the need for speed, the minimum requirement at Stockton Lake must surely be for a clearly defined exclusion zone for swimmers and paddlers to use, similar to Lake Kepwari. Otherwise, we won’t be encouraging our nine-year-old grandson back there.
I CAN understand why some members of the police force are resigning, and unfortunately some are taking their own lives. I went to boarding school back in the 1960s. House rules and school rules were not to be disobeyed. If I did, and on many occasions I did, I was given the appropriate punishment - six of the best! No problem with that. My mother agreed that I should be brought up according to what was at that time acceptable and appropriate punishment. There was no “we will suspend the sentence”, “we will let him off on bail if mum pays the school an appropriate fee, so he could probably do the same thing again”, or “we will let him off on parole and only give him four of the six of the best instead of the full amount”. Back then, you got what you deserved if you broke the rules. There were no questions - do as you are told or accept the consequence. So what has gone wrong in this mod-
ern “cotton wool” society we live in? There should be no parole, no bail, no suspended sentences. Let those in supposed incarceration realise that if they had behaved correctly in the first place, they would not be there. Politicians have the power to change the rules in relation to criminal behaviour and the subsequent punishment. It is about time they acted on our public concern and upped the ante to keep perpetrators off the streets. If this is done, police may be happy with what they have achieved in bringing criminals to justice, knowing that they will be dealt with and not let out on the streets to recommit. There would be no mass resignations, and they would be satisfied their work is acknowledged.
Rob Walton Collie
Crime, punishment and police
Clive Lancaster 55 Rose Road, Collie
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JODIE HANNS, Member for Collie-Preston, reports...
to nominees
CONGRATULATIONS to those nominated for this year’s Shire of Collie Australia Day Awards. The Collie community is lucky to have a long list of individuals and groups who contribute to our wonderful town. I HOPE everyone has seen the notices about my office moving temporarily, while we undergo necessary renovations. People who visit us with wheelchairs, mobility aids and people with prams have a difficult time getting in the door without assistance, and we are pleased local builder JILA Riley will soon start work to ensure our entry and foyer meets accessibility standards. Our temporary office is at the Chamber of Commerce building where we are open Mondays and Thursdays between 9am to 4.30pm and also by email and phone during normal office hours. DID you know since the McGowan Government launched Containers for Change, two years ago, 1.67 billion containers have been saved from landfill. If you’re enjoying a coldie on the public holiday, keep in mind this Saturday, January 28, is Empties Day. On Empties Day you can choose to do good for the environment and your own community by donating the refund to a local charity or community group. THE summer holidays have disappeared in a flash and families are organising themselves for back to school. This year my back to school preparations involve getting my daughter ready for commencing university study. If your young person is choosing TAFE this year, be sure to check the courses available as part of the government’s “Free in ’23” initiative across more than 100 qualifications and skill sets. Our local Jobs and Skills Centre team in Collie is ready and willing to assist with information on many career and training pathways. Contact them at Collie TAFE until they move into the old Tosca’s building in Forrest Street.
THERE is no better reminder of your country town origins than a trip to the city. My friends and I discovered this at the weekend. We recently celebrated some 18th birthdays within our group, so it seemed like the perfect time for us to spend a weekend in Perth. First reminder of our country origins came on the freeway. To this point, our trip had been relatively uneventful. The birthday girl was driving and was directed from the passenger seat. We were in the far right lane, flying past the other cars on the road. I glanced over our driver’s shoulder, thinking, “wow, she’s really living on the edge today”. The speedo was above 100kmh. Our navigator finally spoke up, “You do know it’s 80, right?” “Great, that speed camera just flashed you,” our navigator added. So, that’s how we arrived in the city, a combination of laughs and grimaces as we pondered how big the fine would be. Our air-conditioned hotel was a welcome sight as we trekked from the car park, laden with luggage. All we had to do was make it to the fifth floor. Shouldn’t be too hard. Seven of us piled into the elevator, patiently waiting for the elevator’s movement. I pressed five again, although it didn’t light up or show any indication of life. Eventually we figured out we needed to use our room key. We put it in the slot and pressed five. Nothing. At this point, we are all talking over each other with suggestions of how exactly the card needs to be used. “Put it in, quickly take it out, press five;” “Press five, put it in 10 times, press five again;” “Turn the card upside down, swipe, turn it 90 degrees, swipe, press five.” By some miracle we eventually made it to our room and decided to relieve our stress at the pool. Our room was directly across the hall from the elevator, so we thought we could quickly jump in with our towels and go straight to the pool. Sigh. If only it was that easy. All signs said the pool was on level 13. No problem, except the elevator only went as high as level eight. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that we were in the east tower and the pool was in the west. Shortly after, we found ourselves searching the hotel lobby looking for any sign of the elusive west tower. The birthday girl had opted to forgo clothes over her bathers and had created a makeshift dress with her towel. It was a great look as we wandered aimlessly among classy businessmen. Our next consideration was that maybe the pool was in an entirely separate building and we needed to walk onto the city streets to find it. Thankfully, before we made that decision we thought to check around one last corner. I would like to blame the hotel for having poor layout and signage, but I think that perhaps our errors were evidence of country kids in the city.
