Black Dog Ride

By Kirra Livingstone

SOME 270 motorbike riders from across the Sunshine Coast ventured to the Beerwah Sportsground to take part in the Black Dog one dayer 160km ride around the hinterland, raising roughly $15,000.

The event took place on March 19 across the country in 55 towns. It takes place every year on the third Sunday of March with the aim of raising money and awareness for depression.

Although they are still counting how much money they raised, ride coordinators Sandra and Donna said they were very happy with the amount so far.

“We want to thank the community for their support and great efforts throughout the ride, and we also wanted to thank all the schools who made and put-up artwork to support us,” they said.

Ride coordinator Sandra commented on the importance of having mental health days, especially those that allows you to go on a motorbike ride.

“It’s absolutely important to have days like this, and to bring the community in too, going past all the shops that had their signs up, it’s absolutely amazing,” she said.

“That community support, it just helps bring these issues to light and that’s really our biggest aim that we raise awareness, and nothing beats riding a motorbike while doing it.”

The range of bikes on the day including many Harley Davidsons’, a few Indian Motorcycles’, a few Victorys’, a gold Hayabusa, a few trikes and many more bike brands.

If you or a friend, need support, please contact Lifeline anytime on 131114 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300659467.

Discovery Tour

Got that sinking feeling

After Tuesday’s big announcement on the manufacture and purchase of nuclearpowered submarines please take some time to think ahead as to when they will be delivered and the costs.

The latest delivery in the 2040s most of the crew have not yet started school and even with the 2030 delivery, the crew will not have left high school in 2023

Most of our politicians and senior ADF personnel who make such decisions on our behalf will have either left our mortal coil or be searching for a place in a nursing home. Our youngest member of present Parliament as of today will be in their 50s.

With the increasing threat of Illegal migrants arriving by unseaworthy boats would it not be more prudent to locally manufacture high speed patrol boats and aircraft to stop attempts of unsafe sea journeys. Isn’t it time we told our politicians that we need better health care, education public transport etc and the funds allocated to submarines would be better spent on such items and not pandering to our war-mongering cynics.

Also, the leaders of our offending neighbourhood countries will not live forever and maybe their successors may like to live in harmony with the rest of the world.

Finally, I would like to apologise to the youth of our country for leaving them such a large debt that may not be paid off even in their lifetime.

William Hyde Beerwah

Check the online price

This is a warning to anybody who does online shopping with Woolworths. Please check the price for catalogue price ad what you actually get charged. On a few occasions I have been charged more than the catalogue price. This week for instance

Bag of Potatoes on catalogue $7.50 price in cart was $9.00 difference of $1.50 Brown Onions catalogue price $2.50 price in my cart was $3.20 difference 70 cents. Imagine the profits Woolworths are ripping us off. I’m just one person no doubt there are many, many more people and if you order on the last day of catalogue you have no way of checking unless you have a hard copy of catalogue. I rang Woolworths and had to wait almost an hour, the person on complaints line just kept me on hold after asking to speak to a supervisor just left me hanging on and I know this because I rang on a home line while still on hold on mobile waiting for a supervisor and actually got the same woman. I told her she was meant to be getting me a supervisor and she made some excuse about waiting for delivery driver. Just be warned.

S. Willmott Beerwah

Exercise in futility

Regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when I look at the destruction of infrastructure and the consumption of resources to build and destroy war machines, I am starting to wonder if my saving plastic objects and glass bottles and conscientiously putting them out for collection each fortnight is a futile exercise. Maybe that stuff can be put towards building our submarines.

Ian Pollock Witta

Voice is a no for me

I refer to the article in the March 14 edition tilted “Voting yes for the Voice” by Jenny Donovan.

Firstly, Jenny I applaud your sentiment. Aboriginals have been treated poorly in the past by the early generations. I think that is a fact we can all agree on. I am an

Australian. Fourth generation. I live in and very much love “our country”. I too would like to see the Aboriginal community do a lot better. I once tried to donate my time to help. But after 18 month of crickets I decided I was simply interfering in a business model.

I have been in business for 37 years and not once, even in my younger year did I ever sign an irrevocable contact with no end date and no details, no matter how much I admired the other party. Why, because it is not logical, it would be just emotion. There is simply no detail, and that spells trouble. And there is this business that if you vote no you’re a racist, what a cliché.

The question everyone should be asking is where is the $30b that “we” already pay is going? Where does that money go?

My belief is that it is an industry that delivers poor outcome for those who need it.

And who will run the voice? Some of the same people who run today’s programs. All it will mean is more money or worse. Why don’t we look at this first.

Take the emotion out it and what have you got? I am not Aboriginal, but I am not a tenant in this country either. It is where I was born, live and will one day die.

You might be tempted to pile on with redneck, racist, white supremacist or proud boy accusations. But keep in mind those arguments have been used so liberally at anyone who has an alternate opinion that they have now worn thin. They will have no effect. I am, you are, we all are, Australians! There may be a better way but the Voice is not it.

If I ever get any real information, I will evaluate it and make up my mind. Until then it is a no for me.