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parliamentarians representing their causes and enough consultation and advisory bodies in place – the most notable being the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA) established in 2019 with the 20222023 budget of close to $ 4.5 billion.

Its team of 1300 is to work closely with indigenous communities to ensure that policies, programs and services address their unique needs.

The purpose is to “enable the self determination and aspirations of First Nations communities. We lead and influence change across government to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples have a say in the decisions that affect them”.

Senator Price asserts that the referendum is a waste of millions, and predicts that a constitutionally Voice to Parliament will lead to High Court challenges. Her concern is similar to former chairman of the Coalition Government’s Indigenous Advisory Council, Warren Mundine, who feared it will divide Australia and considered a voice enshrined in our Constitution as a Trojan Horse where Australians have no control over laws made under The Voice.

Uschi Lang MAREEBA

Questions over varying waste costs

I WAS reading a story in The Express (15/03/23) titled “Stop the abuse, know the State’s levy charge” and was amazed at Cr Kevin Cardew’s comments.

I have been charged a minimum of $5 for a boot full of domestic and recyclable bottles and never had a “free” one cubic metre acceptance at Mareeba or Clohesy River transfer stations in the Mareeba Shire since charging has been collected at the transfer stations’ gates.

I have always paid what has been asked of me, graciously, as we don’t have a garbage collection where I have lived for 30 years.

My neighbours and myself have always taken our rubbish to the transfer stations and now pay at the gate like all other customers.

I recently dropped off three mattresses and two bed bases to the local transfer station. The weighbridge attendant was very apologetic and explained it was “$31 per mattress – used to be $25 however 100 mattresses were brought in one drop-off, hence the price increase. All the same price at $31 however many mattresses the customers have”.

I was in contact with the Ayr transfer station recently and the young man there told me: “$5 for all mattresses – doesn’t matter how many you have.”

There was no charge on a lot of different rubbish disposals that are charged at Clohesy River and Mareeba transfer stations.

One man at the Mareeba transfer station told me $91 per tonne for solar panels on my enquiry. I turned up in my ute loaded with solar panels only and the lady charged me $5!

Cr Cardew, of Tablelands Regional Council, stated that since 2019, the waste management and resources strategy for Queensland started the State Government’s waste levy charges.

I ask, why do the services and pricing in whatever shire or local council area a person resides in have such a large difference in costs?

Is the cost of waste fees the shire management’s decisions? When I have enquired, no two shires have had the same price for many items.

The money pressures of the day have made some customers abusive, unacceptably, and the frustration in the pricing at different shire’s transfer stations is understandable, given I have found the pricing of rubbish disposal is not uniform between the districts.

Maybe the State Government could inform local shires for all residences via rate notices as to the price instead of transfer station attendants having to inform customers accordingly.

Vicki Forrester KOAH

Different crossings causing confusion

I’M near on 100 per cent sure that everyone, children included, know what a pedestrian crossing is and specifically how it works. It’s the simplicity of a pedestrian crossing and the wide range of knowledge in the public domain that makes them effective.

In Mareeba, we have four different ways of crossing our streets, pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings), traffic lights, crossing anywhere but at a nominated crossing (probably as safe as zebra crossing) and wombat crossings. There’s no consistency.

As far as I am aware throughout Australia, wombat crossings are raised pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings) that is they should be clearly identified with black and white markings giving pedestrians right of way. Why have our wombat crossings been designed different to what the apparent norm is and that is with the zebra stripes. Problem solved.

I have come across two incidents recently, again. The usual with one, a vehicle stopping at the wombat crossing whilst the other vehicle continues on, and the most ridiculous was at the traffic lights where vehicles in one lane actually stopped on a green light to let pedestrians cross.

The road is a dangerous place and pedestrians have a responsibility to ensure their safety but local authorities might want to give some thought to their irresponsibility.

Sure, they have legislative protection but where you have a problem, the potential for serious injury, and it’s been known for a long time, foreseeability and other factors may not work well in the council favour.

Barry Braes MAREEBA

EDITOR’S NOTE: Byrnes Street, Mareeba, is controlled by The Department of Transport and Main Roads and is not managed by Mareeba Shire Council.