LETTERS

From The Editor

NUMEROUS people in our community experience a sensory processing disorder (SPD). This condition usually means a person is overly sensitive to stimuli, including what one sees, hears, smells, tastes or touches.

Considering this, many local shopping centres now provide a ‘quiet hour’, which provides a low-sensory environment by reducing noise and distractions. Primarily provided for individuals with hypersensitivities, sensory-friendly environments actually benefit everyone.

Judging those reacting to irritation from lighting, background music noise, barcode scanners, or a bothersome smell is easy. Attending a quiet hour can open your eyes to how much stimuli we are oblivious to being exposed to.

Vickie from Dakabin, my experience saw me walking away with increased empathy for those living with a sensory processing disorder.

Thankyou to those who take the time to provide these environments.

Drink Responsibily

I’M SHOCKED at the amount of plastic litter on the roadsides in our community. Primarily, it seems to comprise single-use water bottles. We have clean water available. How hard can it be to keep a few stainless steel refillable water bottles in your car for use when you are out? It helps you keep hydrated in the heat and saves you money and helps the environment. Say no to single-use bottled water!

Amanda | North Lakes

WINE IS NEXT GROCERIES, fruit and veg and clothing are up and so is petrol. And the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Phillip Lowe has increased the interest rate for the 9th time in these last 12 months. The Price Police have been busy searching high and low trying to find other items to put on the increase price list and Yes they found one! Let’s face it Ladies and Gents, there are very few joys left for working humanity, but they found it. Yes, the price of beer has rocketed up. You wine drinkers don’t smile either. You will be next on the list! `

Pete | Caboolture North

Dangerous Roads

Yet another bicycle accident recently on Mackie Road, a dangerous place for any cyclist or pedestrian. All those roads linking Burpengary road and Old Gympie road are dangerous. They carry a lot of traffic, some of it heavy. The council should schedule these roads for proper maintenance. A slasher run along the edges occasionally is not good enough. Either fix the roads or install a separate bike path.

M E Wootton | Dakabin

The Name Game

I READ an article in your paper about the so-called Satellite Hospital at Kallangur. How can a building with no overnight patient accommodation and only open limited hours per day be called a hospital? Could not the government be more accurate and just call it a GP clinic?

Imagine my surprise when I learn from another source that the satellite hospital in Caboolture is actually right next door to the real hospital. How can it be considered a satellite hospital? It's not a satellite, but in the same grounds. Is this all a name game for political purposes? If I get sick enough to need a real hospital, I don't want to end up at a GP clinic by accident.

N Safreed | Burpengary CHANGE

The Focus

THERE has been so much publicity around youth behaving badly in our area and I would like to give a shout out to all those young people who are achieving amazing things and giving back to the community. From award winners to innovators and volunteers, it would be wonderful if the media wrote more about these inspiring youths. Perhaps showing wayward youths that there is another way of life open to them as opposed to giving them poor examples to follow and new ideas for bad behaviour.

Sue | Murrumba Downs

Rapid Urbanisation

AS you may have heard, the rate of urbanisation in the Morayfield area is causing growing concern among residents, who feel that the Council is allowing far too many large residential developments. This is resulting in the mass destruction of many hectares of native vegetation, the loss of precious native wildlife, growing congestion of an already inadequate road system, increased noise and pollution, and a serious decline in the quality of life for those who live in the neighbourhood. While development projects provide huge additional income for the Council and developers, the effects are entirely negative for the people who live here.

Many residents feel that the semi-rural nature of their neighbourhood is rapidly being destroyed as the Council seems determined to turn Morayfield into one endless housing estate.

The most recent of these housing developments, which is currently under review, is the Pine Valley North project, covering 104 hectares (257 acres) of 'greenfield' countryside on Forest Hills Drive, Williamson Road and Oakey Flat Road. Local opposition to this plan allegedly resulted in 92 formal objections being lodged with the Council, compared to 2 submissions in favour of the project.

A public petition opposing the plan was lodged with the Council on 20 February 2023. This petition runs to 177 pages, contains 646 signatures, and is thought to be the largest petition against a development application ever to be lodged with the MBRC. One can only hope that this amount of local opposition will persuade Councillors (for once) to listen to the opinions of those who elected them and whose votes they will soon be asking for again?

Chris | Morayfield

QUIET HOUR

I RECENTLY experienced the Quiet Hour at Coles for the first time and whilst feeling ripped off at first, I’m now enjoying the absence of blaring music, the lower light and no PA announcements. It is a reprieve in my hectic, noisy world. I wouldn’t describe myself as one who finds it challenging to shop in a heightened-sensory environment but I’m sure benefiting.

Vickie | Dakabin