Mafeking makeover squashed

The news is not good. Yesterday I enquired as to the progress of the Alpine council’s proposed (and long overdue) makeover of Mafeking Square – i.e. the conversion of the highly dysfunctional and wasted space around the clock tower in the centre of town into a vibrant and more usable public area that would act as a tourist drawcard and revitalise trade in Ireland Street – only to be told that it’s not going ahead anytime soon. Why? Well, there are a lot of excuses being made but, in my opinion, the much-needed project was squashed by a very small group of self-interested traders who believed the removal of the roundabout would be detrimental to their businesses, which is the biggest load of bollocks I’ve ever heard. Sadly this group includes a councillor (Narda Cain), who also owns a shop in Ireland Street. The lack of foresight and care for the greater good is astounding but hardly surprising. I don’t want to say anymore about it at this stage – I’m still too angry!

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Bad news day for the resorts

St Falls has fallen ... over!

It’s all over!

Anyone who owns an investment property at Falls Creek (or at Mt Hotham or Dinner Plain) woke this morning to the news that its value has fallen dramatically – to less than half - following the Fire sale @ Falls Creek over the weekend:

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An early Spring @ GG in Bright

Nandinas & Camelias at the entry to Grevillea Gardens - click on image to enlarge.

Officially it’s still winter but for the last week or so we’ve had great Spring weather and it looks like the winter is well and truly over. I went around the property earlier this week and took these photos just to prove it to you. Well, and to post about it on the Grevillea Gardens website  too. Yeah, you’re right – this is another blatant plug for GG. So what? More photos over the page – click on “more” (and click on each image to enlarge):

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AFL round 23 (2011) ‘expert’ tips

Never trust a Kiwi.

It’s Rat round

I’ve been out all day so that’s why I’m late with this week’s post. All the tips are in and I don’t want to dwell too much on ‘The Rat’ pictured here to the left (embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson) except to say:

(a) I’m buggered if I know how an obvious sleaze like this bloke ever found his way to Canberra in the first place.

(b) If the government had a better majority they would have dumped him by now.

(c) He can’t be sacked from his seat unless he’s convicted so obviously Gillard has to defend him – otherwise he could turn feral and hold her to ransom.

I think everyone should just chill out and let the law take its natural process now that his indiscretions are in the hands of the police. They’ll either charge him or they won’t but I’m sick of Abbott & co going on about it, aren’t you? Here are the o-so-nice & decent ‘experts’:

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Who’s being protected?

Update 31 August 2011: As suspected, it’s not in this week’s Bright Observer either. Well done.

Sex-offender in Bright

I wonder if the Bright Observer will publish this story that ran in the Wednesday edition of its parent paper, the Wangaratta Chronicle. The report states that a convicted sex-offender from Bright has reoffended - this time by loitering in Ireland Street Bright around school-aged children - and was given a suspended jail sentence in a court appearance ”on Wednesday” (i.e. on Wednesday of last week, not yesterday, I presume).

You can read the full report, including the name of the sex-offender, at the Wangaratta Chronicle (for about the next week or so, I believe) or you can read the copy I’ve reproduced below (click on “more”) in which I have deleted the offender’s name. It’s not up to me to name & shame people but I think, in this case, our local paper certainly should. I mean, do I have to explain why it’s in the interests of the local residents – and especially parents of school-aged kids - to know who this convicted sex-offender is?

Okay, let’s give them the benefit of doubt until next week’s edition, but I think the paper should not avoid this story, like it recently avoided naming the 35-year old Bright man charged with trafficking ecstasy at The Alpine.  Who was he? We need to know that too.

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Albury’s Mad Monday with more Mad Mandy

Cr Amanda Duncan-Strelec gives her fellow councillors a bit of lip.

They’re a weird lot over the border in nearby Albury. Their city council is a real joke and about the only reason (in my opinion) that the NSW State Government hasn’t sacked the lot of them is probably because it’s so far away from Sydney as to be almost regarded as being in Victoria. Thankfully it’s not though.

Last night they had a council meeting that turned into utter chaos when (you guessed it) serial nutcase Cr Amanda Duncan-Strelec  – let’s just call her Mad Mandy for short - once again abused a member of the public:

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Where the bloody hell are you?

I just put this comment under the Rd 22 footy tips:

It seems everyone has lost interest in the footy (and AO in general). Time to call an end perhaps? I’ll keep it going to Rd 24 but after that, there doesn’t seem much point. Enjoy Twitter!

It’s up to you people out there. If you’re not interested just say so (or not, I’ll get the hint).

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Sunday sorted

Ah, another beautiful winter’s day in Bright. Forecast 20+ degrees and remaining so for most of the week. Here’s my schedule:

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• Get up early: Tick – got up @ 6 am.
• Make coffee & crumpets: Tick – coffee drank, crumpets eaten.
• Check the Internet for news & interesting banter: Tick, been doing that for over two hours.
• Check on Leanne: Tick – she’s up now that I’ve made a second pot of coffee.
• Watch Insiders on ABC1: Tick – doing so right now.
• Watch Ch 7 footy show: Hmm, not real interested as the Saints haven’t played yet.
• Finish off the lawns: I did the ride-on work yesterday, just need to do the push mowing around the edges and the line trimming – easy.
• Lunch: Baked beans or meat pie?
• Watch the footy: Saints live on Austar @ 1pm.

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What a great day!

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Talking about puppies …

… aren’t these two just the best?

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That's Sandy (the fat but cute one) on the left, River (the elegant & fussy one) on the right. Click on image to enlarge these two 4 year-olds to really gorgeous size.

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Lemon tree, very pretty …

I like nice shapes - click on image to enlarge.

This is our backyard that, apart from the dog droppings, I manage to keep pretty neat. The lemon tree was annoying me because it had become lop-sided and a bit tall … so I took to it with the shears. Leanne likes it too. Well, she does now. Initially it was “WTF have you done?”, or words to that effect. ”Don’t worry,” I said. “I kept the lemons that were cut off. There’s enough to last for a year!” 

PS: The yard looks out onto the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail. I deliberately built the fence with see-through brushwood so the puppies could see other dogs going past and bark them away. They love it. Anyone want a bag of lemons?

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AFL round 22 (2011) ‘expert’ tips

If you own one of these you are a moron.

It’s Vicious Dogs round

This week I will use the text of a post I wrote here nearly two years ago titled “Lock up the owners” , amended to relate to the most recent vicious dog attack in Melbourne where a 4-year-old girl was mauled to death by a neighbour’s unregistered American Pit Bull Terrier after it entered her front yard and chased her sister into the home:

Barely a week goes by without news of another vicious dog attack, the latest being (surprise, surprise) by an American Pit Bull Terrier in Melbourne. This time, unfortunately, the attack was fatal. I agree with RSPCA President Hugh Worth’s comments that this breed should never have been introduced to Australia and should be “wiped out”, but what I don’t understand is why anyone would want to own one of these dogs in the first place – what does it say about the owners?

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Don’t burn Apex Hill

Too beautiful to burn.

More letters of objection are needed

Further to my post “Save Apex Hill … again!” , I have lodged the following objection with the DSE over its plan to burn off 236 hectares on and around beautiful Apex Hill in Bright this Spring.

I’ve also sent a letter to the Alpine councillors & CEO seeking their opinion, position and support in objecting to the planned burn.

And another that I hope will appear in next week’s Bright Observer. If you also agree that we need to save Apex Hill from this needless act of environmental vandalism you have until 29 August to send your objections quoting  planned burn no. T134 to planned.burning@dse.vic.gov.au  

Please click on “more” below to read my letter to DSE:

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The Herald Sun on using Facebook to incite violence

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You've gotta wonder about the intelligence of the HSun's sub editors.

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Actually, there’s a pretty strong case to say that social media played a big part in whipping up the frenzy of rioting & looting in the UK, and that there should be tighter controls. It’s just too easily abused.
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AFL round 21 (2011) ‘expert’ tips

"What do we want? TVs, laptops & upmarket footwear. When do we want it? Now !"

It’s Riot round

I think the underlying reason that rioters and looters in England have been burning down homes & property, breaking into shops (to steal stuff like laptops & Nike footwear) and even killing their own people,  is the Pommy nation’s lack of sporting prowess and heroes.

That’s my theory; they’re bored and feel inadequate (with good reason too - they are inadequate). That and the rotten climate. Oh, and the overcrowding - sheez, 60 million in a country smaller than Tassie, imagine that !?!

I also blame Twitter for this. Truly, I do.  Twitter has revolutionised communication with the rapid spread of memes and ideas - especially among young people - and it’s a fact that large crowds were quickly marshalled to riot via frenzied tweets that shot around the ‘Twitterverse’. Think of it as cavemen calling other cavemen to war by beating a loud drum, the end result being much the same – i.e. people behaving like uncivilised neanderthals. Pretty much sums up the Poms.

It’ll never happen in Oz though. Not while we’ve got real football, a better climate and a better sense of well-being. Oh, and better beer and, of course, the ‘experts’ to keep us entertained:

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Save Apex Hill … again!

DSE's proposed burnoff of Apex Hill presents several serious threats to the town. And, as the prevailing hot summer winds would come from the north west (top left) and blow any fire on Apex AWAY from Bright, not towards it, how would this burnoff protect the town anyway? (Click on image to enlarge)

DSE to burn off Apex Hill this Spring

Ten years ago (almost to the day) a local group known as Vision for Bright (led by yours truly), took up the fight to save beautiful Apex Hill in Bright from destruction when the then Alpine council proposed a tasteless, tacky and inappropriate gondola-luge be built on the summit and on the side facing the town – involving the removal of most of the trees from this majestic hilltop and State Park. Thankfully we won that battle and Apex still stands, like a sentinel overlooking the whole town.

However, Apex Hill is now under threat again, this time from the State Dept of Sustainability & Environment (DSE) who are planning a massive burnoff of the entire hill & surrounds sometime over the coming Spring months. I don’t agree with this proposed burn for several reasons that are listed ’over the page’ (click on ”more” below) but, firstly, I want to make it clear that my objections having nothing whatsoever to do with my previously stated objections to DSE burnoffs in general. For the record, I don’t believe they achieve much at all, but that’s not the point here. The (valid) objections I have to this destructive proposal are mainly on environmental, water supply, aesthetic & safety grounds, as follows:

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