THE Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Kim Wells, is quoted (Mail, 21 March) as having discussions with CFA volunteers in Olinda over Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) negotiations between the CFA and the Firefighters Union.
As Shadow Minister, he would know that only the leadership of a brigade is authorised to make statements on its behalf.
As secretary of the Olinda Fire Brigade and without discussing the merits of his statement, I believe it is unfortunate and inappropriate for our brigade to be dragged into a political/industrial stoush without the knowledge or authority of the brigade executive.
The executive has had no discussion with Mr Wells over EBAs and is unaware of contact he may have had with any of our members.
Geoff Champion
Secretary
Olinda Rural Fire Brigade
Lasting legacy
I AM responding to a story that appeared (Mail, 14 March) about development in Green Wedge areas.
The story incorrectly gave the impression I had said that commercial proposals would not be approved by the council if they were in a Green Wedge area.
During the council meeting of 28 March I put forward a recommendation calling on the Minister for Planning to no longer support a request by the previous council for authorisation to proceed with advertising a planning scheme amendment related to two applications.
My comments in support of this recommendation related to the importance of protecting areas outside the Urban Growth Boundary and our Green Wedge areas from inappropriate development.
It was reported that I said “if a business was commercial and the proposal was within a green wedge zone they should not bother applying”.
This is not the case, as there are commercial activities in Green Wedge areas that are both appropriate and allowed for under the State Government’s core provisions for Green Wedges.
Developments that legitimately support or are connected to agricultural or rural activities, such as wineries, restaurants and some types of visitor accommodation are allowed for under the Green Wedge provisions.
What my motion sought to do was to ensure that we as a council are consistent in our adherence to the Urban Growth Boundary and Green Wedge provisions.
It is only by protecting our rural land that we will be able to provide a lasting legacy for our future generations.
Samantha Dunn
Lyster Ward councillor
HAVING just participated in Clean Up Australia Day, I was disappointed to see a large amount of roadside litter when driving from Berwick to Harkaway recently.
Along just 300 metres of road I counted 114 drink containers, mainly cans and bottles.
Examples like this, which can be seen all over the state, are proof that as a community we need to look at new ways of controlling litter because clearly current approaches are not working.
This is especially true with drink containers, which are our largest and most conspicuous litter items.
Firstly we don’t need more slick, taxpayer funded TV advertisements because people already know that it is wrong to litter.
What we do need is a system which gives people a financial incentive to either not drop litter or to pick up the litter that others have dropped.
In South Australia most drink containers have a five cent refund value. As a result 50 per cent less beverage litter is collected in South Australia on Clean Up Australia Day than the other states.
When there is a proven solution to a problem the community should be given the opportunity to try it.
The government refuses to introduce a deposit and refund system in Victoria basically because the beverage and packaging companies don’t like it.
Government needs to ignore the self serving arguments of big business and give Victoria a litter system that works.
P Cook
Clematis
Not complicated
THE previous Cardinia Shire Council did the wrong thing in allowing commercial developments in the green wedges that were established more than 30 years ago, and now the new council is doing the right thing by not allowing it. This is not a complicated issue.
Wendy Lyndall
Emerald
