Street trees divide views
[Re: Messy gum trees trigger petition, Star Weekly, April 21]. Copious amounts of leaves? You’ve got to be joking! Ever heard of a broom and a mulcher or a green-waste bin? Maybe once we pull out the trees we can pave the whole area so we can fit more cars in.
Here’s an idea: sell your house and buy an apartment inside the concrete jungle. Then you can sign a petition about the lack of green wedges.
… Greg, via northern.starweekly.com.au
Totally shocked to read the comments by Whittlesea council’s parks and open space manager Kristen Jackson, which are quite insensitive and ill-considered in addressing the complaint made by Elaine. The poor lady has her house cracking up due to the tree, which was planted by the council in violation of its own guidelines, and the council’s manager is going on about the environmental benefits of tree-lined suburbs without even offering to look into the complaint.
… Tom Joseph, president, Mernda and Doreen … Multicultural Association
Transparency lost
Going to the Hume council meeting showed me how out of touch the organisation is with reality and the needs of its residents.
I listened to the CEO officially standing down Cr Jack Medcraft for one month following a process that was nothing short of a kangaroo court. Cr Medcraft had been cleared last year on the same charge after ratepayers’ money was wasted on a consultant. But some councillors, led by Casey Nunn, who were not happy with this result, wanted to do it all over again in this kangaroo court process against these two independent Sunbury councillors.
The original report that cleared both Jacks will not be released to the public, nor are the two Jacks allowed to release it. Now ratepayers’ money will need to be spent on the appeal process through VCAT for this second hearing.
We wonder why our rates keep going up. To now get the first report I have had to lodge an FOI request that will cost all parties even more.
Residents presented some great questions, and the council refused to answer them. We have the Hume CEO in an email to staff saying they want transparency. Well, it doesn’t exist.
… Trevor Dance, Sunbury
