WASTE MOUNTAIN (Weekly, October 16)
There is nothing extraordinary about me. I am a woman on the wrong side of middle age and have teenage children. I work and live in Wyndham, and have been proud of the rebranding of our fabulous city from the ‘‘smelly poo farm’’ suburb to a prosperous and progressive municipality.
I am a person who has tried to live concerned about the people, animals and environment that surround me, but choose to complain rather than get too involved.
Just recently, I was compelled to take some civil action due to a mountain I saw growing along the highway to Geelong.
At first, I naively thought it was piling of earth to make a new overpass to connect the freeways of the north-west to the south-west of our state. Then I started hearing and reading some local residents complaining about a ‘‘waste mountain’’ being built out at the tip site and laughed this off, thinking this couldn’t be true. Then I began to smell it from my home near the recreation centre. Then I took some waste to the tip and saw it first-hand.
I was so shocked and amazed to think that someone in my council, the councillors I voted for and the council officers who are there to enact the will of the people, would do such a thing.
I am sending an impassioned plea to the people of the council to speak up for Citizen Jane and Citizen Joe: please, please, please do something about this abomination.
DEBBIE KERR \ WERRIBEE
BROADBAND DELAYS (Weekly, November 6)
Lalor MP Joanne Ryan should remember that blame for the National Broadband Network rollout disaster lies squarely with her party. They set the timetable and spent way too much on the whole project. Still, the ALP has never been known for its truthfulness.
TONY A \ VIA WEB
What a crock, Tony. The NBN rollout was delayed due to Telstra negotiations, not by NBN Co. The rollout was running on budget. Microsoft, Google and even the National Party all believe in fibre to the home. Why are Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott so against it?
SCOTT N \ VIA WEB
MERCY WAITING ‘the worst’ (Weekly, November 6)
In response to this story, it must first be understood that mental health can be the most complex clinical practice. There is no immediate solution – supporting those with mental health requires ongoing care.
From April to June this year, Mercy Health provided nearly 10,000 hours of mental health services to the local community, up more than 10 per cent on the October to December 2012 period. Our staff are committed to providing the very best support at our existing facilities, but there are times when capacity is reached, meaning delays for mental health beds in other areas like the Emergency Department. It’s far from ideal, but we do publicly acknowledge this is the case.
Fortunately, in April this year we were advised of the largest-ever funding boost for mental health in the west: a $34 million new mental health unit at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Construction begins shortly and is expected to be complete in 2016.
In the meantime, we will strive to provide the best possible care to our community.
DR LINDA MELLORS \ director, Mercy Public Hospitals
