House sales ‘spin’
[Re: Point Cook remains hot property, Star Weekly, June 25] There may have been many sales over a year, but that “spin” does not excuse the fact that there are still more than 5000 homes for sale or rent in Wyndham right now! That is, potentially, 10,000-plus people leaving Wyndham!
Being “close to the city” is not a selling point for Point Cook any more because we all know that you can’t get out of, or into, Point Cook at peak times without great frustration.
The statistics that would reveal the truth are those that show how long homes in Point Cook stay on the market before they sell, and how many times they have gone on and off the market. $470,000 is not an “affordable” house price; it’s a loan default just waiting to happen!
Anyone who buys in Point Cook right now expecting to work in the city is making a big mistake as the infrastructure isn’t going to improve significantly, even with the Sneydes Road interchange. Fine if you work in Werribee or Geelong, but not otherwise.
Michael Young, via web
Trees tagged for trimming
[Re: New bid to deflect graffitists, Star Weekly, June 25] We also have the power supply companies getting in on the act by spray painting large yellow markings on trees that need to be trimmed. They even have the gumption to paint the markings on trees in residents’ front yards.
H8 Graffitti, via web
Bulldozing history
[Re: ‘Blue ribbon’ Werribee block passed in for $2 million, Star Weekly] If it’s a piece of history why is it hoped that history will be wiped out by a bulldozer to build yet another high-rise shop/office/apartments?
Daniella Acciarito, via web
Money well spent
[Re: Council cops junket blast, Star Weekly] In the overall scheme of things, $10,000 is not a lot of money. It sounds like many councils were there and there was an opportunity to meet government ministers.
In my opinion, it is money well spent if it makes government aware of Wyndham’s issues.
Joe Garra, via Facebook
I was happy to meet with and facilitate meetings for the Wyndham council representatives that travelled to Canberra recently. I was pleased to host the National Growth Areas Alliance breakfast attended by about 12 ALP MPs representing high-growth local council areas across Australia. This meeting discussed important issues such as road funding, the provision of community facilities and public transport at a national level. I was also able to facilitate important meetings for council representatives with opposition communication spokesman Jason Clare, to discuss the provision of broadband locally, and with education spokeswoman Kate Ellis, to discuss the impact of the Abbott government’s cuts to kindergarten funding.
It was with great disappointment that your paper chose such a flippant approach to this visit. I would like to reassure readers that their council representatives worked hard during their visit and the ministers are well aware where Wyndham is.
Joanne Ryan, Lalor MP
Wyndham City spends relatively little on travel, attending conferences and lobbying. Frankly, I think we could benefit as a city if councillors got out a bit more.
That said, I’ve been on countless trips – often at my own expense – for conferencing and advocacy purposes. I’ve argued with government agencies for years about their inability to get value for money on such trips. Around $10,000 for plane fares, three nights’ accommodation, food and incidentals looks about standard practice to me, and big business usually spends more than governments.
If I were organising it, I would be unhappy if it cost more than about $3000, but I’m not sure all of my fellow travellers would want to “junket” in backpackers’ digs. With good organisation, a very comfortable trip for four people to Canberra should be able to be organised for about $5000 but I have never come across a government agency or large business that seems capable of doing that.
Whatever the cost, I think the use of the term “junket” is most unhelpful as it suggests that these trips are something like a holiday and without serious purpose.
Bro Sheffield-Brotherton, via web
Infrastructure ads ‘a waste’
How many hundreds of thousands of dollars is the state government wasting taking out whole-page ads in local and daily papers just to let us know what a great job they’re going to do on transport infrastructure?
Firstly, they should not be wasting money in that way. It would be better spent on providing new bus services to areas lacking in public transport, such as Wyndham.
Secondly, it’s blatantly dishonest. They are not reporting the time frames in which they anticipate to start and complete the projects. The rail links are not expected to be started, yet alone completed, for years, and yet the ridiculously expensive roads will commence in the near future – forcing more people, not fewer, into cars, which will cause increased congestion in other areas.
Chris Morris, Hoppers Crossing
