Daily Advertiser letters to the editor, April 2

You mention that you regularly walk the highways, byways, streets and main roads and laneways picking up litter, for which I commend you. 

But in stating your support for a cleaner world by your actions, I cannot understand your attack of the article and the singling out of Mr Porter for supporting Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt and his call to ban plastic bags.

You may be correct in stating that the plastic bags form a “miniscule part of the litter collected”, however, the original article quoted the chairman of Wagga Tidy Towns Committee John Rumens as saying “large numbers” of plastic bags were cleaned up at the Clean Up Australia Day event in Wagga. 

It was also stated according to Clean Up Australia, about 50 million bags ends up as litter in Australia. That may be a “miniscule part of the litter collected”, but 50 million bags is a lot of rubbish.

It should also be noted that Mr Porter was obviously asked his opinion on the subject of plastic bags banning by the reporter of the story, not about food wrappers, soft drink and beer bottles, sweets and chips wrapper and cigarette wrappers and take away containers. 

I know from shopping at his store, a number of these items are sold, but every store sells them don’t they? Do you not buy them?

As for your statement anyone has “jumped on the trendy Greens bandwagon”, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, who called for the ban is a member of the Liberal party not The Greens, and seriously, if you have spent 15 years cleaning up the highways, byways, streets and main roads and laneways, I would say by your own definition, you have jumped on a green bandwagon yourself.

Also, I am aware, as an employee of Mr Porter, that through his Foodworks Lake Albert store, he supports a large number of local charities, schools and sporting clubs and privately has sat on many committees and boards, and volunteers large amounts of time in helping the local community. 

We all have our ways of helping out, one is no better than another, it is just great that you both do help the community.

So again, I commend you for your litter campaign, but there are other ways of helping that are of just as much importance, and certainly should not be made little of by others.

AT FIRST glance the concept of solar lighting the LA walkway is a good one. Then I thought, how many walkers would need lighting before 6.30am and after 6pm. 

Answer, not many. A community project needs to benefit a good number of people. However the C4W group is an excellent idea.  

There are projects like a community hall/exhibition centre to replace our ageing Kyeamba Smith hall or more facilities such as the skate rink at Henwood Park Kooringal and other facilities for our young people.  

Council cannot provide all the facilities we need. As to the state government, I would have thought they had no money for anything given that the federal government has slashed grants for hospitals and education etc. 

I encourage the C4W to expand its horizons and membership.

I'm up for helping. You would be surprised at the generosity of Wagga citizens with both big and small wallets for a really worthy project.