Your correspondent Ronda Lampe (“Do not scrimp when it comes to road repairs”, The Daily Advertiser, May 12) is very critical of council’s management of road conditions and makes an unfavourable comparison with Albury.
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Does she realise that Wagga has over 2000 kilometres of roads to care for and has a lower average rates charge?
Also, for many years the quality of road base has been declining, as has availability. This, in part, is due to environmental requirements regarding the development of quarries and increasing costs for transport.
In regards the suitability of the ground in the city for road building, a survey conducted in Wagga some years ago showed that a large percentage of the soil was not really suitable for road building.
No doubt the council staff work hard at being informed regarding possible solutions to cope with the issue of improving the standard of road repair.
I recently drove to Echuca and I can assure your readers that road problems are not restricted to Wagga.
Mary Kidson, Wagga
Wood collection off limits
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is reminding residents that firewood collection from national park estate around Young, Cootamundra, Wagga Wagga and The Rock is illegal and can attract significant fines.
This is an annual reminder that we issue when temperatures start to drop.
Firewood collection is illegal in all of the region's national parks, nature reserves and state conservation areas.
Collecting wood, including the removal of fallen trees and deadwood, is not permitted as it destroys important habitat for native fauna. Threatened species such as the Regent Honey Eater and Swift Parrot use native trees to feed, so illegal clearing reduces their food supply.
Other native species such as the squirrel glider use tree hollows for nesting, while ground dwelling animals use fallen timber for refuge.
Firewood collection not only disturbs their habitat but disrupts the functioning of healthy ecosystems.
We encourage people to do the right thing, don’t risk getting caught, on-the-spot-fines apply.
NPWS staff are out in national parks regularly and employ a variety of surveillance measures so the chances of getting caught are high. For further information contact the Tumut NPWS office on 6947 7000.
Steve Cathcart, National Parks and Wildlife Service area manager
Standards have slipped
The tone of debate in the aftermath of the budget is a sad reflection on Australian politics.
The Prime Minister's harping on the wonders his government is performing on behalf of "hard-working Australians" becomes more difficult to stomach each time it is uttered, just as Bill Shorten's jibes at "the big end of town" are nothing less than puerile.
Worse still is the Treasurer's brazen display of the depth of his intellect by branding the Leader of the Opposition "Unbelieva-Bill".
The electorate in a country at a vital stage of its development in a fast-changing world deserves and should be demanding a higher standard of discussion on issues of real importance.
