ACKNOWLEDGE FIRST SETTLERS
Justifiably, we continue to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and pay respect to their Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the community.
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And while I agree the respect shown to the original owners of this land is well deserved, I believe there is something missing.
Therefore, I feel that we should also acknowledge our forebears, the first settlers, who landed in Sydney Cove in 1788. Some were in chains and most suffered extreme physical hardships.
But despite all the adversity that they and their descendants faced, they still managed to lay the foundations that eventually forged this great country into what it is today.
Without their tenacity, courage and sacrifice, this land would, without doubt, still be a wilderness. And to them, we owe or eternal gratitude.
Geoff Field, Gundagai
FINE AN 'ABSOLUTE DISGRACE'
Whilst I agree with the general intention of your article by Kenji Sato about the destruction of Aboriginal Heritage at Bomen, I really don't think the fine imposed ($1500) is a slap on the wrist.
It's more like a "pat on the head" and a "well done boys keep up the good work" and we'll make sure no real penalties are imposed. It's an absolute disgrace and a significant insult to our Wiradjuri citizens.
Let's hope this outrage is corrected in the very near future.
Peter Matthews, Wagga
MAJOR PARTIES ARE FAILING US
We had the privilege of growing up on the banks of the Murray River in Cobram, and now we are raising our own families in this town. We find the damage being caused to our wonderful environment totally unacceptable and continue to be frustrated by the fact this is ignored by our politicians.
The scale of bank erosion we have seen in recent years is not natural, and it is not being caused by recreation activity. The erosion is, without doubt, the result of trying to force huge quantities of water down the river.
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We are not farmers, but we can see how they are suffering from poor water management and we can also see the damage being caused to our communities.
The main contributor to this damage is the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. And the main contributor to the 'stuff up' they call a plan is politics.
To us, it is obvious that nothing will change under the present political scenario. The Coalition won't fix it (even the federal Environment Minister who is the local member on the NSW side of the Murray won't do anything!), and nor will the other coalition of Labor/Greens.
That is why we are starting a political movement called 'Don't Vote Major'.
We want to show our communities there are options available in a democracy to bring about change. If none of the major parties are interested in saving our Murray River because they are more interested in winning marginal seats in South Australia, let's do something about it.
All we get from the major parties is smoke and mirrors, along with empty or broken promises. Our nation deserves better. Please support our efforts so we can save our iconic Murray River and our regional communities before it is too late.
Mark and Shane Bugge, Cobram
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