Safety needs attention
I REFER to the article titled: "A fight for justice” in the Monday, May 15 edition of the Wimmera Mail-Times.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
I have experienced sitting in the Horsham court for family violence reasons with my ex-husband and I was a nervous wreck.
If he arrived before me, he would sit inside in somewhat comfort and I would sit outside on concrete edging from 9am to 4pm.
And if I arrived before him and sat inside, he would sit only metres away from me.
I know I would have appreciated a separate room to sit in and wait away from him. It's a great idea.
I have also dealt with the Ballarat court, which is across several floors.
There are still areas to sit in and you’re near the perpetrator – however, the seats have high backs and you can’t see each other.
We were confronted by my ex-husband in Ballarat in the main foyer behind the security guards where he ranted and raged centimetres from my face.
We asked for camera footage of the incident as it was a breach of the intervention orders.
No, we were told. The cameras aren't working.
Cameras – and working ones, at that – in all courts would be a priority, too.
Name withheld
Green waste solutions
WHILE staying in a bed and breakfast in Ballarat recently, and finding the bin for household waste, we not only found this smaller-sized bin – but also the yellow-lidded recycle bin and, lo and behold, a full-sized bin with a bright green lid.
It was the bin for green garden waste.
Relatives who live in the small town of Bateman’s Bay on the New South Wales coast have had green waste bins, with fortnightly collection, for well over 10 years.
What do Horsham households do when their woody prunings and other garden waste are not suitable for the compost and there isn’t sufficient matter to fill a trailer warranting a trip to the Transfer Station (and the green waste fee)?
They put it in the household garbage bin, thus contributing to landfill.
It seems fitting that as Horsham rightly takes pride in its Tidy Towns efforts, that the processing of green waste become highlighted for future endeavours.
It is hoped that the proposed Waste Management Steering Committee will address this important issue.
We encourage council to improve their environmental record by providing this much-needed service.
Rhonda and Mike Coffey, Horsham
Recognising volunteers
A NEW initiative is providing Wimmera residents with a way to recognise and thank emergency services workers and volunteers.
Find my Hero Australia has been developed by Emergency Services Health – Australia’s only private health insurer, exclusively for the emergency services community – to support the mental health and wellbeing of emergency services workers and volunteers who put their own safety, health and even their lives on the line to protect our people and communities.
By enlisting help via social media, our brave men and women can be identified and located to ensure messages of thanks will find their way to those individuals and make a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
Giving and receiving thanks has positive impacts for both people who have been rescued or helped, and emergency responders. We’ve already seen people be reconnected with their heroes and it’s been valuable experience for all involved.
Significant emergency and crisis situations, such as major floods and fires, have also shown how giving thanks can be healing for communities.
Find My Hero Australia will provide a platform online for people from around the country to share their message of thanks, ask the community for help and get the message to the right person or unit.
Emergency services workers and volunteers are firefighters, paramedics, nurses and medical response units, state emergency units, surf lifesavers, flying doctors, and triple-0 operators to name a few. They face dangerous situations, horrific accidents, and are relied upon as people’s last line in impossible situations.
To find a local hero, or help someone else find theirs, visit the Find my Hero Australia Facebook page and use the hashtag #FindmyHeroAU with your story.
Michael Oertel, chief executive, Emergency Services Health