River plan questions
THERE is an old saying: "If it ain't broke don't fix it."
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At the moment, Horsham's riverfront is a beautiful area with a natural feel about it - with big gum trees and an ideal area for family picnics, walkers and cyclists. The adjacent forest walk is also a great recreational area. However, the council now wants to change this into a concrete jungle with manicured surrounds and a coffee shop. Do we really need another coffee outlet in town, putting pressure on the more than 40 outlets currently available?
I would like to ask the council:
- Where will the tennis and croquet clubs be relocated on similar soil types, and at what cost?
- Will a lifeguard be on duty at the proposed wading pool 24/7, and at what cost?
- Following the successful church gathering on Sunday, August 25 where the miniature railway proved very popular at its present site, why shift it?
- An AFL representative said that he would support the enlargement of the football oval to enable AFL games to be played on it. Will the AFL be contributing to the cost?
- The council is having trouble leasing the restaurant at the Town Hall. How easy will it be to lease the proposed cafe on the riverfront?
Brian Simonds, Drung Drung
Solar for saleyards
MONEY is available to put a roof over the Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange saleyards. Natimuk is in the process of planning solar panels for 2.24HA. Couldn't a similar scheme be implemented for the saleyard roof?
Anne Pietsch, Pomonal
Wellbeing of young people
KIDS Helpline, a service of yourtown, is encouraging parents to start a conversation with young teens and keep an eye on their mental wellbeing following the launch of the third season of controversial series 13 Reasons Why.
In 2018, Kids Helpline enacted 1825 Duty of Care interventions, which involved contacting emergency services or another agency to protect a young person who is experiencing or is at risk of imminent or significant harm. Almost 40 per cent of these interventions related to a suicide attempt; 37 per cent related to child abuse.
To gain a greater understanding of the different perspectives between parents and teenagers, Kids Helpline surveyed young people aged 12 to 25 years of age to determine what topics they are keeping secret from their parents. This found many are keeping unsafe secrets about their own or others' safety or wellbeing.
Children can be groomed to keep unsafe secrets, particularly when there is a power imbalance or a secret that involves threats or bribes. Meanwhile, adolescents and older young people are far more likely to seek help from friends or peers, which often results in young people being torn between keeping a promise to a friend or being seen as untrustworthy, especially in regards to secrets where a friend or peer may be in danger in some way.
Kids Helpline is Australia's only national 24/7 counselling service specifically for young people aged five to 25 years - free call 1800 55 1800 or www.kidshelpline.com.au
Tracy Adams, chief executive, yourtown