Blame game only sows more division
Credit: Vintage Matte Golding
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LITERATURE
Unity, not regiment
What a shame that so much of the crowd at the big meeting at Bondi Beach on December 21st jeered Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his arrival. In addition to respect, the common agenda of the night was the speakers’ calls for unity, love, kindness, compassion, courage and solidarity, and the fight against hatred.
Let us hope that these values will be embraced by society, starting with respect for the office of the Australian prime minister.
Ellen Ryan, Soldiers Hill
Tribalism must be stopped
The murders in Bondi and the injuries of many people are a clear indication that social unity has broken down in our country. Likewise the police shooting and killing in north-east Victoria.
Stricter gun control is needed, and political point-scoring and comments blaming the prime minister for failing to prevent this tragedy with stronger legislation must stop.
As I watched parts of the reflection service in Bondi, my thoughts were with the Jewish community, but also with the 70,000 Palestinians killed by the authority of the Israeli government.
While Hamas’ actions must be condemned, the Israeli government’s murders must also be condemned.
As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote, tribalism must be stopped and renewed efforts for peace and reconciliation must be paramount.
Ray Cleary, Camberwell
blame game
Like many people, I am shocked and sickened by the murder in Bondi.
But I’m also disgusted that some politicians see this as an opportunity to easily apportion blame; The result was visible in the appalling booing of Albanese at his memorial service on Sunday.
As a Jew, I am angry that Netanyahu thinks he has the right to criticize. A man whose government’s genocidal actions in Gaza and the West Bank have further fueled antisemitism.
We must now listen to saner voices in our efforts to promote necessary healing and peace.
Rita Thorpe, Coburg
hindu temple
I am referring to reports of plans to build a Hindu temple in South Cranbourne. In India, 23 million Christians, or 2.3 percent of the population, own more than 12,000 churches.
Why can’t Australia’s Hindu citizens have temples in their adopted countries? Comparatively, there are very few Hindu temples in Melbourne and Australia.
V.Sampath Kumar, Langwarrin
Keep the wedges green
The planning of Australia’s largest Hindu temple for rare Glossy Skink and Southern Brown Bandicoot habitat at the Western Port Green Wedge shows why Australia has the world’s worst record of native species extinction and why our Green Wedges are under threat. One of the promises the Andrews and Allan governments failed to deliver on at the 2018 election was to protect the Green Wedges and farmland from inappropriate development. Places of worship in the Green Wedges are clearly inappropriate; for these places—often with religious schools that precede or follow them—are urban uses. Unfortunately the state government has refused to close this loophole
Religious groups are buying Green Wedge land because it is cheaper than urban zoned land, much of which is still vacant.
It’s cheaper because urban use is not allowed there.
Rosemary West, Edithvale
Fast path error
Re ″Green light for ‘brilliantly designed’ high-density push-block first apartment block″, 20/12, included several images of the recently approved seven-storey development on Rae Street, North Fitzroy. The artist’s impressions represent a building no more than two stories high from the elegant Victorian two-story house next to it.
These images seriously misrepresent the proposed seven-storey apartment block, which would be five storeys above the one- and two-storey houses in this area of narrow streets and alleys.
The article also states that the development is opposed by “some neighbours” as well as Yarra city council. I am one of those neighbors and actually 180 of us objected to the municipality.
In response, the council recommended removing two levels from the plan, following feedback from the planning team.
The Victorian government’s architect’s office disagreed. The building will proceed as designed, regardless of recommendations from both the city and 180 residents.
A fast-track system for high-density developments has its merits, but the voices of interested communities must also be taken into account.
Meg Mappin, Fitzroy North
school neglect
Re ″More than 200 schools need urgent repairs″, 22/12. The government spokesperson completely misses the point when he states that ″The 2023 snapshot is based on a five-year audit period and does not reflect the current situation of many schools″.
Schools should never have been allowed to be in such poor condition in the first place.
Yvonne Bowyer, Surrey Hills
