I WOULD like to congratulate the Gembrook Market Committee and the people of Gembrook for putting on such a fabulous market on 28 August.
It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the town as well as the huge variety of goods for sale.
It was a wonderful initiative and an example to other markets for the Gembrook Market Committee to adopt a sustainable living theme with an emphasis on natural and organic produce, handcrafts and recycled items. This innovation and the desire by market organisers to put Gembrook on the map also resulted in a $10,000 grant from the State Government.
I was thrilled to attend both in an official capacity, to speak about the regional development grant and launch the market, but also as one of the stallholders.
The eagerness and enthusiasm of the crowd towards the reusable bags I gave away was replicated at all the stalls, with stunning produce and goods for sale everywhere.
The township of Gembrook has a lot to celebrate and the relaunch of the Gembrook Market is another step towards revitalising the town and making use of the remarkable talents and ideas of a closeknit community.
Tammy Lobato,
Gembrook MP.
ARE we Australians going to lay down and continually take the nonphysical beating that is being dished out to us or are we finally going to stand up against our aggressors and say “no more”.
We will purposely be brought to our knees through a devalued Aussie dollar and huge oil price hikes. Have you stopped to think that Hurricane Katrina had the price of oil rise to $70 US a barrel and immediately our petrol prices were raised, even though the petrol we were purchasing had not come from any of these $70 barrels.
Our constitution tells us the Federal Government is the price regulator while our PM tells us there is nothing he can do about the price at the pumps. All the while saying “No Australians will be disadvantaged while I am Prime Minister”.
Karu Hewett
Selby
IT seems our resident animal rights champion, Jenny Moxham, also writes to The Age.
The following appeared in one of the weekend editions, in a letters section dealing with the New Orleans catastrophe:
“What has become of the hapless animal victims and why don’t they rate a mention in the news. Jenny Moxham, Monbulk”.
What a tunnelvisioned statement.
We have one of the great natural disasters ever to have hit the United States; exacerbated by the apparent ineffectual response of the “first of the first world” governments. There are miles of film of dead, distressed and despairing people; disintegration of law and order and Apocalyptic scenes of a city that looks pretty much like most western cities. But Jenny is worrying because there is no news of the animals.
If publicity for the animal tragedy, and I am sure such stories will emerge in time, causes a single bit of effort or donation to be diverted from the prime task of rescuing people it will be a wrong result.
In food scarcity, would you feed a dog rather than a child?
In perilous situations would you rescue a cat rather than an old woman in a wheelchair?
If it took 10 minutes to free the horses and that 10 minutes was difference between saving or losing a family from drowning in their own roof space, also a story yet to come, which would you choose?
So Jenny’s question about coverage is quite easily answered, it’s not yet newsworthy, but will be.
Also the rescue services and media have more urgent things to do, so there is nothing about animals to report, yet.
Most rational people, while sympathising with the plight of the animals, would realise the proper priorities.
But rest easy Jenny, I am sure that some animals escaped the flood and starvation by going down the most frequently used canal in New Orleans, the Alimentary.
John Nieman
Monbulk
