One of the 115-year-old Moreton Bay fig trees that the Warrnambool City Council wanted to remove.I am absolutely, totally and completely done with our council, the Warrnambool City Council, turning our wild beaches into training tracks for the wealthy players in the racehorse industry, for free.
Crs Gaston, Cassidy, Anderson, Herbert, I suspect your decision will weigh heavy on your hearts, because last night you betrayed our precious, wild beach at Levy’s and sold your souls for what? For what?
And I am absolutely and totally and completely done with our council staff chopping down ancient trees without consultation, without even asking us, because, what, we need a new footpath? Because someone can’t obey a traffic light?
The wild beaches, our magnificent old trees, we don’t own these things – we pass them on – to our kids, to our grandkids, to their kids. They should be able to enjoy them like we have and we do.
This is our precious, living heritage and you, Warrnambool City Council, are trashing it.
Cr David Owen is the lone voice of dissent. One person.
There are so many people out there who share Cr Owen’s view, but who are petrified to speak up, because they rely on the council to survive in this city.
One way or the other, they rely on this council.
But not me. Fortunately I don’t rely on this council. I am supposed to be an ‘objective’ journalist. I am supposed to not have an opinion. Well sorry, but stuff that.
When it comes to issues like these, I am with legendary UK journalist Robert Fisk, who believed that journalists have a responsibility to be advocates when they see wrong doing.
And I see wrong doing.
And I know that so many of you do too.
So please, as Patti Smith said, USE YOUR VOICE. Sign petitions to save the trees, turn up at Levy’s on horse training days, keep writing to me, telling me what you see and hear and know. I am listening.
We are in this together because we love this city, we love our special place and if the council won’t care for it, we will.
Help save the trees here:
https://www.change.org/p/