Letters to the Editor
People first: a call for a Men’s Meeting Place in Nambour
Congratulations on another excellent issue of the Sunshine Valley Gazette. Your balanced reporting continues to shine a light on the issues affecting our community — particularly around the future of Nambour.
My wife Lorraine and I are encouraged by recent discussions from Mayor Rosanna Natoli and CEO John Baker about revitalising the town. However, much of what we hear still feels trapped in bureaucracy – plans, committees and long-term visions that don’t address the reality that Nambour needs help now.
We strongly support local advocate Helen Tagg’s calls for immediate action on homelessness and safety in the CBD. Alongside her efforts, we have been working to establish a Men’s Meeting Place in Nambour – a practical, grassroots initiative designed by Lorraine many years ago when she saw the need men had to have a safe place to address the root causes of social distress, domestic violence and street crime by engaging with men of all ages, especially those who are struggling, before things spiral further.
This concept has been positively received by local police, who recognise its potential to make a real difference. What’s needed now is genuine support from council to fast-track planning and funding. Every day that passes is another day of suffering for many in our community.
We invite public feedback on the Men’s Meeting Place proposal and welcome contact from others who share our concern for the wellbeing of Nambour’s residents.
– Dr Robert Edwin Roberts PhD and Lorraine Roberts, Nambour, Men’s Meeting Place Project. Phone 0413 292 143
Action, based on compassion, is needed now
Mahatma Ghandi said: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”
Council urgently needs to address the homelessness issue raised by Nambour residents.
It is commendable that locals are calling for action based on compassion with community health and safety foremost.
Those unfortunates who have found themselves homeless are part of our community, we must find solutions now to help them in their dire circumstances.
As has been pointed out there is a housing crisis, an issue decades in the making and not an issue which can be overcome quickly.
There have been meetings, petitions and much talking, surely in this day and age we can find solutions to help those sleeping rough until housing can be built.
- Robyn Deane, Nambour
Housing for Australians more important than hotels for visitors
It's such a shame to hear that we have “an embarrassing shortfall” of up to 30,000 rooms for the 2032 Olympic Games visitors.
What is not only more embarrassing, but more tragic, more urgent and a sadder indictment on Australia as a nation, is the incredible increase in homelessness, the alarming shortfall of housing for Australians and the outrageously unaffordable and unsustainable rent increases. It's the unprecedented increase of people seeking help for anxiety and depression and the increasing sense of hopelessness across all ages which inevitably leads to more crime, more poverty, higher suicide rates and a huge drain on our hospitals and health professionals.
We can rest assured though, that while Australians suffer and go down the gurgler, all stops will be pulled to ensure that the Olympics will be a success. By 2032, Australia could very well become one of the first third world nations to host an Olympic Games.
Housing for Australians is far more important and urgent than more hotels for visitors. While our State and Local Governments concentrate on spending billions on and channelling all resources to the Olympics, what about the good inhabitants of South East Queensland?
Where are the thousands of construction industry workers coming from and where are they going to live?
– Anthony Sullivan, Nambour.