Precious trees cannot be replaced - roads can

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Precious trees cannot be replaced - roads can

Credit: Illustration: Andrew Dyson

To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.

DJAB WURRUNG TREES

Precious trees cannot be replaced – roads can

I am writing on behalf of a four-year-old and a six-year-old who have Djab Wurrung heritage. Both love trees and become upset when they see any cut down. They have visited the site of the birthing trees linked to Djab Wurrung heritage – ‘‘Anger over felling of historic tree’’ (The Age, 28/10) – and have some understanding of their significance. These trees are said to be on a dangerous stretch of road, so of course that needs to be fixed. Some compromises have been made, but the value of these trees is priceless.

Chopping trees down is cheap and easy, but when they are gone they cannot be replaced. If a real cost-benefit analysis of alternative solutions were made with the true value of these priceless trees factored in and a genuine attempt made to save them, it might be possible for these children to have this part of their, and our, invaluable tangible heritage left. It is not too late, yet the Premier said he was ‘‘determined to get this road upgraded’’. Is it money or stubbornness that is causing the decimation of these trees?
Joan McColl, Drouin

Trashing a culture in the name of ‘progress’

An appalling decision by state and federal governments. How can the Aboriginal people trust or respect our political and business leaders when their culture is trashed in the name of progress? Imagine the outcry if any of the avenues of trees commemorating fallen soldiers were felled to make way for a freeway, or the Shrine of Remembrance demolished so that we could get up St Kilda Road that much faster? We already have too many amends to make to our traditional owners; this latest debacle makes me wonder if we can ever atone.
Jillian Staton, Tarwin Lower

This is cultural and environmental destruction

The destruction of culturally significant trees for highway works between Buangor and Ararat is Victoria’s Juukan Caves moment. But in this case it is a state authority that persists with a patently bad idea simply because it has approval. Are the available alternatives being stubbornly resisted just to vindicate poor early choices? This destruction is to be deplored on cultural heritage grounds and environmental grounds and is gut-wrenchingly sad.
Louise Honman, East Brunswick

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Our shameful history with our First Peoples

The removal of sacred trees on Djab Wurrung country is disgusting and disrespectful, especially because white Australians have such a terrible history when dealing with Indigenous Australians. I am appalled and ashamed that these idiotic decisions continue to be made. How can Sussan Ley and Daniel Andrews be so indifferent and acrimonious?
Felicity Holmes, Tinderbox

If situation were reversed, how would whites react?

Just imagine a group of First Australians, armed with high-powered chainsaws, arriving at Flemington Racecourse and chopping down all the rose bushes that are culturally significant to white Australians. Oh, the outrage.
David Allen, Bayswater North

Easing of restrictions was a convenient cover

I am enraged and saddened to hear of the cultural genocide occurring on sacred Djab Wurrung country. The government sent police onto sacred land on the same day the media was saturated with news about the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. This is not a day to celebrate. If the Victorian government is serious about making a treaty with First Nations people, it would not be wilfully destroying sacred country.
Claudia Gallois, Brunswick

Saving the trees and still upgrading the highway

Why isn’t Major Road Projects Victoria rerouting the Western Highway through the pine plantation rather than destroying the irreplaceable cultural heritage of the Djab Wurrung people? The power and influence of a pine plantation company evidently holds greater sway than the Victorian government’s commitment to making a treaty.
Louise Crisp, Bairnsdale

LETTERS

How far have we come?

It is 120 years since federation and we still have colonial thinking in dealing with Aboriginal people. Earlier this year we had the destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves, where a corporation had a legal permit for blasting, ignored the voices of the local Indigenous people and a heritage site was destroyed. Now we have cultural destruction in central Victoria.

The Djab Wurrung people have made it clear that the Aboriginal body the government consulted with on cultural heritage in their area does not speak for them. Major Road Projects Victoria obtained legal approval for the removal of certain trees sacred to these people. Once again these people were ignored and the destruction proceeded.

A progressive government consults the people affected by the building of infrastructure. Bureaucracy bulldozes its way through ‘‘following proper legal process’’. This was a predominant justification of the colonial age in dealing with Aboriginal people. How far have we come?
John Terry, Chewton

Focus on rail, not roads

It is a national disgrace that we continue to build massive new roads for our trucks. The money should be spent on upgrading our neglected railway system. The percentage of freight carried by rail between Melbourne and Adelaide (and between Melbourne and Sydney) is pitifully low.
Chris Goddard, Ivanhoe

A busy time for teachers

Thanks, Josh Frydenberg, for your vote of confidence in teachers and the education system when you said: ‘‘My children are like the children of everyone else from Victoria in this place – six months lost from schooling, six months that they will never ever get back.’’ Of course, teachers were doing nothing during the lockdown. I wonder what the teachers at your children’s school think of your comments.
Susan Snooks, Kew

So little praise, Treasurer

Josh Frydenberg does a great disservice to the teachers, parents, carers and children who worked diligently during the lockdown. Teachers conducted online classes from their homes while also supervising their own children. Parents monitored their children’s education while putting their own ‘‘work from home’’ on hold, or working late into the night to catch up on it. The students themselves learnt to cope with a totally new way of learning.

There is no doubt that most students missed the daily contact with their friends. However, some thrived and many of those who were at risk of falling behind were given one-on-one support from their teachers – who also worked long hours preparing classes.

While it may be politically expedient for Josh Frydenberg to criticise the Victorian government, some praise for those who coped with such strength and resilience during the lockdown would be welcome.
Jo Bond, South Melbourne

Insensitive and unwise

Josh Frydenberg used the suicide of a friend of a friend to lambast the Andrews government’s management of COVID-19. This was insensitive as an individual’s suicide often results from many factors and should not be weaponised in a political stoush.

It was also unwise. Mr Frydenberg may have had a memory lapse and forgotten the reports of extreme emotional distress and even suicide linked to his government’s harsh, robodebt program. There is also the upset to Victorian families whose loved ones died in aged care facilities, whose standards are a federal responsibility.
Valerie Gerrand, West Melbourne

Voters will not forget

Yesterday morning, I expect Josh Frydenberg was recalling that he polled less than 50per cent in Kooyong at the last federal election. On Tuesday, with his speech in Parliament, he did nothing to improve his chances the next time around.
Robert Brown, Camberwell

Wrong words, wrong time

On a day when we Victorians were feeling relieved, hopeful and proud, Josh Frydenberg, who comes from Melbourne, ruined what could have been a historic moment in Parliament. A bipartisan honouring of all Victorians for their courage and resilience. What I saw from the Treasurer was an angry venting of negativity. Not helpful. Not kind.
Marie Douglas, Camberwell

Where the blame lies

All these pats on the back for the Premier, Daniel Andrews, obviously ignore the fact that 90per cent of the COVID-19 deaths in Australia (817 out of 905) were in Victoria and were mainly caused by the incompetence of his team.
Bernard Lyons, Mount Waverley

How our loyalties change

Shouty, judgmental politicians beware. Victoria is a football state. If a player causes a turnover, they are an idiot. If that player then works their backside off to recover the ball, they are a hero.
David Whiting, Essendon

More delay and confusion

Having fortuitously visited numerous hospitality venues in NSW and the ACT throughout July and August, we found the QR code check-in system (The Age, 28/10) to be seamless, quick and efficient. To read that, having had months to prepare for the reopening of restaurants and shops, the Victorian government is only now ‘‘developing a QR code check-in system’’, with details ‘‘to be announced in coming weeks’’, raises further grave doubts as to the running of our COVID response by the government and its bureaucracy.

That the implementation of this proven, established and indispensable aid to tracking and contact tracing should be delayed is inexcusable. Will the mismanagement ever end?
Albert Kaminsky, St Kilda West

I’m proud to be Victorian

The efforts made by all Victorians to adhere to the rules to defeat the virus were nothing short of astonishing. Together we have brought the pandemic under control. A big thank you to the Premier who has displayed leadership beyond expectations and in spite of the carping, hectoring criticism of the likes of Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, Greg Hunt and Michael O’Brien who all politicised the pandemic. Shame on them.
Jaya Naidu, Merrijig

Nature in all its glory

Last week, in the spring sunshine, I drove to the top of Mount Dandenong. Everywhere looked magnificent and newly green, with rhododendrons in full glory. I was astonished to find myself overwhelmed and weepy by the sudden flood of beautiful sights on my consciousness. I had not realised how deprived my senses had been during the five-kilometre lockdown limit. So when you meet your tribes again and go to the beach or out into the countryside, it might be good to be prepared for an unexpected flood of emotion. At least make sure you take some tissues with you.
Gill Ryan, Mooroolbark

Contentment at home

I do not feel like going out anywhere in particular. I have thoroughly enjoyed my semi-isolation from the ‘‘norm’’. My online ordering is first class and WhatsApp has given me as much social contact as I need. What’s wrong with me?
Jean James, Northcote

The benefits of cash

Jenny Sinclair asks, ‘‘Cash? Who takes cash these days?’’ (Comment, 26/10). Well I do, and most people I know still use it. It is silly not having a few dollars in your purse when you take the kids out. It is important for children to learn about the value of things through building up their pocket money as digital numbers do not have the same meaning. Also, learning to handle cash improves their mathematical awareness.
Robert Scheffer, Bayswater North

Witnesses to brutality

The Brereton report into the ‘‘bloodlust’’ behaviour of some SAS soldiers in Afghan villages (The Age, 28/10) will be incomplete if the link between the high number of soldiers committing suicide on their return to Australia is not explained in the inquiry’s findings. What distressingly vicious conduct was witnessed by those soldiers, within the hundreds who have taken their lives?
Des Files, Brunswick

Exposing the evil of war

The horrors of murders and tortures perpetrated by our SAS forces in Afghanistan are on all our consciences and will remain there until we do everything in our power to rectify the evil done.

We need to expose it, attempt to compensate the victims’ families, and engage in re-education of our defence personnel. Moreover our governments must review their gung-ho habit of joining conflicts that are beyond our small sphere of influence and way beyond our limited understanding of the societies torn to shreds by the interference of outside forces.

No wonder hundreds of thousands of Australians have marched in the streets opposing our entry into these wars. It is a pity that those in power have not listened or did not care.
Angela O’Connor, Glen Iris

Protecting our sharks

Shark finning is a cruel and detrimental practice (The Age, 28/10). Scientists estimate between 50 and 75million sharks are left to die each year to satisfy this barbaric activity. Sharks are necessary to keep our oceans clean and healthy. The only way to stop this horrendous activity is for the public not to order this unsustainable food source. Our government is too weak to halt this practice, so it is up to the public to vote with their dollars.
Chris Hargreaves, Forest Hill

Sadly, little has changed

In the 1980s and the ’90s, when I was in my forties and fifties, I read in The Age of the terrible state of aged care homes. I surmised that by the time I reached my eighties, all would be well and the aged would be cared for in a decent and dignified manner. How wrong I was. It would appear to be a lottery as to the standard of care one receives. When my time does come, I would prefer to die in my own bed.
John Sherlock, Bonbeach

AND ANOTHER THING

Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding

COVID-19

Frydenberg’s pumped-up, Trumpian posturing about Victoria’s response doesn’t fool me.
Doug Beecroft, Hawthorn

Does Frydenberg not know Victorian teachers have been working these past six months?
Catherine Casey, Ashburton

A tawdry, tin-eared performance from Frydenberg.
Rosemary Mackie, East Melbourne

Frydenberg is proof that common sense isn’t a prerequisite for achieving a senior government position.
Ian Grandy, Nunawading

It’s not often the whole state cheers a duck in each innings.
Ron Burnstein, Heidelberg

Michael O’Brien, the dark-cloud approach doesn’t work. Ask Matthew Guy what it did for him.
Neil Bateman, Rosebud

When my warder opened the door to my dungeon, I cowered in the corner and didn’t want to come out.
Roger Mendelson, Toorak

The end of lockdown and brand new Bluey. Life is good.
Merrilyn Gates, Northcote

Does Andrews realise November 9 is the day the Berlin Wall fell?
Peter Rechner, Wendouree

A sure sign Melbourne is getting back to normal: a truck gets stuck under the Montague Street bridge.
Roselyn Kyriakou, Kew

The still unanswered question: Who influenced the government to not use the offered ADF assistance?
Bill Pimm, Mentone

Furthermore

Wilcox is spot on (28/10). I’m very disappointed with whoever decided to cut down the culturally significant trees.
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine

Prince Charles supported Kerr’s dismissal of the Whitlam government. Surely that’s fuel for the republican movement.
Graeme Lee, Fitzroy

A good tradesperson isn’t one who never makes mistakes. It’s one who fixes up their mistakes.
John Kellett, Bundoora

Note from the Editor

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