Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be give to letters of 100 words or less.
- Read the story: Anchored holiday houseboats prompt action
As an avid kayaker who lives on the Noosa North Shore, I see many of these dilapidated, some abandoned and unregistered hulks, littering this iconic waterway.
Some blame the current housing shortage as a reason, but so many are not ever occupied, so that reason is negated.
The Maroochy River, which is under Sunshine Coast Council authority, has no such issues. Noosa River has state government agency control and here lies the problem.
Michael Hancock, Noosa North Shore
I really feel for Miss Daley not being able to access the shore, and the hose pipes are definitely a hazard.
Something to consider and learn from this situation is that we live in unprecedented times. Many are homeless and living in cars. Accessing water and any necessary facility can be hard for some.
I don’t know the situation of the houseboat owners but surely the river is a place for boats, house or not, and for some maybe the only way to enjoy Christmas.
How about putting up some taps right next to the river to get rid of the long-hose hazard? Make it a safe space for longer-term houseboat mooring. Do you need to make money out of everyone? Is life so hard for Noosa people that they need to come down on others trying to enjoy the river?
Bobbie O
- Read the story: Road closures, fireworks and food trucks for NYE
The Mooloolaba fireworks were the best we’ve seen for years.
They were a lovely display without being too noisy and I believe we all should be considering the environment and not leaving so much rubbish around. I also hope that council do not vote for future midnight fireworks. People just create and leave more rubbish everywhere in the location.
Computerised colour light displays should be considered to replace all future fireworks.
Ed Car, Mooloolaba
- Treasuring our teachers
Good teachers have a positive influence on us for life and we treasure our favourites.
Celebrity Adam Hills has fond memories of a maths teacher who challenged him to extend his horizons. After becoming a comedian, he ran into Greg Doyle, aka ‘Rampaging Roy Slaven’.
When he recalled Greg as a casual relief teacher, Greg winced at the memory as he found Adam’s school so tough that he bailed out of teaching to pursue acting and comedy.
Recently, I enjoyed returning to Blayney High School, near Bathurst in NSW, where I taught for 18 years.
Former students gave me a warm inner glow when they touched on shared positive experiences with me as their teacher.
A remarkable woman still teaching PE there since the 1970s is Maureen Dickson.
She inspired Kurt Fearnley to follow his dreams, including crawling through mud for 11 days along the Kokoda Track.
Kurt was the first student to attend Blayney High in a wheelchair. Maureen sensed a frustrated athlete looking for an avenue to extend his abilities not limited by perceptions of his disabilities.
She helped create a pathway into wheelchair basketball and racing as he rose to the podium 12 times over five Paralympics.
In accepting Australian of the Year in 2019, Kurt referred to Maureen as the special teacher who influenced his life.
Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be give to letters of 100 words or less.
