Today I experienced a renewed faith that humanity and kindness are alive and well.
I had decided not to participate in the panic buying and the hoarding of toilet paper or anything else.
I wanted to remain positive and thoughtful with a 'she'll be right mate' and 'there is plenty for everyone' attitude.
Two weeks ago, I was getting desperate for toilet paper, so the hunt began. Wherever I went, the shelves were bare. Day after day, I was out of luck.
Last week I visited my daughter in Jindabyne and was able to get a pack of four toilet rolls. I was jubilant, to say the least. I thought I had hit the jackpot.
Yesterday I went hunting again. Nothing!
Today I thought I would forage in Aldi's in Engadine. I felt desperate but positive.
Upon parking the car, I met a young woman in her 20's with a very young bub strapped to her chest. In her free arms, she proudly carried a large pack of toilet paper.
My survival instinct kicked in and I immediately was full of hope, excitement and victory.
I asked her which hunting ground stocked this nearly extinct product.
She said: "Aldi's".
"Great, that is where I am headed", I said.
She said: "Too late. I got the last pack. It is madness. Security guards are there to control the chaos".
I was crestfallen.
With a pretty smile, she said: "You can have mine".
I cried with the unexpected kindness in this madness.
Kim Charters, Loftus
Common sense lost
Didn't know so many fruitcakes (aka: doomsday preppers) lived in the elitist Shire.
Normal people cannot now do a normal shop. Shame on you.
I suppose you didn't donate to the bushfire cause, either.
It seems common sense is not that common.
K Baker, Engadine
Slow progress on ban
If we are like a lot of other people, they will have an ever-increasing stockpile of heavy plastic bags. With the lightweight bags, we use them multiple times as they are so handy (pack the lunch for work, pick up the dog poo, use as a rubbish bag, etc.). We don't do big planned shops for a month at a time like some people, but rather, lots of little ad-hoc purchases if and when we are in the mood. So we end up buying new heavy bags nearly every time we shop because we can never get into the habit of taking them with us.
The solution to the pollution issue is clearly biodegradable/compostable light-weight bags. The government needs to force this, as shops will never move across to them otherwise.
Jason Firmstone, Como
Monro Park 50m development proposal
The community and Sutherland Council worked laboriously on the 2015 Local Environmental Plan (LEP) for a long period. The community had hoped the Cronulla Mall might have been left at its current low heights to preserve sunshine and conserve the heritage of many buildings up to 100 years of age, as Manly Corso has done. Unfortunately, the only buildings designated to be Heritage, i.e. not be redeveloped, where the Bank (now the Banc), the Post office and Cronulla theatre.
The heights in the Mall were increased from existing low heights to predominantly 20m (5 to 6 storeys) on both sides. The higher buildings lining the mall will reduce sunlight and increase a wind tunnel effect.
The Monro Park site was approved for 25m (7 to 8 storeys) to allow for a larger building there. North Cronulla Precinct Committee developed shadow plans with the assistance of a master Mariner, showing that a 25m building would cast a shadow over one-third of the length of Monro Park at 9am and 3pm on June 22nd, at Altitude 20 degrees. Obviously, a 50 m building will double the shadow effect on the park.
A 50m building also creates a dangerous precedent for other developers to press for similar concessions. If the council and the panel approved this site for 25m, it should stay at that. We believe the 2015 LEP is providing the extra dwellings required of it by NSW State Govt.
Further, the narrow lanes and streets around the site and the station are already highly stressed with new high rise residential buildings, heavy traffic to and from South Cronulla, and delivery trucks to retailers. The proposal has limited parking of 60 spaces, further impacting the current parking problem.
Its a beautiful small historical park, an oasis of sunlight, trees and gardens, with an unshadowed war memorial. It should be left to be enjoyed in peace.
Please leave the height of this development as per the LEP at 25m.
Marilyn Urch, Cronulla
Monro Park development
Now that a new hotel and multi-storey residence has been approved opposite Monro Park, the council and state govt seriously need to address the pedestrian issues when accessing the train station. The current pedestrian crossing causes peak hour and weekend traffic jams. With the likely increase of intoxicated people from the new hotel crossing the road late at night, we need to replace the existing crossing with a ramped underpass and fence off any access to crossing the road. The benefits of an underpass are that it will greatly reduce bottleneck traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety. There is plenty of unused land on either side of the road to accommodate a ramped underpass, and this requirement should be part of the DA process.
Bruce Elliott, Cronulla
Monro Park-It is amazing
That a developer can buy a site knowing what the FSR, Height Limits and Zoning, but then tells the Council that it is not Feasible if he does not get his required 50% (21 storeys, now 44.4 metres) additional height requirements and near double the Floor Space allowed. Is that in the Public interest and should we now care about his profit requirements?
-That an almost historic Monro Park that has been revitalised in recent years be now potentially subject to such significant increased overshadowing by such a development. Is that good for the public use of the Park?
- That such a small one-way laneway along the eastern edge of the park will be capable of carrying all the additional traffic, cars and trucks, plus pedestrian crossovers that all the new development under construction and proposed is permissible?
-That a member of an independent Local Planning Panel which rejected the Hotel proposal, be removed due to a perceived conflict of interest after the decision and advice of a council officer, but now the Mayor who declared a conflict of interest does not or will not have any influence on the outcome anyway?
It is about time that the over-development in Cronulla be stopped and that the Local Environmental Plan be enforced to the letter without compromise or favour and we retain some common sense in planning and approvals for the Public and Residents interest without Politics in Council.
K Adams, Cronulla
Heathcote Road
Surely on top of the governments agenda, this year must be an improvement to the dreaded and deadly Heathcote Road. Six people have been killed on this horror road since 2015 and more than 12 innocent people have perished in the last 12 years. In the past four years, accidents along the 6 km stretch between the Princess Highway and Illawarra Road have resulted in 115 injuries with 10% of them being head-ons. Heathcote MP Lee Evan should be putting this road at the top of his New Years resolutions. He should be doing everything to have this killer road, which claims one-third of all the Shires fatalities, fixed.
The NSW road toll is increasing, so Mr Evans needs to grasp this issue and force the Roads Minister to spend the money to stop blood spilling onto our roadway. No more photo opportunities and lukewarm announcements. We need to see workers in hard hats making this road safe. This Liberal government has not made the Heathcote Road safe, but at the same time, it allowed and supported major infrastructure at the nearby Heathcote Hall. The government has foisted upon residents one of the greatest planning debacles in the Shires history in the form of the Heathcote Hall development. This development has attracted unprecedented negative publicity for the government, but it is nothing compared to the campaign being planned to make this government finally act on its killer road.
Phil Smith, Heathcote
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craig.thomson@austcommunitymedia.com.au