Time to move on
We clearly welcome Wednesday's High Court decision to disallow further objection to the building of a mosque in Bendigo, and congratulate City of Greater Bendigo Council and everyone else who has worked so hard to get to this point.
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This decision is validation from the highest authority in the land.
The line has now been drawn and it is time to move on. This decision is a landmark day in Bendigo's history, but it is not the end of something, it is the start of something magnificent.
It is time to now look forward and celebrate Bendigo for what it is, not what it has been portrayed as.
We are a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community that celebrates the contribution every culture makes to Bendigo life.
Whatever country you are from, whatever religion you practice and whatever culture you celebrate, you are welcome in Bendigo.
Bendigo can now come together to help the diverse and beautiful Islamic community build the city's first mosque.
How magnificent!
Believe in Bendigo Steering Committee Members: Ken Gilchrist, Conchita Ollivier, The Very Reverend John Roundhill, Margot Spalding, Kaye Graves, Jayson Tayeh, Margaret O'Rourke, Scott Elkington, Rob Stephenson, Anthony Radford, Damian Wells and The Very Reverend Tony Shallue.
Commuters show little concern
Re: “New ways to travel” Bendigo Advertiser, Monday June 6, 2016
I read with interest about Mr Graham Williams intentions to travel by V/Line accompanied by his mobility scooter.
I wish you well, Mr Williams, it is gratifying to see that the disabled are being given consideration to support their needs. I trust that you have many enjoyable journeys in the future with V/Line and I commend them for offering this service.
While V/Line are doing their utmost to accommodate the needs of the disabled, I doubt if fellow Bendigonians will afford Mr Williams the same courtesy if my recent experience is anything to go by.
On Monday, May 23 a carer and I escorted a disabled young woman from Southern Cross Station to Bendigo. We entered the ‘quiet carriage’ on the 11.15am service, arriving at Bendigo at 1.16pm. We entered the carriage at least twenty minutes before departure expecting to be able to be seated in a block of four seats (two facing forwards/two facing backwards) to assist in our caring role of this young woman.
The carriage was virtually empty; however every block of four seats was occupied by a single commuter with various personal items positioned on the seats around them to indicate that the seats were occupied. We paused near one such commuter occupying four seats to be met with a steely glare. All were Bendigonians, as the all alighted at either Kangaroo Flat or Bendigo stations.
Our journey would have been enhanced and our caring role a little easier to execute if we were able to occupy seating which would have afforded us a little extra room. We have more consideration shown to our disabled young lady in the very crowded trams of Melbourne than on a V/Line service. Melbournians cannot be faulted in this regard.
I found it difficult to understand that a single commuter (and there were six of them that day) can have such a sense of entitlement to expect to occupy four seats. Their selfishness was overwhelming.
Glenis Hawthorne, Kerang
- Letters commenting on election issues must bear the name and full address of the writer(s). Responsibility for election comment in this issue is accepted by Bendigo Advertiser editor Nicole Ferrie, 67-71 Williamson Street, Bendigo. Writers should disclose any alliance with political or community organisations and include their telephone number for verification. Election candidates should declare themselves as such when submitting letters.
