As an anecdote, I gave a short presentation at Ourimbah RSL Club a couple of weeks ago, when Van Davy (Community Plan Central Coast) chaired a meeting to meet the candidates for the upcoming Council elections.
The comment (near the beginning) was something to the effect that large effects can be initiated by the actions of a very few people.
During the dry year of 2005, I arrived home one day to see many trees ringed by pink ribbons, prior to the planned lintel wall to be built along the northern face of Wyoming Rd, where I live.
Knowing that the ribbons indicated the last step before the chainsaws arrive, I trundled down to Gosford Council ready to bite heads off.
I spoke to the senior planning engineer and asked the naive question: “Do you realise that the trees destined for removal are actually part of a wildlife corridor that runs from Berry’s Head down to Narara Creek?”
“I had no idea” was the honest response, and so I asked him to drop by the area to see for himself.
He must have done so, because when the chainsaws eventually did arrive, they took out only a very small proportion of the ringed trees, and so the corridor still exists, albeit being much more difficult for possum families to visit our backyard fruit trees.
For those few words at Van’s meeting I received a standing ovation.
Much can be achieved by an educated society, such as in Switzerland.
We actually can achieve our societal goals with ease if only people take interest in the affairs of all three tiers of government.
I know that’s asking a lot, but I pose the question of how we can achieve that.
Would love to have feedback on this.
I’m reminded of some graffiti on a TAFE toilet wall: “Beam me up Scotty: there’s no intelligent life down here!”
I beg to differ.
Email, Aug 16
Peter Adderley, Narara