Comments, tweets and emails – 16 October 2015 edition
 Letters to the Editor: Baw Baw   By // 00:00, Friday 16 October 2015

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LETTER // As a keen cyclist it was with optimism a friend told me that the council were installing ‘planters’ in Queen Street. I thought perhaps we were being progressive and leading by separating vehicle and cycle traffic, like Copenhagen or indeed Melbourne.

It was with astonishment and some incredulity that I then found out the council was “planting trees in the cycle lane in Queen Street.”


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Apart from the obvious lack of common sense and safety concerns, it struck me that there’s inconsistency in policy. The council is pleased to take credit for the final stage of the much loved Two Towns Trail bike path (the opening of which my family attended) but then makes this decision.

The council may be interested how I found out about the actual plan. It was quoted as possibly the most stupid idea by any council in Australia by respected cycling journalist Mathew Keenan and Tour de France legend Robbie McEwen on SBS’s The Bike Lane.

Imagine how embarrassing it was to realise why Warragul was being mentioned.

So far, The Bike Lane has 2,159 Twitter followers, SBS Cycling 39,400 followers, Matt Keenan 13,100 followers and Robbie McEwen 105,000 followers. Forgive me for not counting the Facebook followers, I think you’ll appreciate that the actual and potential audience far exceeds just the standard national television audience.


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Unfortunately for council, this will have been publicised globally.

Imagine if my initial thought had been correct. All that publicity could have been positive. What a missed opportunity.

Regards,

David Arnold, Warragul

 

COMMENT // RE: ‘Disappointing’ bike path tree planting: Baw Baw calls snap meeting (Monday, web)

Bike Lane? It’s not a Bike Lane – for most of the day its use is parking for vehicles, ranging from motor bikes to semi trailers.

Let’s face it, a painted white line with a stenciled bike neither makes it safe for bike riders or defendable as an unalienable right to be used solely for bike riders. The time is coming when we will be glad to have as much shade as possible.


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‘Graeme’
via warragulcitizen.com

 

COMMENT // RE: ‘Disappointing’ bike path tree planting: Baw Baw calls snap meeting (Monday, web)

The council has been watching too many episodes of “Utopia” (ABC 1).

Without community consultation, it has employed Karsten at great expense to come up with an idea to mark our town’s entrances.

The design is so ridiculous even the Working Dog team would think it too unbelievable to script.

‘Rahji’
via warragulcitizen.com

 

COMMENT // RE: Do off leash areas actually achieve what councils hope they will? (WBBC 28 August)

I think off-leash areas can be a fantastic resource for dogs and their owners, but as the article states it is important dog owners recognise when an environment is appropriate and safe for their dog.

I have two dogs and wouldn’t walk either of them in an off-leash area. One has atrocious recall when he is distracted so I simply can’t take the risk if there are roads nearby. The other can be reactive and unpredictable when meeting new dogs. Therefore I feel these off-leash areas aren’t an appropriate choice for my dogs and me.

It is every dog owner’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their own dogs as well as others!

Ella Richardson
via Facebook

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