E-DEVICES  
Dear editor,

Like many, we have had a few hair-raising moments as we have almost collided with young riders on e-bikes and e-scooters. At least twice, thanks to quick reflexes, we avoided seriously harming, or worse, a young person.

No one wants to live with the trauma of being involved in an accident-causing life-changing injuries or fatalities. Therefore, it is good to see the Maroochydore police addressing this dangerous road and footpath behaviour with their operation Raptor Wheelie.

The police operation will educate parents so they know that they can and will be fined or charged for permitting their child’s dangerous or illegal use of an e-scooter or e-bike.  Hopefully, they will then ensure their children understand the road rules, consider others on footpaths, and keep themselves safe too.

Meanwhile, the LNP State Government has a committee looking into this serious matter. Unfortunately, it has been reported that Noosa MP Sandy Bolton attempted to have the committee report this month, but we will have to wait until March 30, 2026, for their report.

Then how much longer before the government brings in legislation to make all road users safer?

Not good enough, Premier Crisafulli.

Robyn Deane,
Nambour.
##

WAGES? 
Dear editor,

When CEO salaries are high ($42Million pa?) and their bonuses are paid from the company’s soaring profits, is the suggestion that some of it will ‘trickle down’ to workers’ wages just some drip’s imagination? Just asking for more details/facts.

Margaret Wilkie,
Peregian Beach.
##

SUCCESS 
Dear editor,
People often believe that success depends on a sliding door moment when their life could have gone one way or the other. Personal coaching guru, Steven Bartlett, sees it differently.

“Successful people have mental health challenges, bad habits, gaps in their knowledge, moments of self-doubt, procrastination issues, imperfect routines, insecurities, and imposter syndrome. But they also know that these are perfectly normal, – that is the difference.”

They don’t let these issues define who they are or serve as excuses for not achieving their dreams.

Famous basketballer, Michael Jordan, gives us all hope when he says, “I failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

Recently, I awoke to the news that my fleeting association with a successful person was marked by a shimmering gold gown when I saw my girlfriend from 1969, Lynne McGranger, bestowed with the Gold Logie for her role as Irene in Home and Away for 33 years.

Lynne retains a great sense of humour, which she had to date me when she was fifteen and vivacious, and I was nineteen and nerdy– beauty and the geek!

In accepting the Logie, Lynne said, “This is going to take pride of place next to my 1974 Wagga Wagga drama festival best actress award. That’s when I thought this acting is kind of good! Maybe I will be better at it than I am at teaching.”

Like Michael Jordan, Lynne persisted and went on to fame and fortune because, as Vidal Sassoon remarked,” The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

Lynne’s husband sounds like an interesting chap. After she spoke of her love for him, Lynne said his reply to her invitation to attend the awards was, “I would rather swallow a hammer!”

Steven Bartlett concludes that no matter what cards we are dealt, no amount of regret can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.

Garry Reynolds,
Peregian Springs.
##

VOTING AT 16?  
Dear editor,

Mandatory voting for all eighteen and over Australian citizens, with the threat of fines for those who fail to vote in our elections, is not replicated in both the U.K. and U.S.A, despite all three nations maintaining a democratic system of government. The U.S. and U.K. systems allow all their citizens freedom to express their opinions at the voting booths, or not. It is not compulsory.

In the U.K., teenagers aged sixteen have the right to vote in elections. In Australia, there is a push to allow sixteen-year-olds the right to vote as it is in the U.K., but whether that would be compulsory or voluntary is not the only dilemma.

At sixteen, in Australian states, sixteen-year-olds cannot have a full driving licence until they turn seventeen, after conditions of extra driving practice are logged. Sixteen is hardly an age when these teens fully comprehend how political opinions determine the outcome of decisions that can change the status quo for all Australians. Most sixteen-year-olds are either still in school, at TAFE, in apprenticeships, employed or unemployed.

They know little of how politics and our systems of government work, which more mature adults know by experience, determining their prowess of world affairs and therefore warranting them with more maturity.

By sixteen, most sixteen-year-olds learn about their world through a constant focus on social media. Social media is not the real world. Even an eighteen-year-old, just out of school, or at university or other learning institutions, in the Australian forces, or even with a driver’s licence, has hardly enough real-world experience to make decisions that can alter our nation’s progress. Realistically, age does not always determine maturity either.

E. Rowe,
Marcoola.
##

HOMELESS WEEK 
Dear editor,

August 4-10 marks Homelessness Week in Australia – a time to take a moment to think about those in our community who are facing some of the most challenging circumstances and realise that it may be affecting people that we don’t expect.

The Salvation Army is one of the largest providers of homelessness services in the country, and in our over 140-year history in Australia, we have seen it all.

We support over 8,000 people every month across Australia who are experiencing homelessness, but what can sometimes shock me more than these numbers is the individual stories behind each person that reaches out to us for help.

We have seen people reach out to our homelessness services who have been donors to the Salvos in the past. We have seen people who are perceivably “well off”, but due to one unforeseen personal crisis like a family member falling ill, they have slipped into homelessness.

Recently, we have started to see increased numbers of women and children reaching out to us. In fact, one in seven people who reached out to us for homelessness support this year have been children under 14. This breaks our hearts.

Homelessness isn’t just sleeping rough on the streets. It manifests in a number of ways, like couch surfing, staying in emergency accommodation or sleeping in your car. In a recent survey of people who reached out to the Salvos for financial support, one in five (19%) had couch surfed or lived in their car at some point in the past 12 months.

That is why we want to shine a light on what homelessness really looks like in Australia. At the Salvos, we want to encourage people to reach out to their friends and family, notice the signs, and know where to go if you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness.

The Salvation Army are here for those experiencing hardship, including those at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. We don’t judge and don’t discriminate.

If you or someone you know needs support from The Salvation Army, please visit salvationarmy.org.au

Commissioner Mark Campbell,
The Salvation Army.

##

ILLEGAL CAMPING RESPONSE  
Dear editor,

I can understand the frustration for the locals in the area. I was put in a position where I had no other option but to live in a van, so I can truly sympathise with the van life, but also the locals’ frustration on this issue, as some don’t have respect and cleanliness. I do agree more needs to be done to help this crisis on the coast.

Unfortunately it comes back to the exuberant rents and property prices and the high cost of living expenses.

I think the following could be some changes that would be helpful.

*Creating a community where the homeless can park their vans at a minimal cost, and in exchange, they could  barter for their rent. EG:  work on the land and as a community. This would  build community and help with their mental health, as well as help local farmers etc.

*Another option I feel would succeed is the government helping people to get loans, such as renting to buy, which would be great for those on benefits. They could sacrifice a certain amount of their pay for this. They could work towards a community housing setting or have assistance to purchase a private dwelling. I think people are giving up on the dream of having a home since Covid as it now seems unattainable.

Thanks for the opportunity for locals to voice their solution to this crisis, and I hope we can find a resolution.

Naomi Bing,
Coolum.
##