Be aware: If you see someone in your street with a notepad, chances are, a notice will be attached to a telegraph pole or tree in front of a residence advising of a development application (DA) for a childcare centre. Council verification will arrive a week later.
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Be aware: Approval will be granted 'in house' by council planners despite multiple objections by residents.The DA may initially be rejected, lulling neighbours into a false sense of security.
Those affected will be told all the boxes have been ticked. Notice will not be given the DA is up for approval again. When approved those most affected will be notified via email sent to a neighbour.
Affect on residents during demolition and construction will be minimal in spite of multiple heavy vehicles accessing the construction area or, as approved at 2 Record Street, when four metres of soil is excavated for a 25-car underground carpark.
This in a narrow cul-de-sac street alongside Hudson Park. The ultra-modern structure will fit in well with the existing homes, apparently.
Be aware: Residents in low-density residential areas will not be given the opportunity of a public meeting to address their concerns. Involvement, concern and consideration from councillors will be minimal.
Be aware: The chance of reversing an approved DA will be almost negligible due to costs and stress elements.
With six development applications before the council, the majority involving the demolition of perfectly liveable homes, the rights of residents in low density residential areas are being obliterated.
Suzanne Burgess, Goulburn
No bouquets for mayor
Upper Lachlan Mayor Pam Kensit went on a rant about the pedestrian crossing in Crookwell in a local newsletter recently.
Nobody outside of Crookwell cares, but Mayor Kensit is upset that nobody congratulated her for fixing a problem residents lobbied her about years ago.
Why should residents who pay her salary congratulate her for doing her job? And why should anyone outside of Crookwell offer the mayor anything?
Next, the mayor will want us to congratulate her for making it slower to drive through Binda. No thanks. If you want residents to be thankful, then fix the potholes.
Michael de Percy, Gunning
Coalition 'ties itself in knots'
The Coalition have clearly decided they are backing the Israeli government all the way. But this has left them seemingly unable to condemn actions that led to the death of an Australian aid worker.
Hume MP Angus Taylor was sitting alongside the ABC's Lisa Millar on the set of News Breakfast, being asked about the killing of Australian woman Zomi Frankcom, who died on Monday (April 1) after an Israeli air strike hit the aid vehicles in which she and her World Central Kitchen colleagues were travelling.
War is tragic and so too was Frankcom's death, Taylor insisted.
When pressed further, he repeatedly said it was an "allegation" that an Israeli air strike had hit the aid vehicles.
Granted, foreign affairs isn't his portfolio, and maybe he had missed the fact that Israel had accepted responsibility for the deaths.
When presented with Israel's concession, Taylor repeated that war was tragic and added: "Hamas started this off."
Coalition MPs are finding themselves tied in knots. They appear tethered to the Israeli government, unable to express their own opinions on the situation.
They seem to be taking their lead from leader Peter Dutton, who offered no criticism of Israel in his response to the air strike.
Dutton and the Coalition have clearly decided they are backing the Israeli government. But this has left them seemingly unable to condemn actions that led to the death of an Australian aid worker.
Unluckily for Taylor, he was in the studio.
