our100

2 - THE NORTH EASTERN ADVERTISER WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009• Letters must be short and may be edited for reasonsof space or clarity. Names, addresses and telephonenumbers must be included. Unsigned letters orthose with pen names will not be published.SUPPORT FOR DRMCGINITYSir,Can anyone explain whyLara Giddings, DeputyPremier of Tasmania,Minister of Health, andAttorney General, andDavid Barlett, Premier ofTasmania, are unable toassist me and the towns ofBridport, Derby, Scottsdaleand surrounds with thereason for Dr PaulMcGinity's continuedsuspension?They elected theMedical Council ofTasmania and are the onlyones who can force a quickresolution.Other victims areinnocent until provenguilty. Dr Paul McGinity isbeing penalised in everyway? He is unable to tendhis sick and frail patients.With the restrictionsplaced on Dr PaulMcGinity, he is nowallowed to practise for only42 hours a week supervisedor 18 hours a week if alocum is available on theend of the phone. Locumshave been very hard toattract and very expensiveat a cost of $7,500 weekly, athis own expense.Dr Peter Sexton of theMedical Council ofTasmania said Dr. PaulMcGinity is not a danger. Iask - why is our doctor andhis patients beingvictimised in this way?The lack of locums hasforced Dr McGinity to closethree surgeries in Bridport,Derby and Scottsdale,leaving 3,000 patientswithout medicalassistance.Invitations have beenissued to allparliamentarians to help.Are you lookingfor child care?• We are very excited that we are able to offer Family DayCare in the Bridport area and we hope that our carer (Amelia)complements and supports existing child care services in thearea.• Amelia has been providing care for several families in thelocal area and has recently completed her orientation and isregistered with our service.• If you are looking for child care for work, study, respite orpurely for the social aspect of your child having the opportunityto play with other children.Please contact Amelia on 0400 588 605LETTERS TO THE EDITORWhy has it been left to theLiberals and Greens onlywho have offeredassistance."Save our doctor, saveour lives."Val Cocker,Scottsdale.RETAIN OUR HERITAGESir,In case those who haveexpressed interest in mycorrespondence over thepast year or so arewondering why there hasbeen nothing from me inthe last couple of months, Ishould perhaps explainthat my wife and I havebeen travelling overseas.Whilst the main object ofthe trip was to attend afamily gathering and spendtime with various relativesand friends, we werefortunate enough to be ableto explore some of thegreat cities of the world,including Los Angeles,Chicago, Paris, Vienna andZurich, where thevisionary "city fathers",past and present, havecreated and continue toenhance widely varyingbut always proud examplesof modern civilization.Chicago, for example,was destroyed by fire in1871 but, thanks to the "cando"attitude of its citizens, abeautiful city has risenfrom the ashes.In Europe we also visitedhistoric cities and townssuch as Cologne,Heidelberg, Strasbourgand others that have beenpainstakingly rebuilt afterbeing ravaged by warsthrough the centuries. Inthe Alsace region ofFrance (the land of thelegendary storks) we sawthe quaintest "picturebook"medieval towns andCouncil ReportKey Decisions of the last Council Meeting 17 AUGUST 2009 A summary of the works as a 7th August 2009• Approved the creation of an easement for overhead electricity linesin the McLennan Street Reserve, Scottsdale.• Granted a partial remission of the General Rate levied on the NorthEast AminyaHostel Property, Scottsdale, for the 2009/2010 financial year.• Received and noted the Dorset Council Annual Plan 2008/09 Endof year Report.• Bridport Main Street Projects:• Received and confirmed two reports by the GeneralManager to Council which included information on planningand statutory requirements, risk management, financialimplications and community considerations;• Approved and authorised financial implications, ascontained in the General Manager’s two reports, whichinclude State Government contributions of $492,000 andborrowings of $300,000 towards the overall $2M cost of allthe Projects;• Accepted the tender of Venarchie Contracting in the sumof $851,396.55 (excl GST) for Stage One of the Projects.villages, which have beenlovingly preserved bysucceeding generations ofproud citizens, and areconsequently now suchgems that they a realtourist honey-pots.In the Yorkshire Dales ofEngland we experienceddriving on roads so narrowthat in some places it isquite impossible for twovehicles to pass. But thoseroads are still beingmaintained because theyserve a useful purpose forboth local traffic andtourists - not closed ordeclared "unsafe" by somebureaucratic localgovernment official.We also visited theshocking battlefields of theSomme, including the townof Villers-Bretonneuxwhere Australians arehonoured for their braveryand the crucial role theyplayed in helping to turnthe tide of World War I, andthe beaches of Normandywhere thousands died inthe defence of democracyand the rights of theindividual againsttotalitarian powers.On our return, in readingthe eight editions of the"Advertiser" that hadaccumulated in the waitingmail, it was disappointingto find that thecontroversies over theBridport streetscaperedevelopment and DrMcGinity's medicalpractice are still raging.In the case of theBridport streetscape itappears that the DorsetCouncil is persisting withthe same intransigent andhigh-handed approach thatit applied to the issue of theDerby Station Road Bridge- doggedly ignoring theclearly expressed wishes ofa majority of communityUNSEALED ROADS MaintenanceGrading – Mathinna Plains, Old Waterhouse, Homestead,Snake TrackPatching – McKenzie ValleyDrainage – Browns, Halfway, KoomeelaPotholing - Koomeela, NookTree Maintenance –New RoadSEALED ROADS MaintenanceVerge Maintenance –Jetpatcher – Scottsdale, Bridport, Gladstone, Waterhouse,GolcondaFootpath Maintenance – Beattie Street, Hedley StreetGuidepost Maintenance - Golconda Road, Waterhouse RoadCAPITAL WORKSAlberton Road WideningRose Street FootpathBridge 1594 Greeta Roadmembers.Perhaps if Council hadapplied as muchdetermination tobrokering a speedyresolution of the problemsconfronting Dr McGinityand his patients, a moresatisfactory outcome mighthave been achieved by now.John Beswick,Deviot and Derby.OPPOSED TOBRIDPORTSTREETSCAPE PLANSir,It is a matter of greatconcern that the DorsetCouncil continues toignore the wishes of a largemajority of Bridportresidents, even after thesurvey by Mr PeterGutwein MHA clearlyshowed their wishes.The main problem isthe loss of nearly half ofthe existing shop-frontparking spaces if angleparking is changed toparallel parking. To mysurprise I also found theexisting carriageway,already narrow, is not onlynot going to be widened, itis to be fractionallynarrowed!This from a counciltouting their plan ascatering for the futureneeds of the town.My plea to the council isthis - confer with yourconsultants and seewhether they can come upwith a plan incorporatingwider footpaths and spacefor alfresco dining, abicycle track and angleparking.The last thing youwould want would surelybe a repeat of the WilliamStreet fiasco.Sheena Butler,Bridport.Liberals callfor Joint SelectCommittee onMedical ActTHE parliamentary LiberalParty has called for a JointSelect Committee into theMedical PractitionersRegistration Act in thewake of the treatment of DrPaul McGinity, and theState government’s failureto provide leadership onthe issue.The Liberals believethat the committee shouldinquire into the adequacyof the provisions of the Actwith particular reference to- reviewing existingstatutes, procedures andpractices for theconsideration andnotification of suspensionsfrom medical practice,including the essentialrequirements of naturaljustice and proceduralfairness; and the adequacyof arrangements currentlyin place when a medicalpractitioner is suspended,or reinstated underconditions, which affect theability to provide medicalcare to the localcommunity he or sheLIBERAL Senator GuyBarnett believes prospectsfor the Musselroe WindFarm development haveadvanced markedly as aresult of the passing of theRenewable Energy Targetlegislation by the House ofRepresentatives this week.CompleteCompleteservices.Liberal shadowtreasurer Peter Gutweinsaid the committee shouldreport by November 19."The Liberals and theNorth-East communityhave had real concerns atthe lack of leadership fromthe State LaborGovernment which hasseen a huge gap in thedelivery of health servicesas a result of Dr McGinity’ssudden suspension fourmonths ago, and thesubsequent restrictionsplaced on his ability tocontinue to deliverservices," Mr Gutwein said."If the Medical Councilare operating in accordancewith the Act, then what wemust do is look at the Actand make changes thatwould prevent a situationwhere people are leftwithout a doctor, ormedications, for lengthyperiods."The committee will onlybe formed if the Laborgovernment supports it.Musselroe windfarm a step closerThe $350 millioninvestment into NorthEast Tasmania will create150 jobs duringconstruction and meet theelectricity needs of up to55,000 homes.Senator Barnett saidthe Liberals stronglysupport a renewableenergy target of 20% by2020 and if this islegislated it will be a hugeboost for wind farmdevelopments generallyand Musselroe Bay inparticular.“I am glad that thegovernment has this weekbacked down and agreedto coalition requests to decouplethe renewableenergy legislation fromthe overall ETS package.,”Senator Barnett said.“It is however criticalthat the Governmentagrees to ouramendments to protectthe aluminium, cementand food processingindustries,” he added.For further information on any of these items, please contact theMayor, Cr Peter Partridge (03 63 522 776) or the General Manager,Mr John Martin (0363 526 500).Your Councillors are:Mayor Peter Partridge, Deputy Mayor Yvonne Thorne, Councillor SteveArnold, Councillor Roger McLennan, Councillor Heath Rattray, CouncillorThomas Ransom, Councillor Sheryl Martin, Councillor Barry Jarvis andCouncillor Max HallFor further information call 03 6352 6500 or log onto www.dorset.tas.gov.au