Northern Rivers Talking Turkey

Dear Editor
I would like to respond to some of the comments that were made at the Repco Rally meeting held in Kyogle on Feb 2 2010. One issue that was brought up on several occasions was of the sighting and plotting for koala habitats along one of the rally routes, namely Sargents Rd, Homeleigh. These comments are very close to home, so to speak. I am 32 years old and have lived in the Kyogle area all my life, in the Homeleigh/Sargents Rd area until the age of 22. After I got a job I traveled over the road in the early mornings, around 4-30-5AM  and often not coming home till late at night. In this time I only ever saw 3 koalas. However my father and I have seen a couple up the back of the property whilst riding horses or motor bikes. We also had to look really hard to spot them in the trees. I find it extremely hard to believe that the koala population is in such large numbers as has been reported by a few locals. If the local koala spotter can drive and watch the road at the same time she is doing really well, however I do know of one motorist who came around a corner and almost had a head on smash as the spotter was looking out the passenger window whilst driving in the middle of the road.
Another issue that was stressed at the meeting was about the environment and damage to flora and fauna, being caused by the rally. On my family property we had in excess of 60 people camping over the duration of the rally, some were there for a week before, and some stayed a few days after the finish. After everyone had left there was no sign that there had been anyone there, there was not one piece of paper or a bottle top left behind, nor was there any damage done to any plant life. I wonder if the same can be said for the protestors who spray painted slogans on the roads, spray painted on the trees, nailed signs in the trees and hung banners in the trees  some of which were still hanging a week or so later before they blew apart. This all seems a little bit hypocritical  to me.
Yet another issue was that the rally encourages unsafe driving practices, particularly from the younger members of our society. I grew up driving tractors and old utes around the farm from when I was only 8 or 10 years old, but when I was old enough to have a learner’s permit and bought my first car it was drummed into me by my father that “A car is not a toy, it is a weapon” and this is so true for many reasons. Cars these days have better equipment such as power steering and disc brakes, and they do go a lot faster than my first car which was a VL Commodore, a great old girl, but had no power steering and flat out doing 140 kms in top gear, whereas a lot of today’s cars can do 140 in 3rd gear. Maybe some of the casualties of today can be attributed to much more powerful cars in very inexperienced hands. The rally is not the only place that young people see fast driving. Videos, video games and  television all help to let people think they are bullet-proof. Maybe the powers that be should make it compulsory for someone getting their learner’s permit to go through a defensive driving course before they can have a full license, thus hopefully helping to lower the road carnage.
In finishing, I would like to say that I and everyone who I know that attended the rally enjoyed themselves immensely. In my opinion it was great for the town, generating some much needed funds, bringing along visitors who will hopefully return and spend some more money to help our town prosper.
Shane Piggott
Kyogle