OH dear. When laws are being introduced that are “aimed at making life easier”, it’s best to be afraid.
It’s certainly a bold position to be cautiously optimistic because A, it’s usually not true and B, if it is true, then it’s probably true for your neighbour and not you.
Such was my thoughts when scanning through a recent flurry of council proclamations last week including a request for feedback from me about a raft of new laws with the premise of “making life easier”.
Apparently every five years the council undertakes a review to determine changes needed to local laws.
With this tranche we’ve got quite a few that on the surface seem reasonable.
Lower cost fines proportionate to the offence seems okay. Tick. Increasing penalties for unauthorised parking in disability zones. Two ticks. I stopped doing that years ago. Bad karma among other issues.
One amendment that caught the eye was aimed at “making life easier” by reducing off leash dog zones at the Maleny Showgrounds to a postage-sized area.
It seems a minority of badly behaved dog owners had made it an issue for the majority as the council reacted to a few complaints.
The move seemed to surprise most and perhaps a less scorched earth approach may be appropriate. Of course I’m on the side of animals, especially edible ones like dogs, and there needs to be no risk of danger to people, animals and property. But has this gone too far. Well you better have your say.
Having looked at the broader proposals there is a lot to absorb, which I’m committed to doing in the following weeks.
For those interested: haveyoursay.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/proposed-amendments-local-laws. You’ve got until March 3 to speak up.
Whale of a time
It’s a bad idea when you’re better half says ‘We haven’t done ‘X’ for a while, let’s do ‘X’ and you agree. In this instance I’m talking going to the movies. I think the last time we went was not only pre-covid, but pre-polio. After debating our options for many hours we settled on The Whale. Why I agreed to this is best left to a psychiatrist.
I might be on a seafood diet, but this guy takes the cake and some.
I’m not in the habit of movie reviews but do yourself and your relationship with food and your partner a favour and avoid.