Disqus - Latest Comments for KieranBennett

Re: Islamic Society of Albury-Wodonga submits plans for bigger mosque

KieranBennett — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 19:06:40 -0000

Good.

Re: Be aware of safety, Mack urges walkers

KieranBennett — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 02:52:34 -0000

Kevin Mack's comments are ill informed and inappropriate.

The overwhelming majority of sexual assaults do not occur in the streets and are not perpetrated by strangers.

Women are not raped because they walk alone or because of the clothing they wear, women are raped when men rape.

Rather than telling women not to get raped, we must demand that men respect women. Anything less is victim blaming.

Re: Dean St attack: Betteridge defends business

KieranBennett — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:39:48 -0000

More police, more police, more police? Come on people, what are we, a society of children?!

Lack of policing is not the cause of violence.

We live in a society that still privileges "macho", reduces women to the status of objects, assumes young men are dumb brutes (and thus creates a self fulfilling prophecy), and that still allows alcohol to act as an excuse for being an a***hole.

Re: Dean St attack: Betteridge defends business

KieranBennett — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:33:02 -0000

Sweethearts is synonymous with Daryl, as the Police well know. It's pretty clear they're having a dig at Daryl, I'd take it personally too.

Re: Dean St attack: Betteridge defends business

KieranBennett — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:26:50 -0000

Daryl is a menace! His hot food turns peaceful drug and alcohol addled youths into violent thugs! Seriously, Sweethearts is a lovely spot to put some food into an otherwise alcohol filled stomach, and continue the nights conversation with friends without the temptation of putting yet more alcohol into our overfilled systems.

A bit more food and a bit less piss would be good for many of the people I see stumbling down Dean St on a Friday night.

Re: http://kieranbennett.tumblr.com/post/28682782501

KieranBennett — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:25:43 -0000

This was part of a larger display on the murder of women occuring in Juarez, Mexico.

The barbie doll is probably a reference to the kinds of things that the largely female workforce of the "free trade zones" assemble in Mexico's sweatshops along Mexico's frontier with the United States.

For a bit of context, listen to this excellent radio documentary, La Fronterra, by Colm McNaughton.

http://www.abc.net.au/radio...

Re: Border family's Mexican mystery

KieranBennett — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:55:33 -0000

Anarchist Black Cross (Mexico) have released a statement pointing out that Mario Hernandez's initial statement to Police was taken whilst he was recovering from the affects of anaesthesia after significant skin graft surgery, and that whilst taking his statement Police had violated his right under Mexican law to have a lawyer present.

Nothing that Mexican authorities say about the involvement or guilt of Mario Hernandez, or any supposed links to anyone else, should be accepted on face value, especially given the Mexican police's history of corruption and outright frame ups.

Re: Glimpse of what used to be as mill tumbles

KieranBennett — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 05:19:53 -0000

Disappointing that no one had the imagination to try and do something with the original red brick core, it could have been the centrepiece in an office or shopping complex, part of a housing development, retrofitted as an office building... Sure, it's cheaper to just demolish things and build from scratch in poured concrete and corrugated iron, the end result of which will be a city of poured concrete and corrugated iron.

Re: Extinct: Ettamogah sanctuary closes

KieranBennett — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:42:09 -0000

Thanks to a decade's deliberate neglect by Albury City Council.

Re: Extinct: Ettamogah sanctuary closes

KieranBennett — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:41:02 -0000

I feel like a part of me has been ripped out.

Gone.

Not viable.

Didn't spin money.

I despair. We let a place of magic and wonder decay and close because we wouldn't spend a few dollars. Albury council's actions with regard to Ettamogah are not just a disservice to Albury, but to the whole region.

Re: Extinct: A sad, bad day

KieranBennett — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:29:58 -0000

Upset. Just plain upset. This place was a big part of my childhood, somewhere I went back to again and again as an adult when I needed some time out... and now it's gone. Deliberately run into the ground by a council more interested in selling the land than maintaining a community asset they were entrusted with.

Re: Rumour: New multistory in central Wodonga

KieranBennett — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:50:04 -0000

You asked whether there had been any community consult for plans for the railway land?

To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't. There are already plans for the land. The rail relocation was eventually funded because of the case that Wodonga city council made, that the railway was taking up prime commercial and industrial land!

As far as I'm aware, the land east of High St will see some streets straightened up, and the block occupied by the Mann's centre squared up. Council's CEO has repeatedly stated that they expect a development application for the Mann's sight soon. Expect a multistory mixed commercial, office and residential development.

The land west of High St is an issue for council, it will cost a fair slab of money to extend services (roads, sewer, water, power, etc) to the new blocks that will be opened up. You can bet your ass that they have every intention of getting that money back by packing i nice and densly with various developments, probably industrial in focus (due to the proximity of the Mars and Visy factories).

As for the train station, I have no idea. The Chamber of Commerce has suggested a transport (taxi, bus and information centre) hub around that area. That idea costs money, and Wodonga City council doesn't have money.

What definitely will not happen on that land is the establishment of a park. Simple reason really, Wodonga City Council would have to buy the land, borrow money to do it, and wouldn't make the cost back on rates/sale/development. And the land wont be gifted, you can be assured that the various state government agencies involved intend to squeeze the land for every penny ;-)

Re: Rumour: New multistory in central Wodonga

KieranBennett — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:12:22 -0000

btw, let me know when you're in town, we could catch up for a coffee :-)

Re: Rumour: New multistory in central Wodonga

KieranBennett — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:06:38 -0000

Tooles is an icon, and I love it, I'll be sad when it's gone. That said, five to six stories on that corner, retail for the first floor, some offices, a few apartments... it'd be an absolute boon for the CBD.

Re: Indigo Council Fools

KieranBennett — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:12:02 -0000

lol, call the internet police, Vic Issell, someone expressed an opinion about what you did as a public official with out first asking your permission.

Did you or did you not vote to retain a prayer in the meeting? Have you or have you not read Section 116 of the Australian constitution?

No need to answer, I think we can all make an educated guess as to the answer, without the need for any in depth study.

Re: Wodonga’s free wifi lacking coverage

KieranBennett — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:10:32 -0000

I've pretty much given up on it, myKP and TCRS are trying to do this thing with small numbers of relatively low powered devices. They either need to up the power (and pay for the relevant licenses) or seriously up the number of access points, I get the impression this project doesn'thave the capital for either approach.

Re: Live Blog: Council Meeting 17th of August

KieranBennett — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:59:52 -0000

Well, council contributed to his expenses in going to a conference in which poverty in our area, amongst other food/health issues was discussed.

Re: Wodonga to pay more for rubbish under carbon trading

KieranBennett — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:28:52 -0000

We had asimilar experience.

All the rubbish was seperated, organics went to the chooks or the compose, paper went to light the stove, newspapers mulched the gardens, reclaimable metal and aluminum went to the metal recyclers (where I earnt my pocket money!) and every few months we took a trailer load to the tip (where we paid a fewdollars to dump). Though we always left the tip with more than we came with, amazing the useful stuff people throw away!

But in recent times locals in Kancoona campaigned for the right to roadside garbage! Thankfully Alpine council allowed people to opt out, which our farm did.

Re: I want Wodonga to have a cafe culture

KieranBennett — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:33:26 -0000

jr - an expectation feedback loop?

Businesses seem to expect that if people want something after hours they will go to Albury. Customers seem to assume that nothing opens after hours. Both are right, and one causes the other.

The built environment doesn't help, but I don't think it's just the presence of a railway or the absence of a cinema, or the lack of decent small alleyways (as someone suggested on twitter).

Perhaps we just need to do more to sell Wodonga as something more than a conservative strip mall.

During my campaign for council I encountered a lot of opinion on the redevelopment of high st. Large numbers objected to redevelopment on the grounds that High St was just a service road, nothing more than a few banks and a shopping centre.

The attitude seemed to be "this is all there is, and anyone who tries to make it something else is suspect".

We seem to have particularly conservative attitudes about what socializing and relaxation and community life can be. A coffee during the day has become acceptable, but dinners out are still at Maccas, alcohol after work is reserved for men at the pub, and young people can go lurk in the parks or at the shopping centre.

Who needs anything more?

Re: Free Wifi unplugged by contracters

KieranBennett — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:23:55 -0000

Not really, butI always feel I should buy something if I'm going to hog a chair for the afternoon :-)

Re: Border Mail knows it’s technology!

KieranBennett — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:40:21 -0000

Thats good news!

We'll have to start creating a "real" coverage map.

Re: Border Mail knows it’s technology!

KieranBennett — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:49:42 -0000

Whoa, that is particuarly bad on my part!

Re: Border Mail knows it’s technology!

KieranBennett — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:45:40 -0000

lol, my spelling is forever atrocious.

And my forte isn't tech, it's poking fun at the Border Mail!

Re: Border Mail knows it’s technology!

KieranBennett — Sat, 23 May 2009 06:38:55 -0000

No, not kidding. Not that anyone really notices, I was one of only three people who bothered to bring a wifi enabled defice. This is Wodonga afterall...

Re: Staff to pay for Albury Savings?

KieranBennett — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:06:58 -0000

Ray, you did say:

Seriously Kieran, do you reckon any council is not overstaffed & overpaid?

I don't think anonymous was that insulting in their response Ray, that they work longer than contracted without billing over time is a valid point.