I’ve just read the June-July copy of the Dunoon Gazette, generously snail-mailed to me by my dear friend, Robin Sanderson. It was great to read the news Of Dunoon and District in our home away from home, the city of Hue, in Central Vietnam.
I’m sending some photos to you in response to the article about the energetic (as always) work of Christine Russell re: landmines in Cambodia.
People often, erroneously, think that Vietnam is free of landmines. Not so.

These posters are on the fence of a school on the edge of Hue, where presumably many of the children are from farming families, working land where ordinance turns up.
The poster warns children to stay far from bombs or mines, not to play with them.
I recently met several people working for the Mine Action Group in Vietnam. They confirmed that, every day, Vietnamese people die or are badly wounded because of mines or unexploded bombs. A lot of land can not be used because it hasn’t been cleared. The situation is equally true in Laos.
It beggars belief that that the enormous task of making people’s land safe relies in large part on the goodwill of people like Christine and Warren. Good on you both!!
yours, Jude Belcher

The recent extra-ordinary Council Meeting is a perfect example of how the current power block on council, known as ‘the six pack’ are not listening to the residents and ratepayers. Yet again the residents of McLean ’s Ridges are being ignored over the rezoning of prime agricultural land. Despite 205 objections, concerns from the RTA, Dept of Local Govt., and Rous Water Crs. Chant and Graham are keen to press ahead. We have received no reasons why other than they, think the rezoning is ‘good’ and that they are concerned for “the third parties”. By this I assume they mean the developers and the owners. I have yet to see the supporters of this inappropriate rezoning show any concern for the 205 objectors. Thankfully Cr Dowell, Tomlinson, Irwin, Etkins and Sweintek have taken the only reasonable course open to them in the light of such a controversial proposal by refusing to attend these extra-ordinary meetings. This is democracy in action. This is why, when reason fails, we have quorums as a tool of last resort.
‘The six pack’ seem overly keen to push this rezoning through in the dying days of this council which could saddle the new council with huge financial problems. Even the Dept. for Local Govt. has expressed concerns as this council enters the caretaker period. Rous water is concerned over the effects on water quality as the rezoning forms part of their catchment. The RTA is concerned about the safety of access to the blocks on the development. Council has failed to follow it’s own planning guidelines, which could saddle ratepayers with huge infrastructure costs for road upgrades. As if our roads aren’t bad enough without extra traffic, council has slashed this year’s road budget by $2 million. This is typical of the arrogant way business is done on this council. To top it all off, Mayor King has called a 3rd extra-ordinary meeting for Tuesday 29th July, so we can expect more of the same. McLean’s Ridges rezoning should be left to the new council to decide. What is the rush?
David Yarnall
The Channon