Mayor4Unley

It’s on again. There’s talk of an amalgamation of local Councils. An unlikely coalition of 10 SA industry groups and the Labor Right-aligned Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association will meet to advocate a policy for amalgamation to be submitted to the State Government. The industry groups say that there are inconsistent regulations between councils and this was a handbrake on new investment. In plain speak, the industry wants bigger Councils and reduced red tape and less control by Council. They don’t want a level playing field, they want it tilted in their favour. This would not be good governance and would disadvantage the local communities. Let’s not forget that Councils exist to serve their communities. And why is the Labor Right-aligned Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (Union) involved? They've been conned into believing that amalgamations will reduce rates and put more money in the pockets of working families. If this coalition of Left-Rig...

I was devastated. The weather had been alternating between hot and raining. I probably had not been giving the fruit trees enough water. A large branch (half the tree) of my peacharine tree snapped and fell to the ground. It was loaded with good sized fruit that would have ripened in 1-2 weeks. It was looking like a good season for stone fruit. Last year was a poor crop across Adelaide. I left the branch where it had fallen. After 2 days I decided to pick the best of the fallen fruit and make a batch of spicey chutney. I used the same recipe as for my green tomato chutney, just much less brown sugar. Despite the fruit being green inside the chutney brewed into a golden peachy colour. That's how I spent last Sunday afternoon; helped along by a beer beside the cutting board and the cricket on the TV in the background. If it weren't for that fallen branch I probably wouldn't have made peacharine chutney this year. It was an opportunity that had to be exp...

Each year the Plain English Foundation highlights examples of poor communication and poorly constructed sentences. The really bad get awarded as the worst for the year. Here are some samples: Conscious uncoupling – used to describe the decision of a married couple to separate. Rapid disassembly – used by a car maker to describe the reason for the recall of 14 million vehicles with airbags that had a tendency to explode. Potential for dangerous aquatic organisms – a Queensland coastal Council erected signs warning about the potential for dangerous aquatic organisms in a local waterway. The Council CEO later explained that the danger was from bull sharks that could physically penetrate the waterway. and my favourite (that I will try to use a lot in 2015) … Appropriate financial envelope – used to describe staying within tight financial/budget constraints. Here are links to the Plain English Foundation … http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-23/conscious-uncou...

Last week I was up at Andamooka for a few days. Took my son to noodle for opals. On the way up, it rained for 60 seconds just south of Pimba. 15km from Andamooka we slowed because of a mob of emus beside the road. Dad emu was going walkabout with 10 large chicks (20-30cm high). And then, the serenity of the outback was shattered. There in front of us, on a sign warning of kangaroos was an election poster. I was devastated. I had gone bush to escape city life and take a break and unwind after the recent Council election. There was no mobile phone connection, very few amenities and yet on a sign post on a hot wind swept plain was an election poster. I took a photo and headed for town and a cold beer.

I'm not really one to boast. I don't flash about my titles, accreditation, memberships and awards. I don't sleep in my Council gown. (Black is not my colour.) I don't expect recognition when I venture out. During my recent stint as Deputy Mayor, I didn't request a new gown with a flash stipe or two to make me stand out. I don't wear my Council name badge (and I have a choice of gold or silver) when I go the local shops or coffee joints. If someone recognises me, then that's nice. If they don't (and I expect they won't) then that's understandable. I'm not one to boast, but I must say that my poultry Christmas stuffing is the best. Absolutely the best and this year I exceeded expectations. It was so good that I've awarded it as the best stuffing, ever. Christmas dinner would not have been the same without Bob's special stuffing. Ingredients: Home grown sage and thyme, chopped unsalted cashew nuts, chopped dried apricots, coars...

One of the Chrissy presents I received this year came a few days early. A neighbour down the road had a neglected pot of chilli bushes in her front garden. It had been dumped there by her Dad 6 months ago and it was making the place look untidy. It had never had a drink. She gave it to me. We agreed that if asked, her father would be told that it had been stolen. I took it home using a sack truck; it was a huge pot. Gave it some heavy pruning to get rid of the dead wood and to give a bit of shape. A dressing with blood and bone, planted seeds of old shrivelled chilli berries in a few vacant spots, pea straw on top and a good soaking. A bonus - it came with a water collection base dish. The next day I applied a special chilli fertiliser to promote flower development. Tiny flowers are ready to burst. It will be a forest of assorted chillies. Who knows what type they are. It will be a surprise in a couple of months. That's what Christmas is about. Giving - and the joy of re...

Thank you for the Christmas and New Year cards. This year I received 31 cards. Not a bad effort for someone who does not send cards. Why bother? It costs 70c postage + the card and it gets quickly scanned and hung on a string across the window or placed on a shelf and never really looked at again. It's sort of a boast thing; to show off your cards. It's not that I don't care, because I do. True friends will take no offence when I don't reciprocate with a card. However, it is strange they they do keep persisting year after year. They always have and they always will. The cards will continue arriving year after year. Giving to my favourite charities is more meaningful than sending Christmas cards. The cost of 31 cards = 31 x (0.70 + 4.00) = $145 Isn't it a more worthwhile outcome to send no cards and save $145 to give to a charity?