On Friday night there was a very strong showing of locals with an interest in the proposed wind farm at Rye Park. Over 100 people attended. The wind farm proposed by Epuron envisages over 100 industrial wind turbines stretching from near Boorowa right down to near Yass along a series of ridgelines and surrounding hilltops. The country which will host the wind turbines stands at about 700 - 800m, looking down into a beautiful valley. It is unique Australian countryside. Much of it is now heavily sub-divided as tree changers in recent decades have made it their home because of its remote, windswept beauty - but at the same time because of its wonderful proximity to the Hume Highway and Canberra. This priceless position together with the physical beauty of the landscape has driven up land values in this area in recent decades, with many buyers paying big prices easily tripling agricultural value. Naturally, people are concerned. Many affected landowners had no idea of the scale or magnitude of the project. They are concerned about the lack of detail on impacts, obfuscation by the developer, and mostly they are concerned about the impact on amenity, environment and of course, land values. In a secret ballot, over 90% of the attendees voted against the development. Although the development is in the hands of State Government planning processes, I am committed to being the voice of this community in Canberra.
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Angus Taylor
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It was inspiring to read in last week's edition of the fund raising efforts of Will and Maddie Gay. The article on Tommy Zickby confirmed the need for mental health services in rural areas.
John Zickby would indeed been up against it in his quest to acquire citizenship. The discrimination at the time against non-white residents was entrenched in citizenship law and practice.
His son, Tommy, would, however, have qualified for citizenship by virtue of having been born in Australia. Hence the apparent anomaly in the circumstances of parents and son and the readiness of the authorities to enlist Tommy in the Army in World War 2.
One minor qualification to the story is necessary. The citizenship in question would have been British Citizenship. Australian Citizenship did not come into being until Australia Day in 1949.
I remember the Zickby family (excluding Tommy) very well. Tommy's sister, Mary Zickby (Rowan) was a prominent member of the Campbell (ACT) Tennis Club throughout the 1960's and 1970's and loved to tell stories of her childhood in Boorowa.
David Weeden, Evatt ACT.
