Stinging tree remedy
Having grown up on the Scenic Rim and having many excursions through Lamington National Park, we were taught that if stung by the Gympie Gympie tree to cut a leaf of the cunjevoi plant and rub the sap into the affected area. This sap, which has a strong affect on the nervous system, relieves the pain and helps to control ongoing problems with having been stung.
Rod Houston, Beerwah
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Some pine trees should be ripe for the taking
With regard to the threat of fines for removing Christmas trees. Roys Rd, Beerwah, is lined with thousands of self sown pines which are not actually in the forestry plantation area but are growing wild on the roadside reserve and should be considered as weeds as they will not be harvested. But they are simply removed and destroyed at rate/tax payers expense. People should be encouraged to help clear these weeds by taking their pick as a Christmas tree providing they do not enter the forestry Plantation.
Brian Coyle, Buderim
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Ignorant drivers take valuable parking spaces
While Ashley Robinson’s article about an “Ignorant Tax” may have been meant as a bit tongue in cheek, his last suggestion about people who park in disability spots hit a raw nerve with me. My husband and I both have a disability parking permits, and it infuriates us when we have had to park elsewhere and then walk past vehicles without permits where we could have.
People with a disability need to not only park closer to entrances for ease of accessibility and to reduce the pain for walking longer distances, but also often need a wider space to get in and out of the vehicle. So, next time you get a little ding from a car door think about whether it was someone trying to squeeze in because they couldn’t park where they were entitled to because of some ignorant driver who would “be only there for a couple of minutes”.
Those selfish and inconsiderate drivers are worse than ignorant. Maybe one day it might be them who needs a disabled park, then they will know how it feels.
Robyn Deane, Bli Bli
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The next most frustrating driver behaviour
Tony Lohrey, Woombye
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Reduction in speed limit required
With the increased traffic on my local street due to road closures for resurfacing there is a tragedy waiting to happen. No reduced speed limits have been applied despite heavy equipment being regularly moved up and down the street and the traffic is absolutely ‘flying’ in both directions. It is a dangerous section of road at the best of times. The pedestrian crossing immediately on my doorstep has near misses every single day because motorists cannot visualise the crossing as they come down the hill.
How one of the road workers, trying to load an extremely large machine onto his low loader parked almost on the crossing, was not killed (recently) is nothing short of a miracle. Two lanes of speeding vehicles whizzed impatiently by him and he was clearly concerned when trying to get into his truck following the tricky manoeuvre. With good reason.
There is the opportunity to prevent another tragedy here but I suspect that all the authorities who have the capacity to reverse the situation will show the same level of apathy that they have in the past. I am not just asking, but begging the speed limit be reduced on this road and that it is effectively policed … for the sake of another family not having their son, father, brother, husband present at the Christmas dinner table this year
Prue Blanchard, Caloundra
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