Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be given to letters of 100 words or less. Some of the opinions below are comments from SCN’s Facebook page.
- Read the story: Bank customers face service changes
Walter Libl: The People’s Bank? We changed some services from the Bank of Queensland, not being happy with some of it. It looks like all these “smallish” banks like to merge, to create “biggish” ones. The service suffers because they suddenly discover the tricks the Big Boys do to make more money.
There still are some money establishments treating the customers better but, to get there, one has to be computer savvy and not to rely on memorising the passwords, PINs and any other security they demand. The thing is, it is all very inconvenient for the interest they pay on savings. On some accounts, they either pay nothing, or half a per cent. I guess it, for some, is more convenient to keep emergency money under the mattress, it being quicker to access than some password forgotten in a hurry. Go figure.
Lyn Spain, Toowoomba: Regarding People First Bank, l have been a long-time customer and the disappointment at the merger is unbelievable. I urged them to have a name change to People Last. I am in my late 70s and will not be bullied into internet banking. I much prefer personal interaction with bank staff.
I live in Toowoomba and have never been to one of the Heritage branches and been served immediately. There was always a queue and sometimes the wait could be 30 minutes. I didn’t care, l wanted one-on-one service. Then to be told that because hardly anyone used branches anymore, there would be closures. Disgusting.
My local branch was closed, the next closest was shut for rebranding. It’s now reopened but the teller points went from six down to two. Now staff approach each waiting customer and ask what they are there for. Excuse me, I’m there for banking purposes. I don’t want to discuss that in front of everyone else in the queue.
I know plenty of people who have closed their accounts and gone elsewhere. If only those at the top would get out of their air-conditioned offices and visit the branches to get a real feel for what the customers face. But, that won’t happen.
Jodie Duffin, Redbank Plains: I was disappointed a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t need to leave the house, however, I had $1100 sitting here so I took a drive to Heritage Bank at Springfield only to discover it had already been changed to People First Bank. My daughters (six and eight years old) and I go often to deposit money for different reasons so they get the experience and can see where their money is going.
On entering, I was informed I could not deposit money over the counter. I expressed my disappointment. I was then informed I needed my actual card to make deposits or I could drive out of my way to Forest Lake or Ipswich. On returning home, somehow I managed to lose the $1100 as I had shallow pockets. This was a lose-lose for me and definitely not a ‘People First’ experience. I will very sadly be changing banks for this reason. Also, once all the changes happen, everyone will get new account numbers and BSBs. Not a happy Heritage Bank customer any longer. Prior to the changes I loved the Heritage Bank set-up.
Desley Hamilton: I’m the treasurer for the Caloundra Orchid Society and we are in the middle of changing banks so we can get floats for functions and raffle change, and bank cash with a teller. Because we have a two-to-sign policy, we can’t get a debit or credit card so we can use ATMs. Cash hasn’t gone out of use for clubs and there are fewer and fewer tellers available.
Because parking is easier at the shopping centre than in Bulcock Street, we have changed to Auswide Bank, which still has tellers for the foreseeable future. We have had to change banks three times in three years due to closure of the branch and now closure of tellers.
Most clubs have two-to-sign, so are unable to get ATM cards, so there are going to be a lot of clubs looking for a branch that’ll look after the customers.
Allan Kruger, Redcliffe: Heritage Bank has closed its branch at Kippa Ring. Next closest branch is at North Lakes, which is currently closed and being changed to a lending and advice centre. I am also a pensioner and, in future, if I need face-to-face money transactions, I will need to go to the Morayfield branch, which is 45 minutes by car. It’s a 1.5-hour round trip. I agree with your article. The new name People First Bank – I don’t think so.
Judy Kavanagh: I am a customer of People’s Choice Bank, which merged with Heritage Bank. I originally joined around 1985 and have been with them through many mergers. I think that’s what’s called customer loyalty, but where is the bank’s loyalty?
I recently had my phone stolen, so I rang to ask for a block to be put on my accounts. I waited 40 minutes to be able to speak with someone. When an attempt was made to make a fraudulent purchase of $68, the bank sent me a message to ask whether it was mine. At least they let me know. It was not mine. With this knowledge, I knew I needed to deactivate that card altogether and wait for a new one to be issued.
Here’s the kicker. I waited on the phone for one-hour and 50 minutes before I made contact with an actual customer service person.
I am an 82-year-old woman with a terminal diagnosis and the stress involved in the whole process took its toll, as though having my phone stolen wasn’t enough. The officer I spoke to was professional and helpful and I thanked her and added “even if it took me one-hour and 50 minutes to get to talk to you”. She said she’d make a report.
I’m reluctant to even bother to try ringing their customer service number… there is no customer service. To my knowledge, there is no other contact number. I wanted to make a complaint to head office, but surprise, surprise, it’s the same number. Surely, they can do better than this?
- Read the story: ‘Enough is enough’: call for action over hooning concerns
Brian Stephens, Buderim: I read the article about the anti-hooning petition for Mooloolaba and want to add that this is a problem in a lot of other areas as well. I live off Hobbs Road, Buderim, which overlooks Maroochydore Road, Kunda Park, and the hooning and excessive noise has been a problem along Maroochydore Road for the 10 years I have lived here.
I have lodged numerous hooning reports with Queensland Police over that period and nothing has changed. There is never any response to my reports, to my knowledge … and the regular hooning continues. In fact, I lodged a report mid-last week and there were sustained burnouts around Killick Street on the previous Friday night that went on for an hour at around 9pm.
I would say there is not a single day, time, hour that goes by on the weekend (unless it is raining) when I don’t hear excessive acceleration from a car or a grossly loud Harley Davidson motorcycle roaring away from the traffic lights on Maroochydore Road. Something needs to be done to counter this anti-social behaviour, which should include excessively loud vehicles being removed from our roads.
Ian Macfarlane, chairman, Mooloolaba & the Spit Association: I’d like to add to the story about hooning in Mooloolaba. I am an owner of a unit on the Spit and chairman of the Mooloolaba & Spit Association (M&SA), which represents unit owners and residents on the Spit and has been active on a wide range of issues, particularly with Sunshine Coast Council.
I too can also confirm that I have regularly heard complaints from visitors staying in the Mooloolaba/Spit precinct that they are considering staying elsewhere because of the hooning and anti-social behaviour in the area. As your story says: the area’s ‘beautiful, relaxed and peaceful atmosphere’ has been compromised, “detracting from Mooloolaba’s reputation as a premier holiday destination, negatively impacting tourism retention and repeat visitor bookings”.
For the last almost 10 years, the M&SA has been complaining to Council about the hooning problem in Mooloolaba.
As a result of the long-term hooning problem (identified by one councillor as going back more than 25 years) and ongoing anti-social behaviour on the Spit, M&SA proposed five raised pedestrian crossings (150m to 200m apart) be installed in Parkyn Parade for enhanced pedestrian safety and to prevent hooning along the Spit. M&SA also proposed CCTV be installed on the Spit to allow police to review complaints made to the hooning hotline and identify vehicles responsible.
This is what is done in every other local government authority in South-East Queensland and Council is definitely the outlier in regard to addressing public/pedestrian safety and anti-social behaviour by hooning drivers.
Despite M&SA having some success in lowering the speed limit to 40km/h and council agreeing to the installation of two pedestrian crossings on Parkyn Parade with speed cushions (thanks to the efforts of Cr Joe Natoli), this has only partially addressed the problem. Failure by Council to install enough raised pedestrian crossings/speed cushions, close enough together, has resulted in hoons still being able to speed between the traffic calming and continuing to create safety and noise issues. This, combined with the ongoing absence of CCTV on the Spit, has allowed the hooning and anti-social behaviour on the Spit to continue unabated.
Despite M&SA regularly meeting with mayor Rosanna Natoli and council representatives, no further action on these issues has been undertaken by Council since the installation of the first two crossings M&SA more than three years ago. At the same time, we have seen all other local governments in South-East Queensland intensify their traffic calming and CCTV coverage.
Tony Willis, Buddina: Good on the people who have organised the petition on noise control of late night hooning vehicles in and around Mooloolaba. Over the years, we have just come to expect it on Friday and Saturday nights. Parkyn Parade at the fish market end is a hotspot between 11pm and 1am, as is the raceway at the end of Point Cartwright.
Authorities that I have contacted claim that Point Cartwright is not a recreational area and therefore does not deserve reduced speed controls. Meanwhile, picnickers, beach-goers, dog walkers, park runners, paragliders, surfers and family walkers have to dodge vehicles travelling at a listed, but unsafe, speed for the area. I wonder then what constitutes an actual recreational area? Let’s keep the Sunny Coast a family-friendly place that it is known and loved for, and keep it from becoming another seedy Gold Coast strip.
- Read the story: Apartment tower approved above height limit
Peter Birt, Maroochydore: The start of a concrete jungle, which will impoverish the Maroochydore CBD. Why not conform to the current building heights? Crass stupidity.
Read the story: Huge line-up revealed for folk festival
Robyn Deane, Nambour: With such seasoned performers as Peter Garrett & The Alter Egos and home-grown Kate Miller-Heidke plus more than 450 acts, everyone from the young to the young at heart like us oldies, who can resist the allure of the Woodford Folk Festival.
It’s not just the music, there’s dancing, art and culture and comedy, children’s festival plus so much more with good vibes for everyone.
For nearly four decades, Woodford has provided a wonderful escape from the realities of life and reassures us just how warm and friendly people are. And this year more than most we need that escape.
Festival director Amanda Jackes and her team have built on the legacy of the amazing Bill Hauritz, the former director. We look forward to chilling out and a festival of peace, wonder and joy.
- Read the story: Council defends tiered seawall amid heat, safety concerns
Peter Dowdall, Beachmere: It’s blatantly obvious to casual visitors taking a stroll along the beachfront that they look like steps. Council may argue differently regarding difference in height regulation, which specifies what is a step, but that’s a dangerous position to take. Foreign tourists, the elderly and vision impaired people etc, add to that it’s a hazard at night etc, it’s a tragic fall waiting to happen. Council needs to A) construct either a wall, fence, railings or similar to obstruct uncontrolled access to beach and B) have designated safe sections with signage to identify where it is safe to access the beach and where to “step safely”.
If not, council is failing in its duty of care by not providing a safe environment for visitors and locals alike. Council may keep trying to argue it’s designed is as a seawall but “if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then… well it’s obvious it looks like steps, not a seawall. A concerned visitor.
- Read the story: Liability claim follows pensioner’s fall from seawall
Diana Muray, Buderim: Unfortunately, the steps at Mooloolaba are unsuitable for badly sighted people, however, did Mr Minton have a badge or a stick?
- Read the story: ‘Grateful’: meat shop to close retail doors
Scott Breust: I am absolutely disappointed. We drive from Mooloolaba to buy our meat there due to quality, range and keen pricing, especially compared to Sunshine Coast butcheries. Good luck in your endeavours moving forward, you will be keenly missed.
- Read the story: Mall idea emerges amid town square transformation
Barbara Naylor, Kings Beach: I think it looks fantastic, especially with the beautiful new library. I’ve been living here for over 20 years and love the area so much. The only thing which concerns me is parking because we don’t want any more shops closing. Let’s face it, they are all struggling as it is.
May I also say something needs to be done about the homeless? They need somewhere to be allocated. I think Council is doing a great job, it’s clean, beautiful trees, especially the ones around the library, they are absolutely amazing.
- The Happy Refugee
Margaret Wilkie, Peregian Beach: An Archibald Prize winner, a qualified lawyer, well- published author, popular TV performer, giver to charities, well-known comedian, immigrant, refugee from a war zone, boat person, child of poverty and a self-described happy refugee, Anh Do brought his talents and happiness to Australia and Noosa last week. More please.
- Grandparents keeping families together
Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs: It’s Seniors Month and an unseen truth sits quietly in our neighbourhoods: more and more grandparents are carrying loads their adult children can no longer manage.
Mum and dad hadn’t planned to start parenting again, but life has tipped their son or daughter into a deep hole – illness, crisis, relationship breakdown, financial collapse, or simply the slow erosion of coping. The knock-on effect is that more than 60,000 Australian children are being raised by their grandparents.
Behind that number are older Australians who don’t complain, despite shouldering a heavy, unexpected return to responsibility at a stage of life when most hoped for rest, not repetition. It carries both love and heartbreak in equal measure.
When their children were small, helping meant scooping them up, fixing the problem, smoothing the path. They were the safety net, the soft landing, the ones who made the monsters go away. But adulthood rewrites the rules. The monsters get bigger, more complicated – and rescuing them may no longer work.
In its place, the hardest kind of love is stepping back – being there for them but not stepping in to do everything. It isn’t turning away; it’s giving adult children the chance to grow into the people their parents always hoped they would become. It isn’t abandonment; it’s setting boundaries. If they keep cushioning every fall, their adult children will never learn how to land.
For grandparents raising grandchildren, the challenge is multiplied – navigating the wishes of the partner parent, or multiple partners, each with rights, responsibilities and sometimes conflicting expectations. Daily, these grandparents become the quiet backbone of fractured families, offering stability in situations they never imagined.
Their contribution deserves recognition – not as a sentimental footnote, but as one of the most vital, stabilising forces in Australian family life today. Seniors Month is the perfect time to acknowledge this contribution, support them and ensure they’re not carrying these loads alone.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be given to letters of 100 words or less. Some of the opinions above are comments from SCN’s Facebook page.
