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Mayor’S Christmas Message

‘Understanding’ is likely to be the most treasured gift

By Latrobe City Council - 20th December 2006 - Back to News

Most of us are fortunate to experience great joy at Christmas time. The festive season is often a time to be reunited with our families, a time to share the joy of the moment and often to relive the happiness of past times through the companionship and dialogue of togetherness.

However, it is a well known fact that for some in our community, Christmas is also a time of great stress. For some parents, balancing the overwhelming urge to please their family with gifts or seasonal fare, while also remaining within a realistic budget, creates the stress. For others, hosting celebrations, or maintaining harmony between relatives who don’t always get on well together can generate a stressful time. Perhaps this could be called ‘seasonal stress’.

This year, ‘seasonal stress’ has taken on a dire new meaning as many in our community come to terms with Gippsland’s most dangerous and costly fire danger season in years.

For some residents, there have been severe losses. Their home and personal possessions have been destroyed in the horrific bushfires. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Many material goods can be replaced, but so many of the items that surround us in our lives, such as family photos, are so personal that they are irreplaceable if destroyed.

In our hearts, minds and actions it is very important this Christmas that we help those who have been affected by the fires. In practical terms, that not only means our community providing support through relief agencies or donating to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, but also businesses being flexible in their dealings with those affected and making every effort to help them along the road to recovery.

For many on the land, stress from the threat of wildfire is being added to by the current drought. Paddocks are bare, water and feed is scarce, and prices for stock being sold are extremely low.

It would be wrong to conclude that stress has only been experienced by those who have lost property or possessions, or live on the land. Thousands of Gippslanders are on tenterhooks this season as they wait in anticipation of an approaching fire front, or breathe a sigh of relief for a short few days as the threat is once again temporarily reduced. Nearly everyone in our community is suffering from the effects of smoke, which is hurting their eyes and in varying capacities triggering asthmatic problems or adding to respiratory problems. All in all, this is a very difficult season for many people.

While many people in our community are doing wonderful work to reduce the impact of fire and drought on our community, such as CFA and SES volunteers, Red Cross and a host of volunteer organisation workers; there is something each and every one of us can do to help people in our community get through this season a little more easily – be generous with understanding. As a worthwhile gift this Christmas, that we all have the capacity to give, ‘understanding’ is likely to be the most treasured of all received.

On behalf of my fellow councillors and all at Latrobe City, may I take this opportunity to wish everyone in our community a very happy, enjoyable and safe Christmas, and a successful 2007.

Cr Tony Zimora, mayor

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com