April 24th 2012 Letter: Beachfront blowers It is my duty and obligation to object most strongly to the inappropriate use of BLOWERS in the Park and on the Road at the Horseshoe Bay beachfront every morning which is causing clouds of toxic DUST to blow through the park, children's playground , bar-b-que area restaurants, beachfront holiday units, and the residential community. Horseshoe Bay has had a fiberglass boat burn to the waterline in the creek behind the restaurants and extensive fiberglass grinding in years past which has contaminated the surrounding area with toxic fiberglass dust which when ingested through the lungs can cause mesathelioma and lung cancer and if ingested orally can cause bowel cancer. The noisy blowers are an agressive DUST MENACE and HEALTH HAZARD which destroys the clean , natural ambience ...besmirching our early morning time of peace and tranquility.. In the interest of respect for the health and wellbeing of Tourists , Locals , Patrons of Restaurants and Shops and Residents this unhealthy , invasive and dirty practice of blowing dust into the community has to stop. Please employ clean , intelligent Alternatives such as turning on the park sprinklers to lay dust before RAKING and using VACUME MACHINES which collect and contain dust/leaves to be disposed of properly not just irresponsibly spreading it around with blowers. This would be the sign of a sensitive , pro-active Council in the second decade of the 21st Century. I encourage your readers who are appalled by this invasive and unhygenic malpractice to write/Email Council (enquiries@townsville.qld.gov.au) Asap to state there objection. Yours sincerely David Haller. To add your comment, or read those of others, see below

Letter: Beachfront blowers

5 comments

Wendy Tubman April 24th 2012

With you 100% of the way David. Leaf blowers have nothing going for them. They are annoyingly noisy, dusty, fossil fuel burning, greenhouse gas emitting machines, that offer the user no healthy exercise and succeed only in destroying an ecological system that has worked for millennia - notably the system whereby leaves fall from trees and, in decomposing, provide nutrients to support the trees above them. Whoever invented them should be... blown away?

brooke April 25th 2012

they should make people on the doll do work for doll raking it, its about time people who are payed for doing nothing get their hands dirty and help clean up our island at the same time,.

davo April 25th 2012

beaudy Brooke. I wouldn't mind getting the doll for raking leaves. It would nicely undercut the rate the leaf blowers work for and put em outta business in no time. I just hope I get to choose my doll.

Beach boy April 25th 2012

About time and well said Dave. Leaf blowers are bloody awful crap and how often do you see the blower dudes wearing earphones but making us all listen to the blower. How much effort do we put into protecting our beautiful beach views, so what about noise which ruins it. Ears have rights too.

Patricia April 27th 2012

Fully agree with all the above comments,leaf blowers only move leaves/dust/litter from one place to some-one else's place - how many times have you had to sit on dust covered seating,maybe a petition could be put out to rid leaf blowers operating on Pacific Drive,enough noise was made to rid the 'Red Baron' from Horseshoe Bay which absolutely destroyed the livelihood of the operators{sad as it was},I think the guys who operate those annoying leaf blowers most likely hate them too,and refusing to use them could possibly find themselves on the 'doll' thus making Davo's chance of choosing his own 'doll' almost impossible, PS - Cheers Brooke you have a great day, we ALL know what you are saying - you keep on offering your views...