The Border Watch: March 11, 2009

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Border farce NEWS: $2.5M FUNDING WINDFALL FOR SAINT MARTIN’S COLLEGE > PAGE 5

BY ANELIA BLACKIE

Email: [email protected]

PULL down the invisible curtain and wipe the geographical line between Victoria and South Australia off the map – different laws in the two states are just a pain in the neck, say Victorian border residents. With anomalies including the 10 cent South Australian container deposit legislation, the difference in school holiday times, restrictions on taking fruit across the border and the use of concession cards – even watching DVDs – residents in towns like Dartmoor and Nelson are fed up.

They say they can live with the time difference, but argue they “don’t need different laws in different states.” Dartmoor resident Sam Lanyon was one of many Victorians who recently found a letter from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in his mailbox, warning him that he was breaking the law by delivering drink containers in South Australia for a 10 cents refund. Offended at being accused of rorting the system, Mr Lanyon said he helped keep Dartmoor clean by ridding the town of drink containers and saving them from going into landfill. “I get them out of the bins, from the streets and from the hotel, I sort them out and take them to

Mount Gambier once a fortnight – along with bags of old clothes for Lifeline,” Mr Lanyon said. “You’ve got to show your driver’s licence, so since I got the letter, I am taking it to my son in the Mount who takes it to the depot for me. “When I get the refund, I go down the road and spend the money in the Mount. “The whole thing is just ridiculous and what beats me is the blokes from the Mount who come here to pick up empty containers and take them home for a refund.” Dartmoor residents Andrea Cameron, Maggie Kirkpatrick and Janet Kuhl agree. Continued page 7

pABOVE: “I am not rorting the system,” says Sam Lanyon from Dartmoor who is ready to bring yet another load of empty drink containers in the back of his vehicle across the Victorian border to Mount Gambier for a deposit. Pictures: ANELIA BLACKIE. pLEFT: “Our kids are encouraged to bring healthy food to school, but we not allowed to pack fruit in the lunchboxes when they go to school in Mount Gambier:” Andrea Cameron. pFAR LEFT: “We can’t even use our Victorian health cards in Mount Gambier:” Janet Kuhl.

WEATHER

Mt Gambier Today - Possible thunderstorm. 26o – report page 27

KID’S PAGE

Page 12

COMICS

Page 17

CLASSIFIEDS

Pages 18-20

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