Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
CONSUMERS’ RIGHTS
Many buyers are like lambs to the slaughter
For the past six months, I have become increasingly disillusioned while looking at properties to purchase. Low estimated price ranges lure the hopeful. My most frustrating experience was an auction that attracted 80 people, and went under the hammer for $300,000 over the expected price range. Of course, this result was deemed a “complete surprise” to both vendor and auctioneer.
Again last week, I was planning to bid for a house at auction. The building inspection left me without much change from $500 and revealed evidence of termites, ticks and other defects. I forwarded this report to the agent, and asked him to forward it to the vendor. The agent reported surprise about the ticks (which made me wonder whether he knew about the termites). The property sold at the top end of the expected price range, without this disclosure at auction.
In Victoria, several potential buyers may pay for building inspections at a property, and a single buyer may pay several thousand dollars for building inspections before achieving a successful purchase. In NSW, agents are required to disclose the records of pre-purchase inspection reports to prospective buyers when they ask for a copy of the sale contract for the property, and face fines of $2200 for non-compliance.
However, in Victoria, buyers are encouraged to exercise “due diligence”. Also, the building inspection industry is not regulated. Consequently, the person carrying out the inspection does not have to be a qualified/registered builder, building inspector, carpenter.
Owners paint over and disguise major defects in order to gain a higher price, but are not held accountable. The agent washes his hands: “I am under no obligation to disclose a known defect and it’s buyers’ responsibility to do their due diligence.” From my experience, there is no protection for buyers, and no accountability for sellers or agents. Shame on deceptive vendors and shonky real estate agents for these unethical practices. When will the state government step in to protect house buyers so that they will have confidence in a transparent and ethical process?
Cathy Watson, Alphington
Our right to a local and accessible post office
Which post office will be the next to close following the closure of 13 across Victoria in the past year (The Age, 5/8)? Australia Post suggests alternative post offices, but these are not always convenient. Customers do not just go to the post office but all the other associated services in the area.
The suggested alternatives where my post office used to be are nowhere near my local grocery, chemist, bakery or coffee shop. Signed petitions, letters to local MPs and Australia Post for the retention of postal services demonstrate that there is patronage and requirements for these branches.
Australia Post is a vital public service, not a private company, so “losses or leases ending” should not be a factor in closing post offices. Its customer commitment and service charter states it is “extending access to our services, building greater choice and convenience”.
Unfortunately, it is doing the opposite and not meeting its own charter. I suggest that everyone petitions their local MPs so the issue can be readdressed in parliament, and Australia Post delivers service to local communities where post offices have been closed.
Peter Davison, Glen Iris
The long and tiring wait for bank service
I agree with Dom Cutroni – “Banks’ duty of care” (Letters, 7/8). NAB has closed it Port Melbourne branch. That leaves me with branches in South Melbourne or Collins Street in the city to get to (and I often need to). At South Melbourne, the queue is often lined up outside the door and customers can wait for more than half an hour for service. There are just two overworked teller desks and the crowd is often angry, unhappy and vocal. This is not fair on staff or customers. NAB: Not Much More Than Money.
Alan Williams, Port Melbourne
THE FORUM
Give us COVID details
The television news regularly updates us on the number of road deaths. I think this knowledge encourages people to think about road safety, buying safer cars, replacing worn tyres, driving when sober and not speeding.
Where are the daily updates of COVID-19 deaths? Such a tally might get people to think about wearing a mask indoors (especially in crowded areas), staying at home and testing for COVID-19 when they have symptoms, and taking precautions when visiting the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.
If the media do not care, there is less chance that society will care. The pandemic is far from over, with an average of 50 Victorians dying each week from COVID-19.
Graham Clements, Wangaratta
Danger in distraction
The risk with cameras in a childcare setting extends beyond the possible inappropriate use of images (Comment, 6/8). A more immediate concern is that whilst a staff member is taking a “happy snap” of child, uploading it, adding a comment, and then emailing it to parents, they are distracted from providing the requisite attention, care and educational instruction to all children in the centre.
Felicity Browne, Toorak
Campaigning for schools
When it comes to the building of new secondary colleges (The Age, 7/8), it needs to be a team effort. Locals should collect the enrolment data and detail how a school will benefit the community. Once this is compiled, they should deliver it to their local MP who should lobby for their area and present the request to parliament and the education minister. There also needs to be a co-ordinated media campaign. It’s a long process but you have to be persistent. Don’t give up.
Paul Chivers, former principal of 20 years, Box Hill North
Longing to see Matildas
FIFA has missed a great opportunity to promote the Women’s World Cup by choosing not to televise games to the general public on free to air television. Not all fans can afford subscriptions to Optus Sport. Maybe the telecommunications minister could have exercised her powers on this occasion. Go Matildas.
Tony Jackson, Fitzroy
The devastating syndrome
I am feeling very serious and subdued as today is Severe ME Awareness Day. Up to 60,000 people (including myself) have severe or very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in Australia. Often they have malnutrition as they are too weak to eat or have problems swallowing. Some people have died from these problems. Others have had feeding tubes inserted and recovered to live prosperous lives. Many of us are remembering the young patients who did not have that chance and those who are suffering.
Anne Kennedy, Surrey Hills
Simple and concise, PM
Jon Faine’s explanation of the Voice (Sunday Age, 6/8) could not be clearer. He says, “It is opposition to the change that is divisive, not the change itself” and “How can listening to Indigenous voices speaking about Indigenous issues and addressing how services are provided in Indigenous communities be a bad thing in any way?” Why can’t Anthony Albanese take a feather out of Faine’s cap and explain it as clearly as that?
Dolores Bellemo, The Patch
Time to open our hearts
My wife and I attended a live performance on Saturday evening. The auditorium was full and the performance was excellent entertainment. Prior to the commencement, an Acknowledgement of Country was broadcast. What was shocking was that this was met with a rumbling, negative murmuring.
I am still hopeful that this was the reaction of an ignorant minority. But if not, what is happening in our community if there is such insensitivity towards our First Nations people and such small-mindedness? It is not the referendum that is causing division. It is the lack of generosity towards our Indigenous citizens.
William Peacock, Redan
Truly great graffiti
I had to chuckle over Megan Herbert’s cartoon (Letters, 7/8) as it took me back to the 60s. On a large brick wall near Windsor Station, someone with, I presume, leftist affiliations painted a large graffiti sign: “Halt Holt”. Well, of course that did not go well with the right who changed it to “Help Holt”. The counterattack was swift to “Help Holt Out”. The sign has long gone but was in an era when graffiti stood for something.
Phil Wylie, Aspendale
A spot-on description
I recently read Hilary Mantel’s trilogy of historical novels set in the mid-1500s. In the last, she describes someone’s language as “vomitous torrents of insult and threat”. For some reason, my mind immediately raced forward to the present day and Donald Trump.
Bruce Crowe, Sunbury
The monsters rule
The “auto-besity” epidemic (The Age, 5/8) has a grip on parts of the wealthy, inner eastern suburbs. Larger and larger vehicles are appearing, concurrent with the size of houses. A recent model looks like a hearse. These shiny,black monstrosities are most often sighted at shopping centres and outside schools, usually with a single person in them or maybe a child or two.
It is unfortunate that some of the wealthiest and most educated people seemingly find it desirable to drive huge, fossil-fuel guzzlers that are associated with reduced safety, more traffic congestion and higher CO2 emissions. A tax based on the injury to others per 100 crashes ratio and CO2 emissions would be one way to make a positive change.
Leigh Ackland, Deepdene
The need for more height
“Auto-besity” goes further than “blokey” or “lack of self esteem” issues. It is also a function of maximising the driver’s eye height above the road to minimise the blinding intensity of LED headlights from oncoming, modern cars.
James Richardson, Langwarrin
Dog poo dilemma
I grew tired of having to extract “dog poo” bags from my green waste and recycling bins (Letters, 7/8) so moved them away from my front fence. Instead, people took to simply dropping the bags in the garden or hanging them on the pickets. Having caught one repeat offender in the act, she retorted: “Well, I can’t be expected to take it to the cafe, can I?“
Dale Crisp, Brighton
Maybe not so orderly
Peter Hartcher quotes Jack Smith, special counsel responsible for overseeing criminal investigations into Donald Trump, as saying that the “United States’ democratic process had, until 2021, operated in a peaceful and orderly manner for more than 130 years” (Comment, 5/8). Surely Smith must be having us on. For non-peaceful and non-orderly, look no further than the Richard Nixon presidency, the Al Gore-George Bush wrangling over the election outcome, the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, and Ronald Reagan’s Iran-Contra affair to name but a few.
Peter Price, Southbank
Wrong political focus
If politicians are so keen on creating legacy projects, surely the best one is a well-educated, well-informed and aspirational next generation. Instead, we get new train lines, highways, underfunded education and underpaid teachers.
Greg Tuck, Warragul
A man for all readers
Thank you, Peter Anthony, for allowing readers a voice. May your legacy live on.
Christine Baker, Rosanna
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
The Voice
With all the negative claims and misinformation from No campaigners, I suggest that if you’re a fair dinkum Aussie, you have no other choice than to vote Yes.
Graeme Madigan, Brighton
If Albanese loses the referendum, he won’t be able to blame the ABC for lack of coverage on its programs.
Penny Garnett, Castlemaine
Vote with your heart. Vote Yes.
Adrian Ford, Soldiers Hill
Politics
The opposition thinks Dan’s Games pullout has humiliated us before the world. I believe they talk of little else in Kyiv.
Damien Ryan, Berwick
All Victorians should rejoice when we can refer to Dan as “a bloke who used to run a state”.
Ken Courtis, Golden Square
I shocked but not surprised that Trump had a go at the US soccer team after their loss.
Graham Fetherstonhaugh, Carlton North
The Education Department has plenty of money to cover the wages of specialty teachers. The government just needs to reallocate it from the private schools.
Lorraine Bates, Balwyn
Furthermore
As one of many readers who benefited from time to time from his advice, I say thanks and farewell to Peter Anthony.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Before we get too excited about whizzing around in flying cars (7/8), imagine the consequences of mid-air collisions and other incidents above crowded streets.
David Johnston, Healesville
It’s time we drew a line down the middle of footpaths in high pedestrian areas.
Rita Reid, Port Melbourne
I won’t mention the Colliwobbles if you don’t.
Geoff Allen, Mount Eliza
Has boiling frog syndrome now becoming microwave frog syndrome?
Roderick Carmichael, St Kilda
Patrick Elligett sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.