We contacted Council and were asked to submit a response in writing, this is it:  

“We are writing with regard to the Rates notice we have received and in particular an arrears and interest on arrears amount in the sum of $2457.01 and $53.89 respectively.  

Our property backs on to the Leichhardt River in which dwell indigenous persons which vary in numbers dependent on the time of year, however, are ALWAYS present.  

These people have continuously trespassed on our property to take our back hoses, of which we had two but reduced to one to try to limit the usage, run it out through our back fence down into the river so they have access to water.  

Once they take the hose and have it on the water is left running until we return to our property and notice what is happening.

We have called the police numerous times, however, have been told there is little they can do and there is no point trying to press any charges as they would not result in any outcome.  

This is not a new phenomenon and has been occurring off and on for most of the time we have resided in this property which is more than 10 years.  

We have previously been issued with excess water charges for the same thing but have copped it on the chin and paid the bill.  

We are sick and tired of 'paying' for the homeless indigenous who reside in the riverbed. We have tried several things as deterrents - locking our back gate, having a free roaming dog, taking the hose away, however, have had limited success as they still manage to access the water.

This year we have been away from our property several times for more than a week at a time and have returned to find the hose running out the back fence into the river.

We have had to put up with these indigenous group’s abuse, the constant vulgar language, continuous yelling, screaming and fighting, garbage strewn everywhere, having them enter our property and steal our possessions and having our children, friends and family witness them urinating, defecating, vomiting and fornicating behind our property in full view for YEARS.

Over the last few months we have had to call the police continuously, several times at the request of some of the river dwellers themselves for serious altercations and for those entering our property.

We do not have a large family, we do not have a pool or any other type of water feature, we do not have extensive gardens and we have abided by all water restrictions when they have been in place and feel we are being penalised through no fault of our own.

We might ask what the Council has done to address the issue of riverbed dwellers?

We do not feel that these charges are in any way our responsibility and we will not be paying these amounts.

R.J. and J.A Watson,

Mount Isa

All three of our latest Liberal PM have told us that everything they do is about jobs, jobs, jobs.  Under their rule, our car industry vanished, the mining boom went silent and places like Clive Palmer's nickel refinery closed down, but the message all the time has been that Australia has to get to work.

So why did Peter Dutton go out of his way to give visas to nannies from Europe?  Why couldn't Australians get that work?  What were the special factors shared by a South Australian property owner and a Queensland cop which meant that employment with them had to go to individuals from France and Italy?  Not even Barnaby Joyce has been able to justify it.

No, Peter, what you did was not normal, and yes, you must please explain.

G.T.W.  AGNEW.

Coopers Plain