By Dominique Tassell
A meeting for locals to advocate for choice in the Southern Downs will be held at WIRAC on 7 December at 6:15 pm.
The meeting is being held so locals can “come together with peaceful and compassionate hearts to strongly and in unity to convey to our council our volition and authorisation for freedom of choice in the Southern Downs”.
Pam Burley, one of the organisers being the meeting, stated that the meeting is an opportunity for locals to be informed about what will happen on 17 December or for those with a set view against it to let Council know about it.
“It’s to encourage Council to make a stand alongside other local government authorities to be pro-choice regions,” she said.
She said the meeting is not an opportunity for locals to discuss vaccination status, but rather to make the point that they don’t believe in discriminating against other locals based on vaccination status.
Pam says the agenda is very clear, and the meeting is about the state government’s mandate which they have asked local governments to provide community views on.
SDRC Mayor Vic Pennisi has already sent a letter to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk detailing his concerns.
He stated he was concerned that this would create division in the community, and recommended mask wearing for the unvaccinated instead.
Pam stated that the meeting was prompted by the concerns of local business owners, who she says felt quite defeated about the mandate.
She also highlighted the mental and general health impacts she believed the mandate would have.
“It’s a terrible position to put business owners and staff in,” she said.
She stated that she couldn’t fathom business owners having to turn away a friend or regular customer because of their vaccination status.
Pam said her passion is community development, and it saddens her to see potential division caused by the mandate.
“Once you start making rules, instead of relying on people living by principle it becomes a matter of managing those rules,” she said. “It just goes on and on.”
“What we don’t want to see happen is the soul and spirit of Queenslanders particularly Southern Downs, we don’t want to see people broken about this.
“We’re not powerless; we can stand with other regions to say we choose to be a pro-choice community.”
Pam said she wants to see the region maintain its humanity and kindness.
She encourages anyone who is unsure or on the fence about the mandate to come and listen at the meeting.
“This is about what we can do as a region to make a stance and look after our community,” Pam said.
“If you’re curious and not sure, come and listen,” she said. “It’s for everybody.”
