Even on a mild, 25-degree day, the temperature inside a car parked in the shade can soar to between 37 and 50 degrees in minutes, and on a 30-degree day, the temperature can reach 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

Leaving the windows even halfway down and/or leaving water in the vehicle will not keep animals comfortable or safe.

With only hot air to breathe, dogs can succumb to heatstroke in as little as 15 minutes, resulting in brain damage or death.

Symptoms include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite and coordination, dark tongue and vomiting.

Please, when it’s warm outside, leave animals at home.

If you see a dog left in a car, have the car's owner paged at nearby stores or call 000 immediately —the dog’s life depends on it.

Blue-green algae should serve as a wake-up call that the Williams River is not in a healthy state.

We were recently advised:

“Sampling of Williams River detected elevated levels of potentially toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) above recreational red alert level near Clarence Town Caravan Park. The cyanobacteria pose a potential hazard to recreational water users & to livestock watered from river at this location.”

The river was on an amber alert stage just prior to the busy Christmas period – we may have been lucky to get through Christmas before the red alert stage was reached.

There is every possibility that these blue-green algae outbreaks may increase. This current episode is the longest time I have seen an outbreak last.

Peter Crawford, the former Healthy Rivers Commissioner, in his final report in 2003, noted:

“The community must also continue to play its role in demanding river health be kept at the forefront of government policy at the national, state and local level. Given the interactions the HRC has had with farmers, environmentalists, councils, scientists and committed agency officers through its eleven public inquiries, it remains confident that catchment communities will continue to be ever vigilant – people power will prevail.”

Mr Crawford’s comments on the Williams were not favourable then, in 2003, and it would appear more effort is required if we are to see a healthy Williams River.

The health of the river has continued to deteriorate since then, and we currently find ourselves in an unacceptable position.

As a community we should consider that it is the collective responsibility of all to leave the environment in the best possible condition for the many generations that will follow.

Terrorists and terrorism are not supposed to affect our way of life. When they do, they are winning. These Diggers gave their lives to enable all of us to live in a free and democratic country. Llet's not forget that. Lest we forget.

At least four times more likely to die from falling out of bed than from terrorism. What a pile of needless alarmist nonsense.

We must not give in to terrorist threats because if we do, they win. This is not the Aussie way – to give up.