Destroyed in the name of progress
According to the dictionary the word "progress" means: moving forward, advancement.
For downtown Ettalong Beach I wonder if that is really so.
Everywhere you look houses are being pulled down to be replaced with three or four villas going down the block.
Streets seem to be losing their personality of individual houses to be replaced with the side of these villas which mostly all have a look of sameness to them.
Just this week the house that had been my mother's home until her death has been bull dozed down to nothing.
This was a brick triple fronted modern home that really only needed a little TLC inside to bring it up to a very nice standard.
Of course the new owners had obviously purchased the property with the view to building units and they had every legal right to do exactly what they have done.
However, I find it sad that not just old run down houses are being removed, but modern houses with nothing wrong with them also have to be destroyed in the name of "progress".
I fear that if this trend continues we will have an Ettalong Beach with zero personality and nothing but rows and rows of villas.
Gay Binder, Umina Beach
29 Aug 2009