That article concluded with the statement "...properly dispose of such devices with Marine Rescue."

This is incorrect.  Marine Rescue NSW bases are unable to receive unwanted EPIRBs.

The correct procedure for the disposal of these devices is either (1) contact your local battery store to check whether they disconnect and dispose of beacons; a small fee may apply.

Or (2) disconnect the beacon battery according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Then contact your local waste management facility to ask about disposing of your unwanted beacon in an environmentally friendly way.

A small fee may apply.

After disposing of your unwanted beacon please advise the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) by updating your online registration account or by phoning 1800 406 406.

The very worst thing that can be done is to simply throw them away, as apparently was done in the case in point.  

Your readers may be interested to know that the result of this being done on this occasion was that one of our rescue vessels and crew had to be called out at about 3am to undertake a search for what had to be assumed to be a person(s) in distress and, on two occasions, a rescue helicopter also had to be tasked to undertake a search.

On the first occasion the rescue helicopter was tasked from Bankstown because the Williamtown helicopter was already engaged in a medical emergency elsewhere.

I ask all boaties to please ensure that unwanted EPIRBs are disposed of responsibly.

Don't just throw them away.

Colin Cahill

Unit Commander

Marine Rescue - Port Stephens

We live in a capitalistic society and so to preserve the koala and kangaroo we should therefore attach a monetary value to each koala and each kangaroo and It’s value to the Eco-Tourism Industry and Our Environment.

 About $30,000 per koala and per kangaroo seems like a good starting price?

Any advances on this are welcome.

Stuart Benjamin

Anna Bay 

Anyone feeling desensitised to road kill should drive down the Monaro Highway between Canberra and Cooma. 

On a recent journey we counted 75 kangaroos and four wombats, the majority before Bredbo. 

A very confronting sight. 

So many large, stiff, and bloated bodies – some in groups of four, five and six. Our eyes have never been more peeled for live creatures near the road. 

There might be something in this for those who manage the local "koala death toll" signs or those involved in the bin sticker argument.

S Mackie

Medowie

On behalf of everyone at the McGrath Foundation, we’d like to say a huge thank you to the Newcastle-Hunter community for getting behind our winter #PullOnYourSocks initiative.

More than 200 clubs, schools and businesses got involved, donning the McGrath Foundation’s pink socks and to date helping raise a collective sum of close to $300,000.

And now that the cricket season is bowling in, we’re looking forward to seeing the amazing Pink Stumps Day efforts of the Newcastle-Hunter community. 

For more information or to register, head to mcgrathfoundation.com.au/pinkcricket.

Petra Buchanan

CEO, McGrath Foundation