As a resident of Narrabri, I find comments made during a Fair Work Commission hearing by Whitehaven Coal, and reported by the ABC news, “that Narrabri isn’t a very nice place to live and workers did not want to live there”, very offensive.
I lived here as a teenager and everyone knew everyone and helped out whenever anyone needed help or comfort-nothing has changed in all those years.
Narrabri is a typical country town where everyone looks out for everyone else, and I hope it never changes.
My father had a small business here, and as a Greek-born Australian, he was treated like any other resident, there was never any discrimination.
Since moving back to Narrabri, we have had so much help and kindness shown to us, sometimes by perfect strangers – it has made the move from our home at Rowena so much easier.
I can’t thank the people of Narrabri enough especially during the last few weeks.
Such comments made by a company which makes money from this area are hard to take – it’s their loss as they have no idea of the warmth and caring that exists in our town.
Thalia Phelps
Narrabri
