Everyone has a right to voice their thoughts and aspirations for a better community. The right of free speech is one of the most important rights we hold as Australian citizens and one that should be protected. But with such rights come responsibilities. As community members, we have a responsibility to speak with courtesy, and to respect that others may hold a different point of view.

We also have a responsibility to speak the truth and to seek information from reliable sources so that comments we make publicly are not only considered but factual. The risk we face as a community if points of view are repeatedly expressed without a basis in fact is that they become folklore and are perceived by others as fact when they are not.

A recent example of this have been allegations that Councillors, including myself, live in Port Macquarie. This is totally false with all nine Councillors residing in various locations across the Kempsey Shire. The flow-on effects of misrepresenting the facts can be detrimental to other people's reputation, or what starts out as a positive initiative is turned into a negative.

We now live in a world where the internet and mobile technology means you can easily access information and form an opinion with very little effort. This can be powerful when opinions and actions are positive, but it also has the potential for damage. With very little research or justification, we can form a critical opinion or make a personal judgement and spread our opinions quickly and cheaply.

We all have a responsibility to choose our words and actions, and to consider their impact. Through keeping informed, sharing our ideas and listening to others, we can build a big picture view of where we need to go and what we need to achieve to build a prosperous future for the Macleay.