In our part of the world we locals are about as different as chalk and cheese except for one shared dislike.

 Once labelled coastal village and rural, I am now told that we are to be repackaged as ‘urban renewal’. This is because so many of our old farmhouses and holiday shacks are either being pulled down or remorphed into grand and grander mansions.

 While we may now be considered as ‘almost urban’, the truth is that most of our streets are private and unpaved. Thus topping everyone’s list of pet hates are those hoons who speed along our roads in their cars and motorbikes, raising dust and leaving in their wake pot holes, bumps and ruined drains. Apart from the nuisance value and the danger to unwary pedestrians, there is the constant worry of having to top and grade, and then making sure all the neighbours share equally in the expense.

 Our house is sited along one of the quieter roads, a street flanked by bracken, eucalypt and fern. Koalas, echidnas, birds and even the odd wombat live amongst our verges. But we have always had trouble ensuring that our road remains this pleasant nature reserve. Some twenty years ago our shire decided that what we really needed was a ‘proper bitumen road’. What’s more, our shire assumed that we would be only too happy to pay for this ourselves. If we didn’t fork up immediately, accumulated interest would be offset against any future sale.

 Of course we objected. And objected. And objected. But no one took any notice until we settled in front of some bulldozers and waited for them to go away. Thankfully, good can come out of bad. As a result many of our neighbours got to know each other, often becoming life long friends.

 Since, we have remained on ‘red alert’ in case something like this occurs again. Thank god we live in a democracy.

 But if this hoonery gets too much, one day I can see this happening again. So, apart from hanging and quartering, can anyone suggest another way of keeping road hoons away?