Innocent unarmed people out enjoying a concert or a coffee when a stranger opens fire at point blank range.  

I struggle to see what honor or justification anyone could possibly gain from this. 

The world has had a gut-full of these crazies. They hide among the innocent while they plan their sick, self-indulgent terrorist attacks. It’s clear they are just murderers waiting for a cause to justify their urge to kill. No one in their right minds could consider let alone commit a crime like this against good people they have never met who have never done anything to harm them.

It appears they are trying to distance the western world from the people they already terrorize and who seek asylum.  There is no easy answer as to who is and who is not a terrorist.  

Consider this though!  Even if we stopped the refuges entering the country the normal visitors will still stream through and a cashed up terrorist who doesn't care if he lives or dies for his cause could slip past border security more easily than a genuine refuge who wouldn't have the money or credentials to do so. If we turn our back on refugees then terrorism wins and they have achieved their objective.  I am concerned like everyone else is and I don't want people coming here to do to our people what they have done to the French but I cannot back down and see innocent children die.

David MacPhail, Warrnambool

On behalf of all ex-service personnel, may I say a very big thank you to all Warrnambool City Council parks and gardens staff for the amazing display of beautiful red poppies surrounding our war memorial opposite the RSL.  Again this year you have excelled at your work with much pride in having the Flanders Poppies in full bloom, just in time for Remembrance Day. Many visitors from other states, and around the world to our RSL comment on how good the memorials, parks and roundabouts look in our wonderful city of Warrnambool. Hence it is a reflection of your constant dedication and hard work to achieve these magnificent green open spaces and bright floral displays, well done staff.

Ken Cumming, Warrnambool

So, let’s get this straight. The council formed a technical, and a community reference group, who worked for five months to present three options for harbour improvements, which the council endorsed to take to the greater community for feedback.

Option A: boat ramp improvements, option B: artificial groyne and spur breakwaterk; option C: fully enclosed harbour.

The public survey results were: 523 of 698 (74.9 per cent) respondents chose either option C or B as their most preferred option, with 416 (60.5 per cent) going with option C, a fully enclosed harbour; 455 (65 per cent) respondents chose option A as their least preferred option.

It is my understanding that the council has basically sanctioned option A, a decision to be ratified at the council meeting on December 7. Sounds like history repeating itself once again. Why consult the general public at all? The economical and safety arguments have been expressed ad nauseam for years, yet again they seem destined to fall on deaf ears.

Lucas Wilson, Warrnambool

I read with some disappointment the final Warrnambool City Council Electoral Representation Review report by the Victorian Electoral Commission and published in The Standard.

During the review process, it became patently obvious there would be no change to our unsubdivided municipal, with only two options given any credence during the community consultation process. At no stage was there a review of the present system that has been in place for the past two elections to see if it is providing good government. By adopting a no-change position to our present system, it assumes residents are satisfied with the present performance of council. I think it fair to suggest the council is dysfunctional and failing to provide sound local government that Warrnambool residents have been accustomed to over decades.

Prior to becoming an unsubdivied municipality in 2004, the municipality was divided into several geographic wards. It provided stable local government with individual councillors, that not only made decisions for the whole city, but had a responsibility and accountability for issues and concerns of their ward residents. This also gave some community feeling of ownership of council and to the citizens within the ward.

Along with our unsubdivided council came the problem of selecting the best candidates from a field of around 20: most of whom, they would have no knowledge of, or their ability to serve on council.

With so many candidates standing, we saw the introduction of a proportional representation voting system. This led to the formation of preferencing by individual candidates to ensure they attained the quota of votes needed to be elected. When elected, we saw these voting alliances manifest into political groups within the elected council.

This has destroyed the independence of councillors, who now appear to vote along factional lines. We are continually reminded through the media of the noisy minority that has little concern for good governance and/or, to work in unison with all councillors as a group to keep the executive arm of local government working in the interest of Warrnambool.

The sad thing is nothing has changed and expect more of the same at the 2016 elections.

Andrew Fawcett, Warrnambool