Sue Cassidy, Warrnambool

Irrespective of how the final solution to the current CFA dispute plays out or which stance people take on the issue two things have become blatantly obvious. The first is the political opportunism exercised by the Liberal party at both federal and state level. This dispute has been ongoing for three years yet it has only been in recent times we have seen the increased level of involvement and commentary by the Prime Minister, state opposition leader and local member. Why now? It would appear from the timing that their motive isn't about playing a constructive role in resolving the dispute but fuelling it in a divisive manner to maximise votes. Secondly the hypocrisy displayed with respect to independent commissions. It was the Prime Minister who admonished the opposition leader to "commit to abiding by the umpire’s decision regarding weekend penalty rates". Yet now, given recommendations have been delivered which they disagree with the PM flags legislative changes to override the decisions made by the very same body. Perhaps it's not surprising that some of our sports people display poor attitudes to umpiring decisions which don't go their way. For our future generations Australia needs political leaders who will make decisions on what is best for the country and not what is best for their political aspirations and career prospects.

Brad Burns, Warrnambool

Until this week, I have had nothing to say about the CFA/United Fireifighters Union EBA dispute. I was a volunteer firefighter for 28 years. I started at Kirkstall Rural Fire Brigade when I was on the farm with my parents, I then moved to Warrnambool and joined the Warrnambool Fire Brigade, it was a big change from rural to urban with much to learn. When I joined Warrnambool there was one station officer working per shift and they needed the support of well trained volunteers who knew what they were doing. I felt if you are going to put your name down to help out, then you'd better know what you're doing, so I trained and studied outside the normal Tuesday night training up to four days a week. I also asked the station officers to assess me as if I was a full-time firefighter and yes there is a difference. Getting assessed for operating and driving both the pumper and tanker was a bit harder but my thinking was I wanted to be useful and help the station officer. This went on for a few years with more to learn and more assessments, new equipment and new appliances. It was hard to stay on top of it but I enjoyed it, driving code one to fires and front line fire attacks with other well-trained volunteers was my reward, but it was taxing as I worked full-time at a factory on nightshift. Then it was announced Warrnambool was getting a leading firefighter per shift, I thought this was a good move as there was a lot of pressure and work load on volunteers to respond all the time probably to about 350 calls a year. Just before the leading firies started I was told straight out that I wouldn't be driving the pumper that often and was pushed to the back seat if I was there when a call came in. Otherwise, when the volunteers got to the station we responded either in the Hazmat or the tanker, then more permanent firies started working in Warrnambool and when volunteers showed up, the pumper and tanker or Hazmat would be gone, and the volunteers would either go in the brigade car or man the station. The breaking point came for me when the full-time firies started to call in other staff to cover the station when volunteers were there, I felt like I had been kicked in the guts. On refection I was jealous, my ego had taken a hit. Looking back, it wasn't my job, my job was working in a factory. My ego is not that big that I wanted a fire truck to wait so I could drive it or ride in it at the cost of a life or more damage to property that could be avoided by getting there three or five minutes earlier. I trained hard, fought fires well, but I was not a fully trained full-time firefighter 100 per cent trained to deal with emergencies. I was good but not that good. The main reason I joined CFA was to help, to be the best I could to assist the station officer, my job was done. I have an EBA at my work too, I can't see anything in the firies EBA that’s not in mine.

Andrew Primmer, Warrnambool

I write to you with grave concern toward the complete lack of empathy and acknowledgement by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Dan Tehan, MP, who holds the Federal seat of Wannon, toward a highly vulnerable group of Australian UN Peacekeeper veterans.

Whilst I appreciate that there are local issues being attended to within his Electorate, Mr Tehan also has a National and International obligation in his portfolio for Veterans.

On 29 May, the UN International Day for UN Peacekeepers passed mainly un-noticed in Australia, except for the efforts of those veterans, the Australian Peacekeeper & Peacemaker Veterans' Association (APPVA) and the UN Association of Australia (UNAA) to promote such unique and special service toward International Peace, Security and Stability.

My concern is that there was no formal acknowledgement by Mr Tehan toward the service, courage and sacrifice of Australian Military and Police UN Peacekeepers, which total well over 66,000. The International UN Theme launched by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon on 28 May, was 'Honouring Our Heroes".

Unfortunately, Mr Tehan has again failed a highly vulnerable group of veterans, of which a recently released DVA UN Peacekeeper Mental Health study found that 1 in 3 Australian Military UN Peacekeepers who served between 1989 to 2002 suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health condition.  

The International cost has been the troop contribution of 1.5 Million UN Peacekeepers, with over 3,400 killed on UN Duty.  Out of that 25 Australian Military and Police personnel have been killed or died as a result of such service.  Thousands more suffer day-in and day-out as a result of the trauma they experienced on these Operations, whilst serving Australia in uniform.

It is very disappointing to see Mr Tehan not formally recognise such a significant Australian military milestone of 69 years of non-stop commitment toward Peacekeeping Operations.

They are now our "Forgotten Veterans".  Perhaps the Turnbull Government does not want to "Honour Our Heroes"?

Paul Copeland, Torquay

As a South Warrnambool resident for over 50 years I am extremely disgusted with the partly constructed pedestrian crossing on Viaduct Road. I assume it was designed by the same person who designed the pedestrian crossings at the intersections of Kelper, Timor and Merri streets. The use of bluestone pitchers is extremely hazardous for bikes, pedestrians not to mention vehicles. As a ratepayer, I would have expected a lot more from a councillor to look and examine documents of the design. The gaps between the pavers would not pass OHS regulations. A bike tyre would jam between them and in turn throw the rider off causing damage to the person and property. I would like you and any other female to try and walk over this crossing especially in semi to high heel shoes and try not to break your heels or ankles and not lose any skin. Try and wheel over a pram or pusher. Try and have a young child ride (or push) their bike over it. Both designs are extremely poor and should be removed ASAP. The cost of Kepler Street (one block) leaves a lot to be desired. What a waste of money (even if it was through Government grants). Now the council has wasted this money, do not waste any more and pull them all down and re-design them, invite all citizens, to go over these pedestrian crossings and them complain to your councillors. 

Darryl Smith, Warrnambool

The McGrath Foundation would like to say a huge thank you to the Warrnambool community for stepping up to the crease and supporting our community cricket initiative, Pink Stumps Day.

Thank you to Camperdown Cricket Club, Merrivale Cricket Club and Allansford Cricket Club for their fantastic efforts. They got their local community involved, turned their pitches pink and have so far raised a collective $3724.

Altogether, over 700 teams around Australia have brought some magic to their cricket event going above and beyond to really make a difference. Through support like this, we are able to ensure families experiencing breast cancer have access to a breast care nurse, no matter where they live or their finical situation.

To date, our extensive network of 110 McGrath Breast Care Nurses have helped support over 44,000 families in Australia through their breast cancer experience, providing invaluable physical, psychological and emotional support from the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment.

The support of the Warrnambool community means a lot for us at the McGrath Foundation in assisting us with our mission of supporting families experiencing breast cancer, so a huge thank you must go out to everyone who participates in any fundraising events raising funds on our behalf.

Despite the fact that local communities have begun packing away their cricket gear as the summer sports season comes to an end, there’s still the opportunity to don some pink in pride and support the McGrath Foundation this winter sports season.

#PullOnYourSocks alongside sporting heroes including Lleyton Hewitt, Ellyse Perry, Wendell Sailor, Billy Slater and Jamie Dwyer, to name a few, by purchasing a pair of McGrath Foundation pink sports socks and registering a fundraising event when you visit www.pullonyoursocks.com.au.

As we say at the McGrath Foundation, together we can make a difference!

Petra Buchanan, CEO, McGrath Foundation

Australia has a proud history of being one of the world’s most compassionate countries. However, as the cold months set in, there are tens of thousands of Aussies who still need a helping hand from Red Cross. Last year we helped more than 20,000 people who were lonely and at risk of serious illness or injury.

In winter, it’s the poorest who often suffer most, including young homeless people and families struggling to make ends meet.

We must never accept that that life can’t be better for Victorian families, friends and neighbours.

A donation to Red Cross before 30 June will ensure we can continue to carry out our work such as contacting the lonely and isolated to ensure they are safe; it will help provide breakfast for Aussie kids, who would otherwise go to school hungry and help in times of disaster, in Australia and across the region. It will help our emergency services teams to best prepare Victorian communities for disasters - all year round.

To donate, or for more information, go to redcross.org.au.

Penny Harrison, Victoria Executive Director, Australian Red Cross

I was elected to stand up for my community, including our volunteers and as such I wish to respond to claims that the Liberal National Coalition is scaremongering and playing political games with the current CFA crisis. It’s incredible that people can think this is the case when there are members of Premier Daniel Andrews own team who also have concerns about this deal. The fact the Emergency Services Minister is refusing to sign off on the deal, despite the Premier urging her to do so, shows there are fundamental flaws. The fact the CFA Board, the CFA Chief Executive Officer and The Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission have state that this deal is unlawful also shows it’s not just Coalition MPs who hold fears about what this agreement will do to the organisation. Thousands of volunteers have also shown they are concerned their roles will be diminished as the number of paid firefighters increases at stations like Warrnambool. They are worried about the unnecessary control and with the increased numbers of paid firefighters on shift, they fear opportunity for volunteers to utilise the roles they have been trained for will disappear. There is no economic trigger or any analysis to determine if the balance between the roles of paid and volunteers staff is correct. No one is saying there is no need for career firefighters, there absolutely is. What is under question though is what impact an increase of paid staff will have on the role of volunteers and what impact any loss of volunteers would have on our communities during times of emergency. This is not about political games. It’s about ensuring volunteers are recognised as a vital asset to protect our communities. They deserve to be respected in a way that reflects the importance of their role.

Roma Britnell MP Member for South West Coast

Wednesday night’s forum on higher education at the Warrnambool Campus of Deakin University was a terrific opportunity for our community to reaffirm its commitment to keeping a university campus in Warrnambool. I was one of five speakers advocating for that very outcome.

The time has come to recognise that there are clear policy differences and priorities between the Labor Party’s deliberate and considered approach to higher education and that of an increasingly reactive Liberal National Party Coalition.

The financial implications of this community choosing the LNP position are stark. The LNP intends to reduce funding per student to $9300 by 2018. Labor’s position is to ensure that funding per student increases to $11800. Labor’s position means an additional $2 million for the Warrnambool Campus. Our funding initiatives will also create a much more conducive environment for the situation at the Warrnambool campus to be resolved with prospective providers.

The LNP’s “user pays” approach of “education is a cost”, “students must pay”, “if you can’t pay you don’t go” culminating in the prospect of $100000 dollar degrees and the risk of crippling student debt is unacceptable for our community.

I know country kids are just as capable and motivated as city kids when it comes to higher education. Yet out of every one hundred 25-34 year olds in a capital city, 42 have a degree compared to only 19 25-34 year olds living in Warrnambool and the south west of Victoria. It highlights the point that access and equity for our kids is a critical issue. The Labor Party sees education as an investment in the strengths of our young people, we know they’re worth it. We know for every one dollar invested in education that this nation gets a twenty six dollar return.

Labor is committed to ensuring that Warrnambool has a university campus and we will work with providers to ensure this. We see the value of education from an economic and social perspective. It is what I’ll be fighting for up till election day and beyond. You will have a chance to have your say on the importance of education to this community. Don’t waste that chance. 

Michael Barling, Labor Candidate for Wannon​