Hard line on hoons
In light of recent events I would like to see us get serious when it comes to hoon driving. The way that some of them drive at the moment is not only reckless, it’s downright dangerous. Let’s face it, a car is a lethal weapon if it’s in the hands of an idiot. You share our roads with families and older people who have paid more into the infrastructure than you ever will. They don’t deserve to have to put up with the stink of your rubber or the squealing of your vehicle’s wheels and engine as you try to prove you’re something to the other children who join you in this type of behaviour. I will be lobbying for a change. If you drive your car like you don’t care about anyone else but yourself leaving your filthy tyre marks on our roads then the government should have the right to impound and destroy your car without further hesitation. I think there’s too much slack for hoons and that is why they do what they do. In my mind that’s the only way forward for this behaviour.
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David MacPhail, Warrnambool
Relay for Life thanks
On behalf of Cancer Council Victoria, I would like to sincerely thank the community of Warrnambool for supporting the recent Warrnambool Relay For Life. More than 852 relayed on February 10 and11 in 35 teams, walking overnight to show that Hope Lives in Warrnambool for those experiencing cancer. During the relay, there was laughter, tears and no doubt, a few sore feet. But the strength shown by local Warrnambool community members was a public display of support for anyone in Warrnambool with a cancer experience. So far, over $84,000 has been raised by Warrnambool relayers, which will help fund Cancer Council Victoria’s support, prevention and research programs. The money raised at Warrnambool Relay For Life will help Cancer Council Victoria continue to provide programs including: Funding some of Victoria’s brightest researchers and their cutting-edge projects each year to help detect, treat and beat cancer; important prevention programs like PapScreen Victoria, Quit and SunSmart to make sure people have all the information they need to cut their risk of cancer. A particular focus this year is on improving bowel screening rates, with the latest statistic showing that only 39.8% of eligible people in the City of Warrnambool participate. We recommend bowel screening every two years between the ages of 50 and 74; Support services including a pro-bono legal assistance service to help those affected by cancer who may be struggling with issues such as wills, early access to superannuation, debt matters, or returning to work and our information and support line, Cancer Council 13 11 20, where qualified cancer nurses give people information and support. Thank you again to everyone who relayed and helped continue the fight against cancer.
Todd Harper, CEO, Cancer Council Victoria
Change nature strip policy
Well done Irma Rentsch. However, The Standard, February 16, story is incorrect where it states that council’s nature strip landscaping policy limits plantings to 300mm high. This detail is in council’s nature strip guidelines that are not out for public comment. Council is both seeking public comment while withholding information upon which to comment. Council’s baseline position on nature strip plantings is that they should be very low despite our city having nature strips as wide as 14 metres that could easily accommodate taller and wider plantings that support native birds as well as some lawn, space for bins and opening car doors. Strategic and safely designed nature strip plantings would also support Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy that specifically talks about creating biodiversity corridors through our urban areas. A web search of many other local governments reveals that our council is woefully behind the times in not recognising that street plantings are important to native wildlife. The Blue Wren Biolinks concept should be adopted by council to strategically plan for habitat corridors and stepping stones to be implemented over time through appropriate urban areas. BirdLife Australia sadly reports that some of our most common birds are disappearing from our towns and cities. This includes iconic species like blue wrens and magpies. There are many parts of Warrnambool that a blue wren and many other native birds can’t get to because there are no vegetation ‘stepping stones’. If we want our grandchildren to grow up seeing beautiful native birds in their own backyards, council’s nature strip landscaping policy needs to help make this happen.
Bruce Campbell, Warrnambool
Campaign for train upgrade
I commend our South West Coast MP, Roma Britnell, for her frequent letters and comments regarding the sorry state of our train service. Let us hope that her correspondence and efforts in criticising the Labor government do not dry up the moment the Liberals are elected to govern Victoria. It is obvious to me that the only way that we are going to get a better train service (12.6% punctuality record as reported last Saturday) is for everyone to keep the pressure up, whether that be by individual letters, protests, placards, parliamentary questions or frequent articles and editorials in the Standard. Remember what was achieved when we wanted (and needed) a rescue helicopter for the south west? An embarrassed government of the day eventually acquiesced.
David Pearson, Warrnambool