Bank closure ire
I am very disappointed the NAB Bank in Port Fairy is closing. I have been with the NAB for many, many years and like to do my banking face to face. I don't like travelling into Warrnambool especially the centre of the city. I will certainly be reviewing where I bank.
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Alan Parker, Toolong
Shame on councillors
With only minutes warning, on St Patricks Day, we experienced fire driven by 100km/h winds, which launched embers at amazing speed towards our property. The comments (The Standard, April 28) made by Cr Meade of Moyne Shire, and Cr McArthur and Cr Illingworth of Corangamite Shire, regarding roadside vegetation facilitating ‘funnels of fire’ are contemptuous, and demonstrate ignorance of fire ecology and fire behaviour. The vitriol reserved for trees highlights their anti-environment sentiments in proposing clearing roadsides of native vegetation as a fire-prevention strategy. In the fire we lost trees, but we also lost hectares of pasture, kilometres of pine post fencing, machinery, and hundreds of rolls of hay and silage. We lost plastic things, wooden things and metal things. All fuel. All burned. Our home, still standing, is testament to careful and considerate landscape planning, that, amongst other things, incorporates vegetation and trees for fire protection. It is shameful that some of our civic leaders should use this tragic event to fuel their own political agenda, but it is also hurtful to us who are still recovering from and coping with the events and losses of that night.
Irwin Lowe, Naroghid
Build uphill sand track
I would like to add my comment to the debate on horses working on beaches. I once worked in the racing industry and used the beaches and never had a problem with people and our horses because we used common sense. People used to love watching us work and swim our horses on the Killarney beach. We always respected that not everyone appreciated it and when someone made the comment we would not continue using that area where they were. But in saying that we are now in different times. I believe Warrnambool Racing Club should move with the times and build a state of the art training facility where they have an uphill sand track and a salt water wading and swimming pool.. they want better trainers, then you need better facilities.
Barbara Maher, Sebastopol
Upgrade roads
Recently, Premier, Daniel Andrews announced Regional Roads Victoria (RRV). This will be a "new division" of VicRoads and will be based in Ballarat with "staff in regional centres" across the state, "focused on building safer roads." Unfortunately the end result of this will be far worse than the present situation.
A new division of VicRoads (RRV) would mean a name change, more staff, more vehicles, more buildings, squandering road funding and taxpayers money. We already have VicRoads staff in regional centres across the state. We do not need extra staff to “focus" on building safer roads. We actually require roads to be upgraded and maintained. Unfortunately under present legislation, irrelevant of which political party is in power, only a small percentage of road funding actually finds its way to maintaining the road.
VicRoads really needs to be replaced with a council-run System. VicRoads has been audited, VicRoads has failed to be responsible, there is an inquiry into VicRoads happening at the moment and a state election coming up later this year. It is not a funding issue, it is a management problem.
If common sense were to prevail, then government would replace VicRoads with a council-run system, with all state road funding calculated to x amount per kilometre, then directed to each council.
Every state road runs through either a city or shire council. On average, every city or shire council would only need to upgrade 10 km and resurface 20 km each year for 10 years, to maintain every state road throughout Victoria, with a fraction of the present cost.
Wallace Hill, Macarthur
Dig deep
For over 50 years, The Salvation Army and the Australian community have united to bring hope where it’s needed most through the annual Red Shield Appeal. The Red Shield Appeal is the lifeblood of The Salvation Army. It ensures that we can continue to support the women and children who are fleeing domestic violence, the people trapped in drug and alcohol addiction, the youth who are sleeping on our streets, and so much more. It is the Salvos’ main fundraiser, helping keep the doors open to our many support services. But with more and more people from all walks of life turning to us for assistance, this year we will need as much help as we can get. So we are calling on community groups, sporting clubs, workplaces, families and individuals to get on board and volunteer for the Red Shield Appeal during the month of May. And we are asking people across the country to please donate to this year’s appeal. Even just a small contribution can make an immeasurable difference in someone’s life. Every day, the Salvos live, love and fight for the needs of our community. We can only do this because, year after year, Australians come together to give hope where it's needed most.
Lieut- Colonel Neil Venables, The Salvation Army's national secretary for communications