Actions not words
Ms Britnell and Mr Tehan keep attacking the state Labor goverment about the condition of local roads. The disrepair has been an issue longer than Dan Andrews, he is merely the latest scapegoat. We have had several Liberal/Nationals premiers and still had potholes. Denis Napthine whom only fell into the Premier's seat by a resignation had my vote. Victoria spoke and Dan is what we have. All parties need to work together instead of constant bickering. If Mr Tehan wants to do something he needs to talk to his crew at a federal level about all the GST revenue that leaves Victoria. His generous $140 million is only giving us back a small portion of GST taken from Victoria in the first place. Ms Brittnell, on the other hand, all she does is make noise or turn up at each local event to be noticed. We are yet to see her do anything constructive. An article weeks ago from James Purcell hit the nail on the head. Sadly that ship has sailed. I have driven for 25 years, the same potholes reappear about every six months even after resealing work. Some have not had major work since they were made with a pick and shovel. Dan Andrews has failed us? But Ms Britnell and Mr Tehan are no better. Noise and hot air do not achieve anything.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Richard Conlan, Port Fairy
Poverty 'serious issue'
Poverty in society and the health and longevity prospects of our elderly are important issues that most would say should be seriously prioritised by government at all levels. It's therefore highly regrettable that in recent letters to The Standard some have chosen to link these to the growth of renewable sources of energy as part of the global response to the threats of climate change. Michael Cane claimed that renewables lead to poverty and then extended that to elderly people dying of hypothermia due to the switch to renewables. His elderly deaths assertion was endorsed by Anthony Cane in his "green madness'' attack on Warrnambool council and its recognition of a climate change emergency. Poverty and elderly deaths demand proper consideration and should not be debased and devalued by ideological crusades linking them to renewables in a climate change context .
Tony Delaney, Warrnambool
Heroes deserve honour
If ever an offer of a state (taxpayer-funded) funeral was justified, it would be for volunteer firefighters who lose their lives in the performance of their (unpaid) duties.
Michael J Gamble, Belmont
Preserve the future
Not surprising the Prime Minister returns home and stubbornly refuses to address climate change. When polls show a majority of Australians are concerned about the topic, one can only wonder why there appears to be not one member of the government prepared to publicly challenge the government's ( i.e. Morrison's) position. One can only conclude the government comprises a bunch sycophants, more concerned with preserving their future retirement benefits than preserving the future of Australia for the next generation. Morrison may as well have stayed in Hawaii, nothing can rescue his reputation now.
Charles Cowell, Wangoom
Duck shooting 'tripe'
Re Mr Delaney's tripe (December 13) about duck shooting having such devastating effects on the pending extinction of water birds. From over 50 years experience I can tell you that waterfowl, especially ducks will up and disappear overnight from huge wetlands when a sudden flood occurs up north in QLD or NSW. There they will stay until our wetlands refill as they do. This is fact and the only ducks that die during drought are the weak birds, leaving the stronger birds to breed up again and will have multiple nestings each year in the flooded areas. Shooting accounts for less than one per cent of the population. I have seen numerous times thousands of ducks rafting as it is called, just on dark, which is great mobs of ducks on the water fluttering up all together to about six feet then settling, then up again numerous times and settling again. The following morning, not a duck to be seen. Then to hear that huge rains have fallen somewhere else, usually up north, it's called instinct. Don't ask how they know but they do.
Terry Manley, Kinkella
Burn off fuel
In response to my call for the testing of international drivers at airports before they use our roads, Daniel Andrews insisted that he only takes advice from the experts. When it comes to bushfire risk management, the premier should listen to the experts. Not the self-proclaimed experts of the former fire-chiefs who formed the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action Group, who overlook all other contributing factors that do not support the 'climate emergency' agenda, but real scientists and researchers, like Mr David Packham OAM. Mr Packham has been studying bushfire seasons for decades both as a CSIRO researcher and as a resident of country Victoria, and contends that a primary causal factor in this year's intense nationwide bushfire season is that "you need fuel to have a fire and due to gross mismanagement of our forests we have way too much of it." This is why I have continuously tried to raise concern over the locking up of our state forests and our designation of roadside vegetation as 'wildlife corridors' and 'conservation zones' instead of safe places. It is integral to our bushfire management that we proactively reduce fuel loads in forests and on roadsides so the intensity of potential fires is reduced. The reality is, bushfires are an unfortunate part of our Australian landscape and the preoccupation with so-called bio-diversity concerns and native vegetation protection will not save vast acreage, livestock, homes, wildlife, native vegetation and even people from being burnt in an out of control fire. Instead, we should be looking to burn-off fuel loads like Indigenous Australians had been doing prior to European settlement, and encourage droving on roadside vegetation to ensure roads act as necessary firebreaks not fire wicks.
Beverley McArthur, Member for Western Victoria Region
- Please note: The Standard prefers letters to be less than 250 words. Preference is given to shorter contributions. Letters must include the author's name, address and contact phone number for verification purposes. Letters are published at standard.net.au/comment/your-say/ and in print