What is council doing?
Over the past week, we have started seeing more discussion around the economic recession we are facing. What support are we seeing from Warrnambool City Council for its residents?
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After looking through the council website apart from federal and state government initiatives all the council has announced in support for struggling ratepayers is a deferral of rates and free parking.
Many councils around the state are starting to make hard decisions concerning their operations to survive these tough times. Geelong, Colac and Glenelg have all announced the decision to lay off staff this week to try and cut costs in their councils. The council has not announced any cost-saving measures.
The Central Goldfields Shire this week has announced a working group made up of residents and businesses to receive ideas on what stimulus the community feels they need. What public consultation has the council done with the ratepayers of Warrnambool?
Really, what is the council doing officially to consult with all ratepayers on what they need? I believe so far, they have done nothing to determine the needs of residents in Warrnambool.
The Warrnambool Ratepayers Association have asked many questions of the council over the years and are always told that they have spoken with business owners but we never see any evidence. We need everyone involved, and we need transparency in the consultation process.
All councillors need to be pushing for thorough consultation with the community now. We need the council to be collecting ideas and developing ways to implement them. When we need these initiatives in the future, these measures have to be ready to go not in the planning stages.
Remember all the councillors are there to represent the residents of Warrnambool and they need to be asking the questions and listening to the requirements of the community. The councillors are the only ones who can order the council to consult with the community and instruct the CEO to find efficiencies within the workforce. All residents deserve to be heard by their elected leaders.
Ben Blain, Vice President WRA
Racing not suitable
Contrary to Peter Lafferty's opinion, (Letters to the Editor, The Standard, Saturday, April 18) I do not 'hate' horses, and have no problem with the people who work with them.
At a time when tourists and visitors are actively discouraged from visiting our region, I find the decision to allow the May Racing Carnival to take place hypocritical and irresponsible on behalf of the government.
There would be hundreds of racing staff that would attend the May Race Carnival two-day event, and they would travel from all over the state, at a time when it is still extremely important to reduce the movement of people in and around our region.
The community transmission of COVID-19 via people who may be asymptomatic, is still a huge risk to our community, and importantly, according to the government health experts, is managed best by avoiding non-essential activities.
No amount of money generated via the racing industry in Victoria is reason to put lives (nurses, doctors and the community as a whole) at risk, here in the south-west.
Monique Ferrier, Warrnambool
Keep the top job
Tony, stay our mayor, you are a good man. Who hasn't made a mistake? All of us have, at these times we find out who are our friends. Photo-taker you are no hero.
Mannie Boswell, Warrnambool
Gas supply query
In Increased gas supply vital for region, Corangamite mayor says, (Katrina Lovell April 19, 2020), Corangamite Shire Council Mayor Cr Neil Trotter implies Australia Institute analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from onshore gas is biased.
It is unfortunate Cr Trotter is playing the man rather than the ball on this important issue. Name calling doesn't change the fact that our analysis is simple science. It is straight forward chemistry that if 830 petajoules of gas are burned, it will produce 46 million tonnes carbon dioxide. The Victorian Gas Program report, which the government relied on in its decision to lift the moratorium has simply ignored those emissions, hence understated the emissions impacts at least seven-fold.
Our analysis of the report only looked at the emissions, but the government also relied on this report in regard to the impacts on people's health and water for instance. Let's hope these impacts have not also been understated.
The economic benefits the report does find are surprisingly low. It found there would be between 21 and 68 jobs in the Gippsland region. But some of these jobs would result from a "redistribution of labour... with employment being drawn from the rest of Victoria." In other words there is no reason expect these jobs will go to local people, and many will be skilled workers poached from other industries.
Hopes for more or cheaper gas are misplaced. The report finds onshore gas development will not lead any additional gas supply for Victoria or lower gas prices.
Mark Ogge, Principal Adviser, The Australia Institute
Onshore gas not risky
For the past three years I have chaired the independent Stakeholder Advisory Panel overseeing the Victorian Gas Program's onshore conventional gas studies.
After fracking was banned in 2017, the Victorian Government wanted to understand two things about onshore conventional gas (which doesn't need fracking): what's the potential for new discoveries and what are the risks, benefits and impacts of allowing it to be developed.
The panel includes diverse and passionate representatives from farming, environmental, industry, community and local government backgrounds. The eight Panel members care deeply about their role and about advocating strongly for the people they represent.
The panel and I took a close and careful look into the geoscientific, technical and environmental research to better understand Victoria's undiscovered onshore conventional gas resources.
We found a high likelihood of conventional gas onshore in South West Victoria and to a lesser extent in Gippsland. If developed, this gas would improve energy security while Victoria transitions to a low carbon economy.
The science told us that a responsible and well-regulated onshore conventional gas industry would not risk Victoria's groundwater supplies or agricultural production. It could create a boost to regional jobs, economies and communities.
Panel members did not always agree with each other or arrive at a consensus. But they agreed with the science and the integrity of the processes followed.
The panel provided its advice to the Minister for Resources in early 2020. The Victorian government announced on 17 March 2020 its intention for an orderly restart of the onshore conventional gas industry in Victoria.
Dr Amanda Caples, Victoria's Lead Scientist
Don't ignore science
The outbreak of COVID-19 disease that is bringing countries to standstill highlights the problems we can encounter when world leaders ignore the advice of scientists. Chinese scientists predicted in the scientific journal Viruses in 2019 that the world could face a viral pandemic like that which we are currently experiencing.
They noted that 'bats host a significantly higher proportion of zoonotic viruses (viruses which can disease in other humans) than other mammalian species'. In the paper they stated that: "It is highly likely that future coronavirus outbreaks will originate from bats and there is an increased probability that this will occur in China. Therefore, the investigation of bat coronaviruses becomes an urgent issue for the detection of early warning signs, which in turn minimises the impact of such future outbreaks in China."
The scientists speculated at the time that the reason China is a hotspot for a potential virus outbreak is three fold including population, climate diversity and corona virus-laden bats living near humans.
They highlighted that cultural issues may play a role in the risk of pandemics originating in China and said 'Chinese food culture maintains that live slaughtered animals are more nutritious, and this belief may enhance viral transmission.'
Whilst the origins of the virus are yet to be elucidated the prediction the scientists made when they said that 'It is generally believed that bat-borne corona viruses will re-emerge to cause the next disease outbreak' may prove to be eerily correct much to the detriment of communities worldwide.
Michael McCluskey, Warrnambool
Fair and reasonable
Horse racing - fair and reasonable. So too big to stop or fail? So no lobbying to protect elite interests? So hold secret biosecurity measures unknown by other sports? So important home entertainment? So, no physical distancing issues gathering at and in barriers, and from start to finish? So, all's fair and reasonable!
Russell Allardice, Port Fairy
Follow the leader
Imagine two yachts that always finish behind the leader. Then, one day, the champ of the fleet has some setbacks and our two stragglers find themselves first and second in the race. The elation of being leaders lasts a millisecond, then the penny drops.
They just landed the responsibility of navigating the racecourse. Normally they just follow the champ. Now there's no one to follow. What to do? Have a go at navigating the course or spill wind out of the sails and wait until the champ catches up? The names of these two yachts is Australia and Victoria. Our leaders have navigated Corona Virus really well. With due thanks to them, unexpectedly, Australia is very well placed globally, and Victoria is right up the front. This means that Australia and Victoria will be among the very first places in the world needing to use the lockdown exit ramp.
But Australia and Victoria do not have exit ramps. What to do? Well our leaders can just spill wind out of their sails and wait for the champ to catch up and show them which way to go.Here's the good news. Just last week, the champ caught up and took over the lead. Australia and Victoria can now stop spilling wind because Trump has invented the exit ramp. Blanket rules can now give way to a localised, performance based, phased exit.
It is so comforting to be following the leader once again.We are still racing aren't we?
Chris Drury, Woodford
No to duck shooting
The Andrews government restricting travel for essential purposes only has no other option but to cancel next month's duck shooting season.
Shooters driving to our south west wetlands to kill and maim native waterbirds is never justified and certainly not during a global heath crisis .
Roma Britnell MP and upper house members should inform us of their views and representation on this issue.
Tony Delaney, Warrnambool
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.