Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club should be allocated funds to extend their facilities to provide the public with a safe and clean option for beach patrons, they would provide a safe environment that local and visiting families would use.

Wally Steere, Warrnambool

I think that this is an important occasion to acknowledge Australia as a celebrated nation with people from all cultures and countries all across the world. Also at this time it is important how we treat each other in our lovely land; especially our first nation people. I see a need to continually remember to celebrate the first peoples to come to this land. (That we know of.)

Currently science has identified that our indigenous peoples have been here for up to 60,000+ years. Among the oldest culture in the world. Settlements from other nations, mostly Europe, have been here between 230 to 400 years that we know of. Did you know that research is currently underway studying people's settlement here in Warrnambool within this 60,000 year time.

Even to our west Budj Bim has some of the world's first agriculture, aquaculture and permanent housing known to the world. The people there were Gunditjmara people; part of our own Warrnambool indigenous district clans. I am sometimes amazed, when I walk on the beach here, to think of the thousands of people that would have done the same thing as me. Their footprints, like mine, were left behind, as I too, loved our beach. Then they washed out to the ocean with the waves; joining all those other footprints together to join each other forever.

Gerard Jihn, Warrnambool

Dear Mr Trump, some of the best advice someone ever gave to me was "Use things, love people. Not the other way around". Looking after citizens is so different than running a mega-business isn't it. I hope you get a real friend who can give you straight and gracious advice on making wise and compassionate decisions. When I make the wrong decisions or upset people, I admit my mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Then I go and get sound advice from people who can help me get it right. I'm sure you're strong enough to do the same. I also learned that it's never too late to make a change for the better.

Reinier Bouman, Panmure

I wish to respond to the article in The Standard on Thursday 28 May entitled 'Botanic Gardens go back to VCAT'. What was not made clear was that the caravan park in Camperdown is not 'adjacent' to or 'near' the Botanic Gardens and Arboretum, but actually sits within its entrance drive.

The caravan park is an incompatible private business within a heritage-listed public botanic garden and arboretum. Corangamite Shire Council is on a path of privatisation and destruction of this special place, when it should be a beautiful public asset for the local community and an attraction for visitors.

Janet O'Hehir, Camperdown

Dredge

After a walk along the beach recently from the yacht club to the surf club I was amazed at the degradation of the sand dunes from Worm Bay through to east of McGennans.

Whilst I have long known that the removal of the weed from the beach would have detrimental effects eg: further erosion of our sand dunes, our problems here in Warrnambool are exacerbated by sand being deposited from the open ocean into Lady Bay. Lady Bay includes the area of the Port of Warrnambool from the tip of the breakwater to the surf club and the area of the port is approximately 1.65 square km using Google Earth. So, its reasonably simple to deduce that we need to remove about 100,000 cubic metres of sand from the port area given the sand will soon return over time necessitating further dredging.

Sand being transported into our bay has the effect of essentially making the bay shallower, especially the western end. With the depth of the harbour being lost the approaching waves have the opportunity to run further up onto the beach and wash away the dune area, so really we are in a no win situation presently, the bay is getting shallower and the dunes are being eroded by the waves. Constant dredging of our harbour area is a requirement that cannot be avoided otherwise future generations will be playing beach cricket where the horses are now swum.

Given that all of this is common knowledge, the dredging program which was forecast for late 2019 did not go ahead. Problems with the state government departments over the years have contributed to terrible decisions to dump dredge spoils on the foreshore, only for the fine particles of sand to be promptly washed back into the bay/ harbour area. September/October when we traditionally get our biggest sea and swells with further erosion of the beach system is inevitable. Edmund Gill in his noteworthy study on the coastal movement of sands in this area noted that "our harbour is a sandtrap within a sandtrap".

Warrnambool harbour needs dredging and the sooner WCC pulls it finger out the better. We know that bureaucracy can hinder local decisions but also a firm stand from our council should pave the way for the correct decisions for the dredge spoils to be removed entirely from the beach. WCC needs to provide firm answers as to when the harbour will be dredged next. Please stop the procrastination and let us see some action.

Rodney Blake, Warrnambool

A rare opportunity presents itself for Warrnambool coming out of covid-19 restrictions to free itself of the pokies scourge that's prevailed for too long. They've made millions for some clubs and wealthy individuals and company owned hotels at the expense of the health and welfare of vulnerable locals.... and worse.

We don't need or can afford them anymore. In their absence our south west economy would significantly benefit from a more even and discretionary spread of our collective disposable income. Instead of the negative impact of gaming machines destroying lives and impoverishing people a net employment gain can be achieved for our city and surrounding areas. Other gambling avenues such as thoroughbred horse , harness and greyhound racing mainly contribute in positive ways to our district and wider economy . Addictive and contrived gaming machines imported from NSW in the early 1990s by comparison add nothing but misery for many and wealth for a few.

With this our region can thrive and become much better and more widely acknowledged and visited.

Tony Delaney, Warrnambool

Thank you to your reporter Clare Quirk for her recent report on the Corangamite Shire By-Election, see "Candidates ready for fight", The Standard, Thursday, May 28. However, in view of the fact that some of Victoria's biggest councils have been sacked by the state government since 2017, the most important question that must be to asked of all Local Government candidates is this question: how will you represent ratepayers and residents in your ward?

Councillors can only maintain public confidence by holding open meetings with any individual or group of residents under their jurisdiction,r egularly. Regular council meetings between residents and elected councillors are vital for interaction and feedback to the community and council officials. The absence of a regular meetings structure,outside of the usual council planning and council general meetings erodes confidence in local governance.

This representational role is often overlooked by councillors and I believe its because elected councillors very often hold other jobs or may even run a farm as a business. So they are too tired or don't have time to talk to residents.

I believe voters need to consider this important point.which candidate on my ballot paper is not going to use his/her council allowance as an income supplement,only,for their regular job or business? Who will put the time and effort into meetings with ratepayers and residents? I certainly will; I don't run a business or have another job.

John Glazebrook, Candidate for Corangamite Central Ward, Terang

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 and in print.