I left Warrnambool at 6.06am on our normal train with comfortable seats and no buffet car service due to COVID-19 and arrived in Melbourne at 9.30am.

At 1.20 pm I boarded the sprinter train to Bairnsdale.

It arrived at 5.10pm.

To say it was the most uncomfortable trip is an understatement.

Hard moulded plastic seats with an cloth insert akin to Melbourne commuter buses for that long is very uncomfortable to say the least.

It only sprinted on three occasions for the whole trip.

There is no doors to keep the noise out from the other carriages and no provision for drinks or food.

I was in a quiet carriage and it was noisy.

The only redeeming feature is the large disabled toilet.

If this is what we are getting for our millions of dollars I would rather the old coaches or the V/Line bus that took me to Orbost.

Peter Brown, Warrnambool

I was saddened and dismayed to read that gas exploration was commencing off the Port Campbell coast (The Standard article, Flaring warning as gas testing starts, December 11).

Apart from the fact that gas is a fossil fuel and contributes to global warming, the benefit to the economy is minimal.

Of all the fossil fuels, gas contributes the least to the national economy, not just in terms of company tax, but also in terms of employment.

It's hard to understand how the Victorian government can permit visible gas exploration and flaring off the Great Ocean Road, the region of the state that contributes so much to the economy through tourism.

Tourists travel to Port Campbell for its stunning beauty, not its off-shore gas industry.

With life on Earth under threat from climate change, when will we have the wisdom and courage to say, enough is enough?

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic

Very disappointed in The Standard's reporting of the Midfield Meats "strike" in the last couple of days.

Three articles detailing the business' side of the story and one half-hearted mention that they're actually protesting the working conditions and not to get their visas extended.

100 plus workers livelihoods are in the balance here, their right to safe working conditions are what should be in focus.

Tzigane Scholz-Talbot, Warrnambool

In what has been a very challenging year, I want to thank everyone in the Moyne community for their efforts in following guidelines, keeping positive, and getting it done.

Whilst this year has been tough for most, the people of Moyne have shown just how resilient, adaptable, and positive we can be.

This year has seen too many fantastic Moyne events and sports competitions that we all enjoy attending or participating in cancelled due to the restrictions.

However we know that the hard working volunteers involved are gearing up for their return as we move forward from the pandemic.

It's critical that we all do our best to get behind these events and show our support however possible to see them come back bigger and better than ever.

As we head into the summer period, it will be great to see our streets, cafes, restaurants, services and entertainment areas welcoming back visitors.

Whilst most of our vital agricultural industry have had a good season, many of our small businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 so I encourage you to continue your great efforts in buying Moyne local and supporting local Moyne businesses; our Love Local competition has some great prizes up for grabs that will come in very handy for Christmas time.

Choosing to buy from a local Moyne business can make all the difference in helping our local economic recovery.

Most importantly, have a relaxing, safe, and fun Christmas break and summer period, and we'll look ahead to 2021 with the same positivity that's carried us through this year.

Merry Christmas to all Moyne residents, and we looking forward to 2021

Cr Daniel Meade, Moyne Shire mayor

I have found myself collecting rubbish mainly at my local beach at Lady Bay but but this could be a beach anywhere on the globe - plastics, ropes, nets, plastic cups and straws tooth brushes, cotton buds and lollipop sticks, fishing wire, flippers and thongs, spades and sunnies abandoned or forgotten or wrestled away by the ocean.

100,000 marine animals die every year globally from eating plastic or being entangled. 40 per cent of all marine creatures are affected by eating plastic.

We see our oceans as clear and pristine bodies of water with an abundance of life beneath the surface and as an essential part of our circle of life, without which we could not survive.

The latest CSIRO research has found that there are up to 14 million tons of microplastics on the ocean floors and every year, eight million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons that currently circulate our marine environments.

I have collected a cubic metre of rubbish and this can potentially kill hundreds of marine creatures right here on our doorstep.

Every day sea creatures ingest rubbish and plastics and these plastics once ingested, enter our food chain and end up on our dinner table.

With the holiday season the amounts of rubbish rise dramatically.

Doris Malcolm, Warrnambool