Not a good look for us
How have our local members of parliament dealt with Coronavirus and the recent lockdown? Based on their recent appearances in the media the answer is not very well.
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Federal Liberal member for Wannon Dan Tehan created nothing but confusion when asked about financial assistance during the lockdown (The Standard, June 1).
He implied there was already significant economic support available when there was none and pointlessly suggested people go to Centrelink for assistance even though Centrelink couldn't give financial assistance to anyone who didn't actually have Coronavirus.
How they would even get to Centrelink - given it wasn't one of the five approved reasons to leave home, wasn't addressed.
Later in the week, Liberal member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur was slammed for campaigning against the federal government giving Victoria assistance. (The Standard, June 4)
That a Victorian MP could be so anti-Victorian as to advocate the needs of disadvantaged Victorian workers and businesses be ignored was labelled "ridiculous" and "disgraceful". Mrs McArthur doesn't seem to realise she's meant to represent and serve the interests of the people who elected her.
During this pandemic, the Morrison Liberal Government has failed to protect people in aged care, failed to build dedicated quarantine facilities, introduced the useless COVIDSafe app and bungled the vaccine rollout.
Unfortunately Dan Tehan and Bev McArthur have demonstrated they are just further, local examples of the repeated failures by PM Morrison and his government to deal with Coronavirus.
Peter Martina, Warrnambool
Bear this in mind
I was awoken early on Sunday morning by my two labs barking. After settling them I saw their disturbance - a large koala sitting on the two-metre brick wall which separates my patio from my neighbour.
Our new furry friend yawned and was soon climbing into my neighbour's spindly pear tree to find a branch to support him for a sleep. But no way do those ornamental pear trees support sleeping koalas. So back to the brick wall he climbed.
Soon the animal rescue guy came, with his little girl, to return our furry friend to his native habitat, which was only a short distance to the eucalyptus trees at the entrance of our estate.
Tonight, I walked across to see if I could find our koala and, after close looking, I saw him perched high up in the fork of a eucalyptus tree.
When I heard the chainsaw across the road I thought no wonder he wanted to escape his native habitat.
I thought to myself, when eventually the last of those eucalyptus were cut down, would care be taken to remove this koala to a new habitat, or would we find him dead on the road, and would the rescue guy's little girl, when she is grown, ever see a koala wondering the streets or backyards of Warrnambool?
Marion Brotchie, Warrnambool
Thank you for looking after me
I wish to express my grateful thanks to the staff and team of carers at Lyndoch - particularly in the Swinton section, on level two. The care and attention given to me is always done in a loving and caring way. I have been here almost five years and am 94-years-old.
I am convinced many others will support my opinions.
Stewart Owen, Lyndoch, Warrnambool
Council has my approval
Apropos the council plan to impose a different rate calculation to properties being used as 'for profit short stay', at the risk of being contrary to populist opinion, I agree with the council's plan.
These properties listed, for example on Airbnb and Stayz-type sites, are being operated as full commercial venues.
It is irrelevant who owns them. They are direct competitors to motels who must comply with a raft of health/safety and licensing requirements.
Airbnb-type properties are full commercial operations popping up indiscriminately and without any town planning overlay or regulation. They have enjoyed an unfettered free run to date. As they are commercial venues, why shouldn't they pay a commercial rate or something close to it but higher than a residential rate?
Lynn Hudson, Warrnambool
Promising, albeit with delays
How frustrating for renewable energy companies and investors in Victoria to have such long delays due to inadequate transmission infrastructure (Gridlock on the grid stalls wind projects, The Standard, June 9). This is symptomatic of government failure to lead and plan in the renewable energy sector. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is responsible for planning the states transmission network.
Its most recent Integrated System Plan reports only one new transmission infrastructure project in south-west Victoria, an additional 500kV line from Mortlake to North Ballarat, but not until 2036.
So it was good to read a new body, VicGrid, will plan most of the transmission upgrades, but these will still take between two and seven years.
Let's hope Victoria's recently granted exemption from the Australian Energy Market Commission allowing it to negotiate directly with AEMO speeds things up.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Share the costs
The Standard has been hard on our electricity distributor this week.
On June 9 you told us an "outdated coal-based electrical grid" is delaying the access of "clean" power from wind farms.
On June 10, through Dr Cassandra Goldie, we are told the design of our electricity grid has seriously lagged behind the acceptance of surplus power from house owners with rooftop solar.
There is no fault with the distribution grid; what is needed for both of these intermittent energy sources is storage, which in Victoria can only be from costly batteries.
They want all users to pay for batteries. Wouldn't it be fairer if those expecting to gain financially from them also paid for them?
Graham Keith, Warrnambool
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