Natural green areas cool the environment and improve mental health, physical wellbeing and cognitive function.

Warrnambool City Council policies recognise the need to conserve and expand natural features, every square-metre must be jealously guarded.

The Lake Pertobe redevelopment has significantly reduced greening, as will recently proposed developments aired by The Standard.

DELWP policy limits coastal development to those that can only be in a coastal area.

Relocating AquaZone to the foreshore would convert green areas to buildings and car parks, create traffic congestion and is contrary to WCC and DELWP policy.

The proposed new access road would turn a natural area used by hundreds of people daily into an asphalt expanse. Hold-ups never occur accessing the foreshore via Harris Street.

Converting the area between the skatepark and the pavilion into a racehorse training track or car park reduces greening. Handing this community asset to the racing industry would be irresponsible by the WCC.

A plan must be developed that enhances the greening of the precinct. Pathways could be established enabling more human enjoyment of the area.

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Progress cannot be measured by the replacement of greened areas with buildings, concrete, bitumen and gravel.

WCC priority must be the preservation of the breakwater and the sand dunes in Lady Bay. They need long-term solutions that need to be started immediately.

Surely the greatest legacy this generation can leave to the future would be the preservation of our most prized asset.

Lyn and Allan Wood, South Warrnambool

Odd that the news item (The Standard, January 14) refers to 'new flood modelling' suggesting a discrepancy has been discovered.

My reading of amendments C69 and C75 has them in conflict all along, and it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that the community was expected to buy the pitch, that subdivisions were given the nod in the latest flood studies.

In the details for the sub-division, the storm run-off design assumes a water table level on the day of the inspection.

Read more: New flood modelling complicates major Port Fairy housing development

With a projected sea level rise, it can be reasonably assumed the water table will be higher on this flood plain on the day of the 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP), and this would obviously mean water backing up into the estate.

"A dig hole" concept as proposed is not a viable design solution for a flood plain. It's more a 'head in the sand' idea, and it won't fool insurance companies.

Vernon O'Grady, Port Fairy

A recent article in The Standard on the increase of drug-driving detections is scary.

I go as far to say if the motorists on our roads today knew how many of these affected people were out there, they would not venture out.

The statutes on this issue are inadequate, to wit; the minimum fine for this offence, prescribed medication excluded, is a fine of $545 and loss of licence for six months - in other words a slap on the wrist for a potential killer.

Read more: Party drugs and assaults a big concern for police

I suggest it is time our rather lay-back government showed some testicular fortitude and introduced realistic deterrents, eg anyone driving under the influence of illicit drugs to receive a mandatory seven-day imprisonment, loss of licence and the vehicle impounded for a month and no backdoor clauses for soft magistrates to pander to these idiots.

Seven days in the slammer is realistic as it is not a crushing sentence but an inconvenience to the offender and would not to a great extent cause overcrowding of the system.

Sounds harsh but its time to get realistic. Sounds harsh but it's necessary to get this lot off our roads even if it's just a few.

The police association certainly has the numbers and good reason to push this to the highest level, as has the police command.

Hugh Jones, Warrnambool

The Courier in Ballarat recently published an excellent article regarding the continued yearly slaughter of our native waterbirds.

It outlines how the Victorian government's continued support of this so-called 'sport' is completely out of step with public sentiment. A large contingent of community groups, including First Nations groups, are calling on the government to ban duck shooting once and for all.

It's a complete travesty that as the real threat of extinction looms for a range of our native animals, we are allowing a handful of people roam our waterways and blast water birds out of the sky. Or, when the innocent and beautiful creatures are paddling in the water eating water weeds and insects and preparing nests for the forthcoming breeding season.

Read more - The Courier: 'We need to get rid of duck shooting now': Indigenous groups call to end slaughter

I have supported Daniel Andrews during the COVID-19 outbreak, but his environmental record is dismal.

From the continued logging of old growth forests, to lax land clearing rules, degraded state parks with poor management, add the continued seasonal slaughter of native waterbirds, it's a pathetic record.

2022 must be the year to stop the slaughter of our native wildlife, waterbirds being a major part of this.

A simple email to your local MP, or to Dan Andrews via his Facebook or other contacts, would be a great way to make this happen and give Laurie Levy something to smile about.

June Frost, Warrnambool

Many people are choosing to make the move to country Victoria for a better life and lifestyle for themselves and their family, but shortages in building materials, new regional housing lots and a greedy new tax grab by the Andrews Labor Government are threatening to put the brakes on regional Victoria's potential.

Property experts fear Labor's massive new housing tax will mean first-home buyers and families will pay at least $25,000 for new housing lots. They also say it will stonewall new home builds in towns where it's most needed, particularly in rural and remote towns where it will make small scale of developments an unviable investment.

The Nationals opposed this new tax, because we want to see our rural and regional towns grow and thrive. If elected to government in November, we'll support families and young Victorians to realise the dream of owning or building their own home.

Our positive plan to release 50,000 new lots onto the market will boost supply in rural communities outside of metropolitan Melbourne and the city of Greater Geelong.

We'll achieve it by investing in sending skilled planning experts to work with smaller councils to boost their resourcing and speed up the approvals process. We'll also make the necessary legislative changes to stop applications for new developments getting stranded on the minister's desk.

Population growth has many benefits. More people means more spending, more jobs, more services, better education and healthcare and more opportunities for country Victorian businesses to grow and thrive. There's an opportunity lapping at our doorstep.

The Nationals will continue to work proactively with regional Victorian communities to reach our full potential and build an even better future.

Peter Walsh, Victorian Nationals Leader, Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria

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