Letters July 22, 2022

Twelve months ago, council had a wonderful opportunity to fix the problem when a private operator who bought fit for purpose seaweed collection equipment, (used all over the world) and was keen to collect and transport the seaweed away from the beach to farms, to be used as natural fertiliser on pasture. He approached council and demonstrated some of the equipment.

His demonstration was met with negativity, even though he had a range of equipment at his disposal.

He saw removal of seaweed as a farmer would see harvesting a crop. Unlike council methods where the weed is dug out as engineers would, the seaweed needed to be picked up, put into a hopper, transported away, to be dried out and mulched into natural and rich fertiliser.

What could go wrong? Red tape.

Even DELWP conceded that the area in front of the Pavilion trapped the seaweed as a result of the human footprint (breakwater, pier and boat ramp), so were open to removal if certain conditions were met.

I would have thought the council would have helped the operator navigate through the red tape, but no.

The result?

He sold his equipment (which I'm told he'd paid close to $100,000) because he was too frustrated to deal with the council any more.

The excuses put forward by the council stink almost as much as the seaweed itself.

Tammy Good, Warrnambool

Maybe some old timers from Warrnambool can advise whether there was such a seaweed problem on the main beach before the old causeway running between the main beach and Stingray Bay was blocked off.

Garth Drake, Camperdown

Rising household energy bills are just one of the painful financial impacts of the skyrocketing cost-of-living for regional Victorians. Last weekend the Victorian Nationals announced our plan for cheaper energy bills and lower emissions. We'll upgrade transmission lines to western Victoria, which will unlock increased opportunities for renewable development in the Wimmera and Mallee.

Our plan to give power back to the people will support installation of solar power and battery storage for one million Victorian homes with new rebates that will put up to $4400 back in Victorian's pockets.

The good news is this rebate will double for eligible rental households. We believe government also has to play its part. The Nationals will lead the way by installing solar panels across public infrastructure, including schools and social housing.

Our plan will secure new gas supplies for Victoria by legislating a Local Gas Guarantee within the first six-months of government. It also includes a $1 billion Victorian Hydrogen Strategy to support the research, development and adoption of clean hydrogen technologies. The Nationals in government will keep the lights on and prices low while our state continues to move forwards and more renewables enter the energy market.

Emma Kealy, deputy leader of The Nationals

The long-awaited State of the Environment report has been released, and it signals the Code Red warning for our environment. Australia has been reported to have lost more mammal species than any other continent, with at least 19 ecosystems showing signs of collapse or near collapse. Climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and mining were identified as major causes for the significant decline of our native species. This report is grim, and it is our wake up call. The human world is not separate from the natural world; we rely on the environment for food, water, air and natural resources. The Labor government needs act swiftly to strengthen and enforce environmental laws, provide significant funding to aid protection and recovery of the environment and to decarbonise our economy and society as rapidly as possible. This is not a "greenie leftie tree-hugging" issue; if we do not act swiftly to protect our natural environment, even our very own existence will be at risk.

Ching Ang, Magill