Engineering debacle threatens to be repeated
GWMWater’s notice in the Mail-Times (November 18) draws attention to the engineering debacle of the 19th century at Banyena and Donald.
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The Banyena Weir caused the acceleration of salinity and the same happened at Donald.
The weir there was on the town side of the present hospital and Apex Park.
The diversion channel from the weir passed between today’s hospital and Aitken Avenue (the hollow is still there) and on through Banyenong North towards Watchem.
Parts of it can still be seen near Don Russell’s house.
It would seem that water engineers continue to make embarrassing mistakes in the 21st century.
OLIVER GUTHRIE
Ballarat
Freedom of speech the cornerstone of democracy
I HAD a (late) great Dutch brother-in-law whom I deeply admired.
The Dutch are well known for their strong adherence to believed principles and they speak from their heart.
Dutch politician Geert Wilders has given a speech on freedom. Freedom of speech.
The BBC and The Telegraph covered this speech.
Parts of this inspiring oration can be read at Culture Watch by Bill Muehlenberg on Facebook.
Wilders is quoted as saying “the most important freedom, the cornerstone of our democracy, is freedom of speech. The freedom to think what you want and to say what you think. If we lose that freedom, we lose everything … stand for freedom of expression”.
Geert Wilders is on the world stage and we are a part of the audience.
May we take note and follow his example of courage in the rising conflict with the politically correct power surge now rising on all our beaches.
ROBERT WORTHINGTON
Warracknabeal
Employment data paints bleak picture
THE Andrews government must take unemployment more seriously following the release of the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, which continues to paint a bleak picture of our region’s labour market.
Since Daniel Andrews took control of Victoria in November 2014, the total number of employed people in the north-west Victoria region (including Ararat, Stawell, St Arnaud, Charlton and Donald) has fallen by 5393.
In this same period, the labour force in north-west Victoria has shrunk by an astonishing 6810 people.
The labour force participation rate has plummeted from 67.1 per cent to just 61 per cent, a drop of 6.1 per cent.
Too many job seekers are just giving up looking as jobs disappear.
Our local workforce has fallen since November 2014.
In the past two years, 6810 people have pulled out of the north-west Victorian workforce.
Our region’s workforce continues to suffer under a distracted and divided Andrews government.
While seasonal work has followed the usual harvest pattern, ongoing jobs continue to disappear from north-western Victoria and Daniel Andrews clearly has no plan to stop the flow.
A total of 5393 more people will be struggling to put a food on the table for their families this Christmas than this time last year.
The lack of growth in this region is hurting local families, we need a government that is prepared to act and take make a realistic plan to boost the local economy and return these jobs.
LOUISE STALEY
Member for Ripon
