A minimum of political speak added to the pleasure of reading your paper, which I get three times a week. 

Keep up the good work. 

Oliver Guthrie, Ballarat

WITH a burst of wintry weather, we are calling on country drivers to slow down and adapt to more hazardous conditions.

Wintry conditions magnify the dangers of driving on country roads.

Speed and fatigue are common factors in regional road fatalities at any time of year. 

Slowing down, staying alert and driving to the conditions becomes even more important when weather and road conditions are poor. Black ice, fog, mist, rain, wind and land slips are all potential hazards during winter months, even when driving cautiously on the best country roads.

Motorists can also prevent a tragedy by making safe choices when driving.  This includes reducing speed, allowing a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front and eliminating distractions.

Instead of taking back roads to save five minutes, sticking to main roads can help ensure you get to your destination safely.

Vehicle safety can also play a pivotal role in reducing road trauma, and driving safe vehicles during winter is paramount.

Make sure your tyres and brakes are in good condition, ensure all lights are working and use headlights in low visibility. 

To sum up, the tips for safe winter driving are: Ensure tyres are in good condition, get plenty of rest before your journey, brake gently, turn your lights on – even during the day, and reduce your speed in fog, mist or slippery conditions.

Samantha Cockfield, Transport Accident Commission

MANY Victorians building new homes or undertaking major renovations are unaware they have inadvertently committed an offence by appointing multiple building surveyors to work on the same project.

We remind homeowners that work carried out by an appointed building surveyor could be invalid if more than one surveyor is appointed to the work.

We are noticing more instances of multiple building surveyors being appointed for the same piece of work.

The surveyor may start work unaware another building surveyor has already been appointed as the relevant building surveyor for that project, or has already started the same building permit process. This constitutes an offence by the owner appointing the second building surveyor.

Dual appointments may also result in disciplinary action against the second building surveyor in certain circumstances. Dual appointments create confusion for owners, building surveyors, builders and local council officers.

Both owners and building surveyors should be clear with each other from first contact and read the information about appointing a building surveyor on the VBA’s website.

Once an owner has appointed a building surveyor, the building surveyor must notify their local council. If a homeowner decides to engage their local council’s municipal building surveyor, they do not need to formally appoint them – they can simply apply for a building permit from the council.

It is not an offence to appoint separate building surveyors to carry out different projects (covered by different building permits) on the same property. For example, a homeowner could have one building surveyor working on a new garage, and another on a kitchen renovation at the same home.

For more information, visit www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/building-for-consumers/building-surveyor​

Murray Smith, Victorian Building Authority