Corella issue needs action
I FIND it hard to believe that anyone could think Horsham council’s scheme to rid the municipality of problem corellas using drones was solving the problem.
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My husband and I are retired farmers and know too well the devastation wreaked on both newly emerging crops and also nearly-ready-to-harvest crops. To see the money disappearing every day by the destruction of these birds is heartbreaking.
Do the councillors really think drones moving the birds out of town is going to solve the problem? I guess it would, but only if you concern yourself with the local townspeople and their town’s assets. They are just moving the problem to somewhere else and to someone else.
However, other people in the area – including farmers – matter, too.
This problem is not just in the Horsham area. The West Wimmera shire and I’m sure many other places have had this problem for years. The farmers have been suffering devastating damage and considerable loss of income by these birds for far too long.
It is amazing to think that farmers’ economic loss does not matter and only when these birds cause destruction to town assets does the problem start to get attention.
Something has to be done by the government to allow culling of these destructive birds.
Lyn Mann, Horsham
Public transport woes
I CONTINUE to be inundated with stories from residents about poor public transport services in western Victoria.
A Kaniva cancer patient who does not drive contacted me to advise that the current V-Line timetable does not allow her to travel to Ballarat to see her specialist without having to spend two nights away from home.
The current V-Line service departs Kaniva at noon, arriving in Ballarat at 4.55pm. The return service departs Ballarat at 9.42am, arriving in Kaniva at 2.45pm leaving no time in Ballarat on either day for her specialist appointment.
This lady needs to travel to Ballarat at least every three months, sometimes monthly, to see her cancer specialist and has no choice but to stay two nights. Her only other option is to impose on family and friends to drive her to Ballarat, something she is reluctant to do as she is very conscious of maintaining her independence.
I ask local people to keep sharing their stories to help get local voices heard in Parliament about how better public transport services would improve the lives of the 110,000 people who live in western Victoria.
To tell your story and have your say visit haveyoursayvictoria.org/westernpublictransportservices or phone the electorate office on 5382 0097 or 5571 9800.
Emma Kealy, Member for Lowan
Take concerns seriously
ROADS Minister Luke Donnellan has hit a new low. On a recent regional excursion to announce the further roll-out of expensive wire rope barriers on country highways, the Minister dismissed those that raised concerns as banjo-playing conspiracy theorists and dingbats.
No consultation was given to the communities of Ripon when these pricey wire barriers were erected on our local roads.
The Country Fire Authority has raised legitimate concerns about the lack of gaps in the barriers, which has already delayed brigade response times to road incidents and roadside fires.
Drivers are concerned about the lack of space to pull over safely, and motorcyclists have spoken against the barriers, worried that high-impact collisions will result in certain death.
The Minister’s cold dismissal of concerned CFA volunteers as dingbats and banjo-playing conspiracy theorists is an insult to the hard-working men and women who selflessly give up their time to protect their community.
Louise Staley, Member for Ripon