But shame on the South Australian government for withdrawing funding after this year.

Living in Nhill, I am a frequent traveller on the Overland to both Melbourne and Adelaide – as are many others living in our town, or those visiting from other cities or regional areas.

The train provides a safe, comfortable, efficient means of travel for the elderly, the disabled, those travelling with little children, those travelling to seek medical treatment and a very pleasurable trip for the general public. 

Colleen and her dedicated crew really make the trip an enjoyable experience for all.   

Yes, there are alternative buses available, but this usually involves changing services.

There are no food services available, the toilet facilities offered are unsuitable for the elderly and disabled, as are the departure and arrival times.

With governments trying to encourage more regional development and with many Wimmera groups lobbying for additional train services, isn’t this a step back in time rather than a step forward into the future? 

I urge the South Australian government to think beyond the dollars and consider the needs of the people you are supposed to represent by reviewing your decision not to fund the Overland.

I also invite all those interested in saving the Overland to hop aboard this campaign to do so.

If we do nothing, nothing will happen and we will lose this service and become more isolated.

Our biggest weapon is the media, social media or, for those not online, there is always the $1 stamp which I have found to be most effective in the past.

Start writing to your local members, the relevant politicians or anyone you feel may make a difference.

Margaret Millington, Nhill 

IN THE new mayoral year, one of the first tasks, for the new mayor, is to allocate councillors to serve on the various committees across the community. 

By participating in the committee process, councillors become a conduit for the local community members who attend the regular meetings.  

While not being available to serve previously on council committees, due to personal reasons, Councillor John Robinson has contributed significantly to the community in other active ways.

This includes a committed effort on road infrastructure, farm building infrastructure and community safety. 

He also undertook a body of legal research on municipal rating options which he presented to council and has attended many community meetings.

Cr Robinson has now been allocated five committee positions.  

This is a positive step forward to assist us to become a more cohesive group of local representatives.

I encourage and thank all of our councillors for what they do within our community.

Mark Radford, mayor, Horsham Rural City Council

WHILE the White Ribbon Australia organisation has done much good work to draw attention to violence against women in our society, you may not be aware they support abortion.

In fact, they go one step further by being an advocate of late-term abortions and supporting the decriminalisation of abortion.

Ironically, for an organisation against violence towards women and girls, White Ribbon has no problem supporting violence against females in the womb. 

The hypocrisy here should be lost on no-one.

At least half of the 70,000 surgical abortion victims are, of course, female and while there may be convincing reasons for abortions, more than 90 per cent of all abortions conducted in Australia each year relate essentially to “consumer choice”.

Working to reduce violence against females is always a good thing.

But we must be wise about who we support to achieve this end. 

Robert Wood, Horsham

THE response to the school 'strike' in Melbourne and Sydney by some ministers and the prime minister has been at best disrespectful but at worst, and more likely, deliberately ignorant.

These young people were taking leave from school to address their concerns for the planet they will inherit. This is serious to them – and rightly so. They see that they have no direct input into the direction the people with the authority are taking the world.

I liken the young people’s position as a person threatened by a bushfire season lamenting the government's inaction to make preparations for the inevitable tragic outcomes.

The future is racing towards us and what we are leaving to the future generations is, to put it mildly, shameful.

Our generation can be summed up as, spending millions for war memorials, but continuing to wage wars, demonizing the excesses of the rich, then making them richer.

We have a lot to be ashamed of.  

William McIlwain, Minyip