Car parking proposal
IT IS disappointing to note that in some other states where temperatures get high, covered car parking is provided - usually by supermarkets.
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Obviously the two older supermarkets in Horsham - Woolworths and Coles - were built in an era when such concepts were out of sight, but it is a bit surprising that the permit for the newer Aldi supermarket did not come with a requirement to provide covered parking for at least half the car park area. In any event, it is a bit surprising that Aldi did not offer undercover parking as inducement to customers to break with the old stagers Coles and Woolies who had already seen off a third supermarket.
I wonder if there could be a state government grant to provide for this, and if so, it would be a really good thing to offer to the public.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to park your car in the hot weather - and our cars get as hot as Queensland - and be able to touch the steering wheel to navigate our way home?
Rick Walker, chairman, Wimmera Australians in Retirement (AIR)
Political performances
IT IS astounding our sitting federal member Andrew Broad won't apologise to voters over his 'sugar daddy' scandal - but that is the hypocrisy and arrogant attitude of some politicians, including Barnaby Joyce, whose own party are telling him to pull his head in on climate change and energy policy.
You only have to read what the deputy mayor of Mildura Jason Modica, who is running as an Independent says in the Mail-Times on March 8 about the Murray Darling Basin System.
This will have a large affect not only on farmers in the area but the wider community in the seat of Mallee, which he is supposed to be representing but has done nothing about the matter.
He claims to have got over a billion dollars for the area but half of this was for upgrades to the Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell, which I didn't know was in the Mallee electorate. How much of this came from the state government?
What has he done for the return of passenger rail to Horsham and Mildura? Or the Horsham, Ararat and Beaufort bypasses? These don't rate a mention in this safe seat where a drover's dog could win for the Nationals and commentators such as Nick Economou say margins don't matter but have no evidence to back up their claims.
Barry Shea, Horsham
Fairy grass challenges
I READ with interest how our local council is getting ratepayers to remove hazardous material from their properties. Yet when I approach them about the fairy grass problem we have in Dooen Road, I am given the short shift and told it is a VicRail problem as it is coming from their property.
VicRail stated that it's up to their rail and environment department, who said they would look into it.
It's been months and I have not received any feedback from them.
I have been in contact with the CFA, who tell me that it is a fire hazard - but cannot be burned off now. They also informed me that a directive from the council to VicRail would have better impact than my request.
It's on the move every windy day or when one of those freight trains speed through. Some nights it's that bad that it sets off our security lights.
It is everywhere down Dooen Road, Carroll Street and Priors Road. It's awful stuff and hard to remove as you have to physically pick it up and squash it to stop it moving on.
I have been fighting this all summer and having had to remove so much of it I am now allergic to it as I get irritated eyes, skin and develop a rash.
It has inundated every corner of our yard including the fern house, back toilet, garden, carport and shed. We are no longer able to leave our shed door open while working in there and have to make sure it's not under the car before we start it.
All it will take is for this weed to be sprayed at the right time of year to prevent it from developing the seed head. Surely that's not too much to ask.
Maria Krause, Horsham
Trial should continue
THE emerging kangaroo pet food industry has the potential to create good, secure jobs for country Victorians and give a healthy boost to our town's local economies.
After a few short years the program has proved its worth.
It's successfully made use of a resource that would otherwise be left in the paddock feeding wild dogs and foxes, and helped make our roads safer by working to control exploding kangaroo numbers.
But the program faces uncertainty year after year because the Andrews Government won't give its support.
Last year, Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio waited until the eleventh hour to give the trial a 12 month extension, only to then refuse to approve control permits for the next six months.
There's just days left until the trial's extension ends on March 31. This year, it must be made permanent and expanded across all of regional Victoria.
Our farmers, professional shooters and processors need certainty so regional communities can enjoy the benefits of the ongoing jobs and investment this new industry will support.
Peter Walsh, leader, The Nationals
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