Road condition concerns
I HAVE been living at Murra Warra for approximately the past 10 years.
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When I first moved in, Blue Ribbon Road would be lucky to see 5000 vehicles a year.
Now with recent wind farm construction, I would estimate that 5000 vehicles per month would use this road.
Due to the fatal accident at Pimpinio last week, the extra heavy traffic has not helped our road.
The sealed edges have been slowly eroding over the years and the only fixing that has been done, on several occasions, is running road base along the shoulders and, now and then, the odd cold mix spot filling.
The sealed section from the speedway to the Warracknabeal turn-off, is not wide enough to accommodate two passing B-doubles. Wet and rain eroded edges don't last after multiple, 60-plus tonne B-doubles, run over them.
That brings me to the appalling general condition of our road.
Do you really think that by placing permanent-temporary 80kmh signage at the spots which put every vehicle's suspension to the test is going to fix that problem? Is it going to take a life to lost on this road.
Simple solution - bituminisation of the edges instead of costly non-efficient dirt and gravel. Bitumen would only need to be at least 350mm from the edges.
I am assuming that the recent accident on our road was attributed to the soft and non-existent edges from my observations on the way past.
Andrew Nichols, Murra Warra
More time for river plan
ON BEHALF of Horsham ratepayers, I call on Horsham Rural City Council to extend the feedback period to consider the 20-year river plan.
As this is a 20-year plan, 28 days seems insufficient for people to consider it in its entirety and respond - especially at this time of the year. I am sure councillors would realise half of Horsham seems to be up north in July and August, and when you released these plans, Horsham residents were away the first two weeks on school holidays.
After discussions with other Horsham grey nomads and parents on school holidays, they are not even aware of these plans let alone, like me, seen them.
I repeat, as this is a 20-year-plus plan that is going to affect so many people and sporting clubs, 28 days is not long enough to respond.
Neville McIntyre, McKenzie Creek
Hospitality of Horsham
I MOVED to Horsham approximately seven months ago.
I read the Wimmera Mail-Times and all you read about is bashings, robberies and drugs. But, that doesn't really reflect on the people of Horsham at all.
Because of my health issues, I spend a lot of time at the Wimmera Base Hospital and the amount of attention from the emergency department, the nurses in the Oxley ward, intensive care, palliative care and Read Street Medical Clinic is immense.
While I am in hospital, I try to exercise as much as I can. I'm on oxygen full-time and walk with a wheelie frame. I have to stop for a bit of a rest and there would be a nurse, patient or even a visitor stop and ask if I'm alright.
The time that I spend at home, I try to walk around the block for exercise. If I stop for a rest, people even come out of their home to check on me and ask if I'm alright. Even the other day, a guy did a U-turn in his car and enquired if I was OK.
The people of Horsham are unbelievable and many thanks to them.
Bill Millane, Horsham
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