The grants commission would have realised the safety issues with toddlers near the river and that the proposed area goes under a metre of water when flooded.

Council would have been better off, as some people had suggested, putting it where the garden's workshop and house is.

That way the existing play area and toilets could have been utilised as well with no flood issues.

What an opportunity missed!

OTHER NEWS:

As a member of the Aquatic Centre's Management Committee I am extremely disappointed that council overlooked the next stage of the Aquatic Centre plans for the water fun park.

The big slide and water splash pool would have attracted a lot more tourists to Horsham than this toddler pool at the river ever would.

We were shovel ready.

Had it planned for years and approved by council and only waiting for finance.

I cannot understand why council does not finish the projects on its books.

The Aquatic Centre has been promised the big slide water fun park, us geriatrics have been waiting for the thermal pool and associated change rooms for years.

The police paddock is supposed to be made into a major recreational area but put on hold, North Park remains unfinished, what is happening with the council depot site and we keep hearing of work needing to be done upgrading the railway crossings and pedestrian underpasses etc etc.

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The Horsham Town Hall is nowhere near finished - the acoustics in both room are shocking, there is still a floor to go in the Main Hall and what happened to the big screen in the Main Hall that was going to be looked at again.

Council spruiked so much about having Jimmy Barnes playing to 500 people in the Theatre and live screening it to another 500-600 people dancing in the Hall.

Horsham would progress greatly with these projects finished. A ring road and second bridge surely should be a major priority before spending millions on the river. I hope the new Council has the same opinion as I have.

As a social worker of 42 years in the field, I am pretty amazed at Education Minister Tehan's idea of increasing the cost of a social work degree by 113 per cent.

Believe me, looking at issues of homelessness, unemployment, domestic violence, sexual assault, drug and alcohol addiction, disability, gambling, mental illness in all its forms, not to mention straight-out and increasing poverty and inequality, this country's problems are certainly not going away any time soon.

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We need energetic, committed people to help those affected with the right resources and give some hope for the future.

To double the cost of social work training is a truly disgraceful, cruel and callous idea.

What can we as a community do to keep tertiary education options available in the Wimmera for our future generations? Send us a letter to newsdesk@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Letters must have your name, street address and contact phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters and not all will be published.

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