This appears to be happening only in this part of Victoria.

The corporation plans to replace the Mobile Library with a number of “library agencies” because they believed that people in these small regional communities had asked for more flexible hours to pick up and drop off books.

Each township was asked to investigate the possibility of obtaining a suitable “bricks and mortar” solution and a number of volunteers to assist paid Library staff.

Six months have now gone by and in Axedale, despite the best efforts of a number of volunteer committees, namely the Hall Committee, the C.W.A. and the Axedale Our Town Our Future Committee, no suitable premises can be found.

One possibility which was investigated was to utilise the vacant bluestone Anglican Church.

This would have been ideal to set up a community centre, perhaps a Neighbourhood House incorporating a library agency, but this proved to be far beyond our financial capabilities.

Perhaps a wish –list for the future of our fast-growing community. 

The million dollar purpose-built vehicle which is currently in use suits us brilliantly.

The service is excellent and the choice of library materials is far in excess of that an alternative system would be able to offer. Unless an agency was to operate beyond the normal 9—5 hours, the proposed flexible hours to service the wider community would not be achieved.

A great many Axedale citizens already work or study in Bendigo and are happy to use the wonderful Bendigo Library. It is the elderly, the disabled, the ‘shut-ins’ and the incapacitated, or mothers with young children who are the library users.

They all pay their rates too!

We, the library-users of Axedale, implore our councillors and those aspiring to become councillors in the October elections, to investigate these concerns.

We believe that even the limited, one hour per week service we receive at present, Is better than no service at all which is what will be the inevitable outcome if this proposal is allowed to proceed.

In conclusion, it has been said before, ”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Given all the recent negative publicity surrounding the City of Greater Bendigo council, I would like to applaud them for their promptness in picking up some dumped rubbish in my local area. In less than two hours of telephoning council, the dumped rubbish was picked up by their staff. It's time our community gave more positive feedback, not just the negative, which some people seem to only do!

I am not prepared to leave the issue of "same sex" marriage in the hands of the 226 pollies who comprise the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Too many have moral, philosophical and religious agendas/baggage of their own which do not necessarily reflect current community views/opinions.

The proposed changes to the Marriage Act should be tested in the court of public opinion via the 16.9 million voters on the electoral roll - not determined by the Parliament.