Logging move supported, now ban duck hunt
Congratulations Premier Andrews on your proactive legislation and statewide plan to end native forest logging by 2030 thereby protecting Victoria's forests,wetlands, native flora and fauna including our state's critically endangered faunal emblem the Leadbeater's possum.
It's time to strengthen this good legislation and reflect community sentiment by offering the same legislative protection to the state's native duck population by banning duck shooting in Victoria by 2020.
Julie Sloan, Jackass Flat
Climate comments totally irresponsible
Just when you think things couldn't possibly get worse, they do.
The Deputy PM called any of us who think that climate change has anything to do with the escalating weather conditions as inner-city left wing climate lunatics. Geez, settle down Macca, that is not only insulting to the general population, it is insulting to the firefighters putting their lives on the line.
Then Barnaby Joyce comes out with a disgusting reference to two people that have died in the fires, and then backtracks, saying that the sun's magnetic fields were linked to the bushfires.
That was totally rejected by Associate Professor Peter Strutton from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic studies at the University of Tasmania, who said Joyce's claim was so bizarre he didn't know what he meant.
Well, Professor, you are not the only one, mate - most of us don't know what he means most of the time on anything, and to think that once he was second in charge of the joint.
If people in places of authority can't accept the opinions of 97 per cent of scientists, that surely tells us their mindset.
Ken Price, Eaglehawk
Airport charge proposal 'anti-business'
The City of Greater Bendigo is proposing to introduce a 'user' tax on all who fly in or out of Bendigo Airport and for aircraft parking.
They say that the annual budget of the airport is now in excess of $400,000.
To recoup this they think it is a good idea to tax the little people who own a small aeroplane or small aviation business.
The budget was never this high before & is only at this level because of the airline operation.
The small aircraft operators have no need of daily runway inspections, a certified airport, security fencing, tarmac lighting, a terminal building and the list goes on.
To charge small aircraft users to fund the airline operations requirement is unfair.
If we expanded this thinking to the rest of Bendigo what would happen?
A CBD congestion charge? Parking meters at Lake Weeroona? How about a fee to park your car on the street outside your own house?
What if taxis or driving schools were charged $5000 a year to use council roads?
So when will the toll booth be installed in High Street? Will there be an entry charge for the botanic gardens?
If the mantra of 'user pays' is to be applied, then it should be applied everywhere.
This idea is anti-business and bad for the city.
It needs a re-think.
