My daughter was involved in a particularly nasty car accident in Victoria Street, and both parties involved in the collision (both young drivers) were in shock. The police officers who attended the accident were professional and genuinely caring towards the victims, and took great care to establish both their physical and mental wellbeing (as well as making the area safe and managing the ensuing traffic conditions).

In addition to this, we received a follow-up call later that evening to enquire after my daughter's wellbeing. I would like to extend my thanks to officers Collins and Davis whom l spoke with at the scene. It's reassuring to know officers like yourselves are out serving the community.

Alistair Scott, Soldiers Hill

Over the past few years our rates have ballooned, therefore it's important for Ballarat City Council to best accommodate ratepayers with a range of options. Gosford City Council in NSW for example, offers quarterly payments of rates.

This is something BCC could easily emulate, in order to ease the financial burden felt by people paying thousands of dollars in one lump sum (on or before February 15) or using the other existing option of paying rates in four instalments over an 8 month period (30 September, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May). If rate payers had the additional option of paying their rates in a true quarterly fashion, i.e. four payments over 12 months instead of the current 8 months, it would still fit within a financial year and make it far easier for low-income households.

Rob Edward Smith, North Ward Ballarat City Council candidate

Re the collusion of both Liberal and Labor to penalise existing retirees' asset test arrangements due to commence Jan 2017. The politicians themselves made the statement and brought it up, "The age of entitlements is over".

Yet politicians have not reduced their entitlements. Super, their pensions, their allowances and lifetime entitlements. So here is fair warning to all politicians of any persuasion, this group of aged voters may be about to make the greatest impact on any federal election in history. Ignoring them may be the start of a changed political environment in this country. If these rules are not modified, then they had better make them only apply to new part-pension retirees, not current retirees who made all of their arrangements years ago. These retirees are not wealthy people. They are just previous taxpayers who built this country, trying to survive on a paltry part-pension and are being "stuffed up" yet again!

Gregory Firth, Lake Wendouree.

Just recently I have been feeling a change in the way people feel about climate change. There is great concern about the Barrier Reef, young people are becoming active, thousands of people are installing solar panels and coal companies are struggling. Even Barnaby Joyce is talking about climate change. We will deal with climate change and move to a healthier future, but will it be in time? We need to act now and that is what brings me to Ballarat Senator John Madigan. He has a long history of being a climate denier, someone who stalls and obstructs efforts to clean up our planet. Unless we vote out his ilk, we will be fighting an uphill battle to deal with the defining issue of our time.

Gareth Jones, Nerrina