I would like to offer a different perspective on the importance and value of this project to people such as myself who are volunteers supporting our representative teams. My role was as the former Team Manager of the Ballarat Miners who play in SEABL; a 2nd tier national competition. I held this volunteer position for 5 years, where I volunteered 20-40hrs per week from March through August each year. My biggest time commitment centred around training each week.

The Miners train Tuesdays at Damascus College in Mt Clear and Thursdays at Ballarat Grammar. As Team Manager, it is my responsibility to collect the keys for each venue from the Minerdome and have all the gear delivered and set up prior to each training and then clear the venue of all this equipment at the end of every session. This included balls, drink bottles, water containers, training aids, ice, towels, first aid kit and sports tape.

How a Team Manager's life will change with the full development of the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre. Having the ability to store all the gear in a venue that is our own playing and training facility will make so much difference; not only to the elite athletes that play, but to people like myself who volunteer our time.

As Team Manager, you could have training set up and ready to go well before time, which then gives you the ability to be missing at times from sessions, which would have meant more time with my family or for work commitments.

I am also excited by the impact this venue will have on the professionalism of Ballarat's elite sports teams the Miners, Rush and Sovereigns. More importantly, it is the difference it will make to the people behind the scenes; the volunteers who give so freely of their time for our community.

The challenges and pressures it will take off our team management volunteers will be immense, and as is generally the case with volunteers, it will predominately go unnoticed but should not be undervalued. I urge all parties contesting the federal election to support the full development of the BSEC so that the full vision of the planners can be achieved.

Simon Walshe, Ballarat North

On Saturday night I experienced a wonderful evening's entertainment, where contemporary music and an historic building happily came together to provide a night worth listening to. "Piano Fort" showcased innovation and improvisation at its very best.

The historic Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute is the ideal venue for exciting acoustic performances. With so much emphasis by the funding fathers on sport, it was fantastic to see the City of Ballarat hosting this great arts event. I look forward to seeing this iconic building used for more artistic performances in the future.

Fiona Watson, Ballarat

On 14/06/2016 the current Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull and his Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton both declared, "We won't tolerate people who are preaching hate in our country". (1) On 24/03/14 the current Attorney-General, the leading law representative of the current Liberal party government said, "People have a right to be bigots". 'Bigot' according to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary is "a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance".

Linda Zibell, Mount Helen.