How many conferences do they have to attend before they understand you do not destroy unique heritage buildings? If Ballarat is to continue to call itself a leader in the implementation of heritage principles, it needs to start implementing them; not just spouting them.

The loss of the gate keepers' cottage in Gregory Street is a travesty. Many other Australian cities would rejoice in the opportunity to restore a local building from the 1860s. There are quite a number of groups who wish to build or extend their buildings in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, yet the most significant building of all will be destroyed.

If council can initially find $1.4 million towards the development of a new fernery, surely they are capable of finding sufficient funds to relocate an original building, which dates from the earliest days of the botanical gardens, in heritage terms.

The gate keepers' cottage has far more significance for Ballarat than the home of Adam Lindsay Gordon.

The first time this issue was raised with council it should have immediately started a process to ensure the retention of the cottage. Now, two years on, the owners are frustrated with the delay and council wants to finalise the issue the quickest way possible; let it be demolished.

If the right decisions had been taken in the first place, those same councillors who voted for demolition would now be standing in front of a restored cottage getting their photos taken.

- Dinah McCance, East Ballarat

IN A recent editorial in The Courier, you state: "The Safe Schools Program is a successful anti-bullying program", yet the co-founder of this program, socialist, Roz Ward says it is: "not about anti-bullying but about supporting sexual diversity".

I would agree with you that "We must ensure schools and governments remain committed to properly tackling bullying".

"Properly" being the operative word here.

Parents would not support the introduction of a program that is a thinly veiled promotion of the LGBTI agenda which succeeds in leaving the children disturbed and confused.

As a former teacher, I have read through the entire program and understand fully why parents are so concerned about its inclusion in their children's basic education.

In a democracy, parents still have the right to decide what they want to have put before their children. Parents, don't let the "professionals" lord it over you.

- Maureen van der Linden, Delacombe

I'M writing this as a concerned CFA volunteer with over 35 years service. I'm concerned that our volunteers and the public, individually, have no avenue to voice their concerns about the CFA negotiations.

The federal election may be past and somewhat forgotten, but don't forget the struggle of CFA volunteers to overturn the government's thinking of agreeing with the current EBA, effectively giving the UFU control of the CFA. Just because it no longer gets front page coverage in the papers, we must not give up our efforts at protesting to the government of the proposed EBA and potential union takeover of the CFA.

We should keep asking the premier what is in the union EBA that his ex-minister, the CFA board, the ex-CEO of the CFA, and the chief fire officer found objectionable and didn't agree with?

We must not allow union control of the CFA. If volunteers or the public would like a vehicle with which to petition the premier on this matter, go to www.communityrun.org/p/support-cfa

- John Graham, CFA Volunteer, Hamilton