I was amazed to received a fine of $65 when I recently visited a local business in the CBD, paid for my parking (the maximum amount allowed) and returned to my vehicle within that time.

What's going on here? Is Ballarat City Council so short of money it fines people for parking legitimately?

- Catherine McGowan, Lake Wendouree

I THINK it is time a few facts about the downside of wind power is brought to the attention of those interested in decarbonising the planet.

When BREAZE - Ballarat Renewable Energy And Zero Emissions was established a decade ago, my husband and I joined enthusiastically as we have always been interested in protecting the environment and supporting the production of clean green energy.

The last seven years have been a steep learning curve and I have observed with great interest, the futile efforts of wind energy companies to try to convince governments and the general public that wind farms are the way of the future.

One has only to read about the disaster unfolding in South Australia as manufacturing industries such as Arrium, BHP and Nyrstar, South Australia’s biggest employers, are in deep trouble; the wholesale price of electricity has been consistently above the national average since early 2015.

When the wind does not blow, South Australia has to rely on privately-owned gas-fired electricity generators, and an interconnector in Victoria which supplies power produced by brown coal.

Wind is not necessarily blowing when power is required and if there is too much wind, turbines have to be turned off.

The saddest part of the failure of wind to produce economically sustainable power is the politicians and their policy advisors either did not do their homework, and recognise that without massive subsidies granted to them by way of the renewable energy targets, economically, wind power would never be able to continue.

Sailing ships became redundant on a commercial scale over a century ago.

To quote a saying attributed to Einstein: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result".

This begs the question, have we learned anything from history or the mistakes made by our forefathers?

Daniel Andrews' Labor government continues to promote wind farms with no thought to the non-host neighbours who will have to bear his legacy for the next 25 to 35 years.

It is imperative we have a government that listens to the voice of rural voters, and stops the practice of approving developments of industrial wind energy facilities far too close to dwellings; especially in the Moorabool Shire.

- Angela Kearns, Mt Egerton

INTERESTING to read of The Courier's sense of injustice and dismay at the Eureka Rebellion being labelled a terrorist event.

Perhaps the journalist’s drumming up local indignation at this inappropriate branding might better have gained some insight into the feelings of Muslim residents in this country who have to put up with inappropriate branding and labelling every day.

Perhaps they needn't have attached the label of 'controversial' to Julian Burnside; a man who stands and fights against injustice perpetrated by government and others, every day, with the same spirit of those long ago miners.

Sensationalist journalism is doing a lot of harm in Australia and l'd like to think The Courier didn't need to join in.

- Sandra Hawkins, Canadian