Quite frankly, the goods yard is not the site for a "Convention Centre/Block of Flats". It is a hub for our city's transport needs well into the 21st Century. What an opportunity we have to bring this proposal to reality.

May I suggest that local State Government MP's Sharon Knight, Jaala Pulford and Geoff Howard pull all stops out urgently to tell the Premier that the site should be "The Transport Hub for Ballarat" and not a make believe pub for some 'out of town' developer to make a quid at the expense of our community. There are some magnificent transport hubs around Australia and with some great input from all involved, Ballarat can top the list. After all, we have one of the best, if not the best, historic railway precinct in Australia in Lydiard Street and the Convention Centre proposal will stuff it up forever. Come on Ballarat, let's support SOS and really re-invent this precinct which is real and ripe for a the creation of great transport hub.

Paul Jenkins, Alfredton

The political travel system rules were of no concern when the country had plenty of money. Australia has changed. We are now broke, although some do not suspect this lately as the rules are still the same for some.

Accounts outwardly look like resembling an open slather swipe credit card, and hope that whistleblowers do not emerge, although many qualified to speak out are on the same racket. As for the past inquiry to fix this, we appear to have gone from a toothless tiger to no tiger at all. Maybe a stuffed one. It is the law of the jungle, albeit within the law. 

Mr Turnbull's speech upon Ms Ley resigning reassured me that all rots and dodgy expenses would be completely eliminated forthwith. It just reverted back to business as usual, and now another emphatic carbon copy speech for us to believe. Whilst his speeches make us feel better, the problem cannot be rooted out as it is perfectly legal and justifiable with a little imagination, and up to the conscience of someone using other people's money. He said that judgement can differ. Yes, very much between those paying and those receiving. He also said he wants the word entitlement eliminated. I would go further than that and have the actual physical expensive act of entitlement itself eliminated.

Colin Holmes, Ballarat

Significant concerns are being raised about the Andrews Government's spending priorities for regional Victoria. Four months in, Labor has already spent $53.5 million of the Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund (AIJF), but farmers are mystified as to how funding decisions are being made.

The VFF recently questioned why the AIJF was being used to fund an irrigation upgrade, when there was another funding option available.

Daniel Andrews has failed to explain why he has picked some projects and not others. Country Victoria has a long list of projects in need of funding after two years of city-centric focus by the Andrews Labor Government. Country roads are crumbling and it is making it harder to get agricultural product to port, while the grain harvest was dogged by temperature restrictions on freight trains.

Farmers will be furious if the Andrews Government squanders the AIJF by spending it on projects that can and should be funded by existing departmental budgets.

Peter Walsh, Shadow Minister for Agriculture.