a great festival for many
I am a 64 year old farmer who lives just near Waubra and I have been to the Rainbow Serpent Festival on a number of occasions including this year. This is what I saw and experienced. I saw a very peaceful group of people who appeared to be mainly public servants or people in quite senior positions in private enterprise (I actually knew a few personally), having a weekend off in dressups, listening to music I don't particularly like, and doing a lot of modern dancing. I also ate some extremely good food, felt very safe and had a lovely time. I noticed there were some people who quite clearly had some mental health issues doing some odd quiet things. I guess they rarely felt safe and this was a chance to enjoy themselves in a safe place. I also saw constant patrols of police and professional health workers, ready paramedic response teams and some clear warnings about drug use displayed in prominent positions across the festival venue.
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I would therefore be pleased if the Ballarat Courier did not seek to sensationalise and capitalise on unfortunate events which would probably occur in any gathering of over 20,000 people, and actually appreciated the business opportunities and the goodwill the festival has created in surrounding small towns. Several community groups directly benefit from either paid work they do at the festival or in receiving donations from the festival. Ghoulish journalism is bogan and I am disappointed The Courier constantly stoops low enough to destroy goodwill and pleasant times.
Kate Serrurier, Mount Bolton
how much is enough
Twenty-odd years ago, a lady in a country town told me,"You need $ 500,000 to retire on". At the time, this seemed a lot of money to me, but with interest rates at that time of between 6-7 %, a self-funded retiree and partner would need that and more to manage on. I am wondering how much that same couple would need now?
Since our Treasurer has seen fit to reduce the part pensions of those people whose assets exceed the limit, and of those who have chosen not to buy a $1-2 million home and luxury cars etc, and who are now receiving about 2-3% on their savings account (about the same as a school savings account 80 years ago). The same retirees are expected to reduce their assets to an amount where they will be eligible to receive a full aged pension which may be 5-6 times they were getting before. Now how much money does our Treasurer need with interest at 2-3% to pay our self retirees a full pension?
I admit I am not very good at maths, so could some clever person or the Treasurer explain to me and many other self-funded retirees how it all works. As a once TV professor would say, "Why is it so"?
Ian B. Harris, Clunes
Beware itinerant tradesmen
We had a knock at the door the other day which I believe was a travelling con man. I saw him out of the window, drive slowly and target our home. When I ordered him to leave the property he soon became aggressive. He only left when I threatened to call police. I would like to inform other residents that are elderly to be aware of unwelcome travelling tradesman that knock at your door that you haven't engaged or seen before.
Geoff Rundell, Ballarat
Our history in their hands
If, in fact, a group of developers are deliberately allowing heritage buildings, of much local significance, to deteriorate, and if they do this to avoid honouring their agreement to preserve them, and if this group is made up of local business people, then why don't we name them, shame them and refuse individually to have any further dealings with them?
Barry Breen, Miners Rest