Time to move on from a derelict site
In recent days we have read yet another letter by Anne Beggs-Sunter indicating her disappointment with Heritage Victoria's decision to allow the proposed development of the railway station area. This is yet another in a long list of Heritage changes objectors have had issue with. It's about time they gave the next generation some time in the spotlight.
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The station yard in my lifetime has had very little activity or maintenance which indicates the place had little value to those who have gone before us. To step up now after decades of inactivity and say that buildings such as the goods shed are now important is drawing a long bow. Where was the concern when years ago the roof began to leak giving rise to wood rot and a gradual decline in the state of the building ? And yet now, after a proposal including the incorporation of a renewed and repurposed goods shed to bring this area into the 21st century people are still not happy.
Not everything can stay forever, and thank goodness that Heritage Victoria is aware of this and is making their decisions not just for the "good ole days", but also for the future prosperity of our cities and towns. The jobs created by this development will give many young local tradesman and women, not just a job but the opportunity to put their mark on the progressive changes in our city.
Objectors need to Accept the umpires decision, grab a nice bottle of wine and reminisce with like minded friends if you wish, but stop trying to deny the next generation their right to dream and build a community how they would like it to be. We've had our day !!.
Jim Liston, Ballarat
Real danger lies in looking backward
Contrary to populist propaganda the greatest threat to Australia’s democracy is not Islamic terrorism, Kim Jong-un or our ABC, but the corrosive evil of conservatism. This ideology, derived from a twisted interpretation of Genesis, bestows on powerful, white, nominally, Christian men what they believe is the god-given right to exploit as they wish the resources and people of the earth.
It drove John Howard to collude with George Bush and Tony Blair in the devastation of Iraq; and why non-white, non-Christian refugees from the carnage continue to treated with such appalling cruelty. It’s why there’s been such hysterical squealing against climate change action. Conservatives see this as the thin edge of the wedge to bring regulation to all of their predatory activities.
It’s why there’s hysterical squealing too, about marriage equality, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, political correctness and Australian values from men such as Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton, John Howard, Eric Abetz, Cory Bernadi and George Christensen. These phoney Christians should fear nothing, but in a nation where there’s increasing acceptance of sexual, racial and religious diversity they’re petrified of their looming crash to irrelevancy. Their ideology is self-serving and meant only to sustain their power. If forward-thinking Australians look past their simplistic slogans they will see nothing, and condemn these hypocrites to the scrapheap of history.
Lawrie Wilson, Ballarat.
Higher priorities
It is good to see that the wish to have a 60 minutes service Melbourne to Ballarat is once again in the news. It was first promised to Ballarat in the last century, 1999 exactly, by Steve Bracks in the lead up to a State election. A t the present time, it is far more important to get sufficient passenger seats on the line. It is highly dangerous to have people standing in the aisles and by the doors when the trains are running at over 100kph. On Grand Final day there were people standing in the aisles before the train left Ballarat.
Joyce Currie, Wendouree