Facebook beware
I read with interest that people are turning off Facebook because of privacy concerns with there data I can’t see how that would help as Facebook has already collected peoples data. We give our data on a regular basis hoping our data is secure and sometimes we get a phone call from companies wanting to sell us something or scammers and we wonder where these people get our details from.In my opinion companies should not be allowed to pass on or sell our personal data to others without our consent and I would like to see the Government crack down on these companies that do , so hopefully this would see a decrease in nuisance phone calls from companies and scammers at times when your sitting down enjoying your evening meal
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Geoff Rundell, Ballarat
A moral indictement on our leaders
It is unjust and cruel to detain innocent people indefinitely. Denying them adequate care compounds the offence. The Government did not dare to defend in open court a class action by Manus Island detainees claiming negligence and false imprisonment, preferring to settle for $70 million plus costs, while obdurately denying the claims. 12 detainees have died in Australia’s care in Immigration Detention Centres on Manus Island and Nauru or since leaving them.
The Government tries to dismiss the moral argument against cruelty by minimising images of its offences in remote places and obfuscating the damning facts, preferring to label refugees as security threats or economic burdens. The facts don’t support these claims; Mr Dutton appeals to prejudice and ignorance - and to our apathy.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has called out successive Australian Governments on their violation of the United Nations Charter of Human Rights and the 1951 Convention on Refugees. Many voluntary organisations including Ballarat Rural Australians For Refugees actively oppose practices which shame us all.
Mr Dutton concedes that there is no compassion in his policy. He might have added that there is little honesty or transparency. We can all contact the Prime Minister ( https://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm ) to protest about this disgrace
Brian Dwyer, Sebastopol.
Valuable sheds
I would like to comment on a story appearing in your newspaper for Saturday, June 30.
This was titled "BWEZ stable could open goods shed" and was apparently comment from the Mayor of Ballarat regarding a building on the south side of the Ballarat railway station.
The building identified is not a goods shed but the former engine shed, built at the same time as the station to service steam locomotives. Its use was changed in the 1880s as a new more comprehensive engine shed was built at Ballarat East. The old engine shed then became a carriage shed in order for maintenance and servicing of passenger rolling stock to be undertaken. This has been its function to this day and is still integral to the functioning of the train service. A modern maintenance and train servicing facility is currently in operation at Ballarat East and trains are regularly required to shunt to and from the carriage shed (engine shed) as there are issues with siding space at the east facility. As to the requirement for an additional maintenance facility in the west area, I thought we already have a maintenance facility. What would they be maintaining at the proposed facility?
Also the operational complication would only serve to make additional demands on an already pressed to the limit operation. If there is some requirement for the procurement of redundant railway real estate, it might be possible for the "ghost town" on the north side of the main Ballarat station building to be utilised!
R.G.Bassett, Sub Branch Secretary Western/South Western Region.