ON THE BUS TIMETABLE
Dear Editor,
I write regarding an article ‘Bus service review overdue: MP’ recently published in a local paper in which the Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed once again follows the lead of the Liberal Party on policy for Shepparton, this time by calling for a review of the town bus timetable to better connect with passenger rail services.
Ms Sheed has been quick to trumpet Labor’s token addition to passenger rail services over the past four years but has now finally identified a major flaw; that the current bus timetable does not match with the departure times of trains leaving the Shepparton station.
Any changes to passenger rail services should also include a review of current bus timetables to ensure users can get to the Shepparton station and catch their preferred train. Unfortunately Labor hasn’t done this work.
In contrast, the Liberal Party’s election commitment – which would double the amount of services to eight return train services every weekday between Shepparton and Melbourne – also includes a thorough review of all bus timetables to ensure they connect with departing trains, including Shepparton local town services and connecting services from Tatura, Numurkah etc.
It is clear that Ms Sheed is now playing catch up on the Liberal Party’s rail commitment.
Yours sincerely,
Wendy Lovell
Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Region
PUT ASIDE THE BASIN PLAN
Dear Editor,
The best thing the government and the Murray Darling Basin Authority can do for the drought affected areas is put aside the basin plan for 12 to 18 months. Providing environmental water to our farmers so they can grow fodder and food to get us through this dry period, currently there is about 3.5 Sydney Harbours of environmental water in storages.
The Murray and its tributaries have had many environmental flows over the past several years and are designed to go years without flooding.
So, use the water put aside for the next year’s environmental flows towards farmers who are prepared to grow fodder and food to get us through this drought.
The need to do this is more important than ever. If you are willing to gamble on the drought breaking in the next few months then you are happy to gamble with Australians lives, mental health and well being.
Allocating some environmental water to farmers to grow fodder and food, without paybacks and financial gain will really show that social, economic and environmental outcomes are on equal footing. You have the power to do something, don’t be the ones who destroy people’s lives.
Yours sincerely,
Luke Harrington
Deniliquin
