I believe in culling, but Emma Kealy has the wrong definition.

She seems to be a bit bloodthirsty with her attitude.

Ms Kealy then says farmers should be given licences to cull the kangaroos on their property.

That to me is not culling. All the kangaroos would be shot.

I know they eat out areas but I hope Ms Kealy doesn’t start an all out war against the Aussie icon.

Ms Kealy wants to make it permanently open season. 

I would like to know the outcome of this meeting with local government.

Culling to me should be for old and sick animals. Wake up Australia to this type of governing.

ALAN WETTON

Ararat

IS, and or has, graffiti been legalised or condoned in Ararat courtesy of Ararat Rural City Council, with regards to pavement painting in front of the town hall?

Digital advertising was outlawed on the facade of the hall years ago, as it detracted from the look of our so-called historic building. 

Shame on council and commiserations to all ratepayers. 

Or is this part of the long awaited mulit-million dollar upgrade of the town hall precinct?

I would also like to bring to everyone’s attention the disabled parking bay’s emblems. 

These were recoloured by artists, who have strategically painted what appear to be guns on the armrests of both chairs. 

I do hope we can be enlightened on all of this.

G. SPENCER

Ararat

THROUGH the paper I would like to congratulate all those involved in making the Prayer for Peace service that took place on Australia Day in the Ararat Catholic Church such a success. 

This service was led by Father Andrew of the Ararat Catholic Church, a leader from the Ararat Muslim community, women from the Catholic Church and the Anglican minister.

The congregation was from all faiths and included people who do not belong to any particular church or religious organisation at all. 

The service included a reading from the Bible and the Koran which told the story of Moses.

And in both books it was the very same story.

It is these types of events that seek to make peace not war, strive to see the similarities not the differences, encourage acceptance rather than opposition and understanding instead of ignorance that will help heal our world.

Thank you to the wonderful people in Ararat who made this Australia Day a very special one.

BONNIE CARTER

Ararat

I WAS shocked to learn that the number of Victorian motorists who have been caught speeding through 40-kilometre per hour zones almost tripled last year to 280,000.

The harsh reality is that each and every one of these drivers is putting their own and other road users’ lives at risk, including the thousands of children who returned to school in recent weeks.

As a motor vehicle accident lawyer, I have met many road trauma victims, including young children.

And as a mother myself, I find it heartbreaking to see the devastation that a speeding driver can cause.

While it may seem like an inconvenience to have to slow down, the fact of the matter is that reduced speed zones save lives.

JOANNE PANAGAKIS

Slater and Gordon

PRESCHOOLERS in Wannon will get the chance to learn a language other than English using apps as part of the Turnbull government’s play-based Early Learning Languages Australia program.

Preschool services that expressed an interest in trialling the language apps last year are encouraged to formally apply by March 4 to participate in the 2016 program.

Services that expressed interest in the first trial have until March 4 to lodge an application to be part of the next round of the program in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, French or Arabic languages.

It’s a great opportunity to get young children interested in experiencing and learning a language other than English and I hope any local services that put their hand up to take part in last year’s program do so again this year.

Preschools must provide their own devices and meet their own Wi-Fi and internet costs, but the government will do the rest.

Those preschools that initially expressed an interest, but were not included in the trial, will have the chance to be considered for participation in 2016.

DAN TEHAN 

Member of Wannon