SAVE SHIPYARD SKILLS
■ Shipbuilding is one of the last remaining harbours of skilled employment on Australian shores.
Workers at the Williamstown shipyard have been proud to turn out modern, well-built ships for our Royal Australian Navy.
Unless the federal government commits to building more naval vessels in the coming months, this source of skilled employment will be lost. No handouts or subsidies are needed – only a commitment to replacing and upgrading an ageing naval fleet capable of protecting our borders and supplying aid to countries in our region.
Thousands of jobs are on the line, including my own and my work colleagues’ in Willliamstown.
The government has an opportunity to ensure those thousands of skilled jobs are maintained. In addition, this maritime industry provides the necessary resources for our naval, commercial and scientific ships.
JIMMY SPENCE, COBURG
RE. ORIENTAL HOTEL DEMOLITION A ‘PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE’ (Weekly, April 2)
■ Evolve’s own expert gave sworn evidence in VCAT that it could fix the building for under $2 million. If it did this, it could make six premium apartments out of the building, thereby getting its money back and protecting both the building and its assets. Demolition is developer greed before the community’s need.
Williamstown’s heritage is a unique treasure we need to preserve.
DANIEL MCKINNON VIA ONLINE
RE. SCHOOL BULLYING FUNDING HAS ‘DRIED UP’ (Weekly, April 2)
■ Opposition leader Daniel Andrews and his Labor spokeswoman Marsha Thomson have been caught red-handed misleading the Victorian community about funding for anti-bullying programs.
The Victorian government committed $14.5 million in funding for Bully Stoppers and the Alannah and Madeleine Foundation E-Smart initiative in 2011. It is an election commitment we are continuing to deliver. The Labor Party is being dishonest and deliberately deceitful to suggest otherwise.
We have also partnered with the AFL to promote cultural diversity, engaged the University of Melbourne to deliver a ‘resilience framework’, supported 70 schools to join the internationally recognised schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support Program, and committed to a $750,000 partnership with headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
The government is fully committed to funding programs that will create safe, inclusive, supportive school communities and address bullying, cyber safety and mental health issues for young Victorians.
Ms Thomson should come clean to the Footscray community and explain why programs that address such important community issues don’t attract bipartisan support.
MARTIN DIXON, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
RE. MERGER WOULD BE A MAJOR MISTAKE, SAYS COUNCILLOR (Weekly, March 26)
■ Cr Michael Clarke is missing the point. If the municipality of Maribyrnong was divided into four and merged with other councils, we, the ratepayers, could potentially save $45 million in administrative costs. I’m sure that would contribute to a reduction in rates for property owners.
LES AND BONITA MARGARIS VIA EMAIL
