I would like during this high fire alert for you to remember Allan and Paul Rolles, who gave their lives trying to help stop this fire. Allan was captain of Muttama Bushfire Brigade. 

Remember also the firefighters who helped, Col Adams and his plane, one of the first to fight fires this way. The hundreds of stock lost, other famers injured, acres burned. 

I would like the people in the district to remember during this hot dry spell, to be very alert if you see smoke, alert the fire brigade or ring Triple-0. Be careful, don't do anything silly and accidently start a fire; think of the tragic circumstances. 

The local bushfire brigade erected a memorial stone in front of the Muttama Hall for Allan, 49, and Paul, 19, to honour them. 

Rembering your sacrifice, Allan and Paul Rolles.

(TO THE tune of Oh Christmas Tree)

Oh Coota Gundy Council, Oh Coota Gundy Council, have you gone to sleep.

Christmas is well over for another year, however you have left me standing here.

So when are you going to, remove me from the roundabout and don’t forget to remove those stupid signs, that no one reads.

Oh Oh Coota Gundy Council, Oh Coota Gundy Council, have you gone to sleep.

It’s now time for you to wake up and realise I am still here, Oh   Coota Gundy Council, Oh Coota Gundy Council  get a life and be pro active for the new year.

AUSTRALIA Day is meant "to inspire national pride and spirit". It has nothing to do with eating lamb.  And yet Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) is trying to cash in on the celebration with buffoonish caricatures of ethnic and cultural groups and a controversial new ad that doesn’t even mention" Australia Day". Instead, the ad implies that people can somehow be united by paying the MLA to kill lambs and other baby animals.

They must be worried about all the recent studies showing that many Australians can no longer stomach meat. A University of Adelaide survey found that 21 per cent of Australians are reducing their consumption of lamb, while the number of vegetarians increased by 20 per cent between 2009 and 2013.  A Roy Morgan poll found that 99 per cent of Australians oppose cruelty to animals, and we know that animals who are killed for food are electrocuted or have a bolt shot into their heads before being sliced open.

Flesh is bad for the human body, too. Meat-eaters are more likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses.

And eating meat and other animal-based foods is a major contributor to climate change and other environmental problems.

This Australia Day, the only babies on our plates should be baby peas or baby corn—not baby sheep.

FIRST the federal health minister, now, wait for it, the federal finance minister is happy to be going away with his family on holidays and billing us the taxpayers.

The same minister who has been telling us we can’t continue spending money as we have been so deeply in debt.

Wonder why people do not trust politicians?

Surely on his current income he could afford it out of his own pocket?