The equestrian community does not lack passion. What it lacks is resources and money. Instead of accusing our community for lacking passion, how about a helping hand and some encouragement by helping us get local, state and federal funding.

The local equestrian and horse industry is a major contributor of taxes, rates and income locally. We support at least three dedicated small businesses in Albury and a number of other businesses who sell equestrian goods and feeds employing people and bringing prosperity to the area.

Our events bring in competitors including Olympians from all over Australia. Our Polocross Nationals was the biggest money spinner for 2016 for an event.

Our riders and competitors are paying taxes and rates as well as contributing to our community as nurses and other health care workers as well as other types of employment that benefit our community.

We support our local community in many ways and we are many. But obviously not valued by the local government or our mayor who seems to be very out of touch with this community. Do your homework.

We are a thriving, committed, hardworking and passionate community that gets very little help for our sport from any level of government. Our equestrian centre has the potential to be a bigger asset to Albury but an indoor costs money we don't have. 

We watch footy fields get grants for improvements, and we watch our riding areas get eaten up by developers, footy fields and netball courts around Australia. Is there an agenda for the land AWEC sits on? 

Last Friday, our park in June Court, Lavington was being mowed by Albury City Council or its contractors. Two ground-nesting Plovers have a nest in the park. The workmen mowed around the nest and left a small area it intact. We would like to thank these workmen for the care and sensitivity they have shown our native wildlife.

As reported in The Border Mail, Councillor John Stuchbery objected to prayer before council meetings, especially the part “deliver us from evil”. I would have thought that was a prayer that should be our daily request. Surely we all want peace, we want our heavenly Father to deliver us from evil – from nuclear war, from terrorists, and closer to home, from domestic violence, arson, theft, bashings, road rage, child abuse and much more. It seems to be popular with some people to knock Christian values and traditions, but I believe all of us want safety, stability, happiness and protection from evil.

So our mayor Anna Speedie went to Melbourne along with Danny Lowe and Kat Bennett. Are the ratepayers of Wodonga paying for this trip, as is the usual thing with our councillors? Of all the elected councillors only three turned up for the forum on the hilltops plan. Where were the rest? They get well paid to attend these meetings, not to ignore the ratepayers. I guess none of the councillors live in that part of Wodonga, so they couldn't care less.