The method of federal government funding for emergency relief groups must be reviewed immediately.

Wangaratta has an organisation, Loaves and Fishes - Christians Caring, an emergency relief group that has been providing one stop access, four days a week to food, limited finance and other support to 160 individuals and families (many homeless) each month in our community.

To hear that the funding to Anglicare Victoria had been cut, which then flowed to cutting the funding to Loaves and Fishes which will cause them to close in January 2026, is to hear of a decision which I can only describe as thoughtless, shortsighted and being extremely harmful to the most vulnerable in our community.

I have been told that emergency relief groups have to apply for grants each year and this year the successful applications for grants included Gateway Health, Open Door Neighbourhood House and the Salvation Army (who is one of the nine faith groups who make up Loaves and Fishes).

I believe that in this area of providing emergency relief it is of the utmost importance to have continuity as for the people relying on the service, it really means whether they eat or not, or whether they are able to have their medications or not.

And definitely it must not involve whether a service is being offered at a cheaper cost to the government.

If the federal government can allocate $2.3 billion to the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which will benefit those Australians that can afford it with a $4000 rebate on their battery purchase cost, then they can reverse this cut to the funding for Anglicare, which flows to Loaves and Fishes, immediately.

I am calling on local member Helen Haines to do all she can to have this decision reversed.

Likewise, I ask all faith groups, community organisations and Wangaratta council to come together to make joint representations to the government.

Individuals can also send emails and do all they can through social media to make people aware of this injustice and force this thoughtless and callous decision to be reversed.

John Moore, Wangaratta

Learn more about the Israel-Palestine situation

Recently we had a guest speaker at our church to speak about the Middle East situation.

We became aware of how complex the situation is but also how important it is for us to read widely to bring greater understanding of the why and how of the Israel Palestine conflict.

I have started reading the books recommended by the speaker and commend them to you.

The titles of the books are, “The hundred years’ war on Palestine – A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance”, by Rashid Khalidi (published 2024) and “The holy and the broken – a cry for Israeli – Palestinian peace from a land that must be shared”, by Ittay Flescher (published 2025)

My hope is that by reading these books we will become much better informed, independently from the normal media which at times are very biased one way or the other.

It will also help to keep our politicians to account who too often make statements based on a one-sided understanding of the Israeli Palestine conflict.

John van Riet, South Wangaratta

Celebrating our local GP leader Dr Olivia Stuart

I’d like to extend my warmest congratulations to Wangaratta’s own Dr Olivia Stuart, who has been named the Victorian GP Supervisor of the Year by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

This is an outstanding achievement and a wonderful recognition of Dr Stuart’s dedication to her patients, her students, and our wider community.

Her commitment to mentoring and supporting the next generation of doctors ensures that regional areas like ours continue to have access to high-quality healthcare for years to come.

It’s heartening to see local professionals like Dr Stuart acknowledged for their compassion, leadership, and tireless service.

Her work through Gateway Health and her outreach to Aboriginal communities truly exemplify the spirit of care that defines country doctors.

On behalf of the Ovens Valley community, I congratulate Dr Stuart on this well-deserved honour and thank her for the positive difference she continues to make in people’s lives.

Tim McCurdy, Nationals MP for Ovens Valley