As a professional driver and with over 39 years’ experience in heavy vehicles, along with years of motor racing experience, I think it's time that the police, RMS and the government minister got pro-active, and much much tougher on the hoon element, the moron element, and the just plain dense idiots on our roads.

Instead of hiding in the bushes, the [highway patrol] need to get out there on our roads and actively hunt for law breakers. Their visibility would prevent speeding, dangerous driving, and stupidity.

The demerit points system should be abandoned completely, and much higher fines introduced. Even if demerit points reach their limit, 85 per cent of drivers still need to drive to earn a living etc. They generally ignore the licence suspension and drive anyway. Bills have to be paid! Therefore, attack the bad drivers with massive financial fines. Pain in the hip pocket hurts far more than a piece of paper telling you your licence has been suspended.

Eighty per cent of drivers are probably pretty reasonable drivers. It's the moron element that must be contained, and broken.

I wish to thank you for including St Joseph’s House of Prayer in the history and functioning of the building initially established as the St Joseph’s Girls Orphanage in your recent article regarding the Catholic Church’s proposal for a subdivision.

St Joseph’s is historically referred to as the St Joseph’s Orphanage, and that was its purpose and function for nearly 70 years; but for a further 30 years, it was loved and cared for by, and the home of, the lay community of St Joseph’s House of Prayer.

The work of the community was not published widely. Ordinary, everyday young people lived there and were faithful to a life of prayer and hospitality, receiving hundreds, possibly thousands of people through that 30 year period, whether it be simply for a cuppa or for a longer stay.

Each of the past members of the community holds the house and property fondly in their hearts. It was a great sadness to know that, after a long vacancy, the property was vandalised and every pane of glass smashed.

We are delighted that Darryl and Maggie Patterson purchased the property with the vision of again running it as a place of prayer and hospitality, this time in the centre of a housing subdivision. What a great dream and what dedication they have in restoring the brokenness of that building. Hopefully, in the future, their venture will also be acknowledged in the rich history of this extraordinary setting.

I lived in the community for 16 years and was privileged recently to walk the lines of trees that were planted by the community of St Joseph's House of Prayer between 20 and 30 years ago. Many are as tall as the pine trees in the driveway. Hopefully they will be retained as a part of the new proposal.

The New Scientist has warned that 2017 will be a “terrible tipping point" for human health. In the last 90 years since the identification of penicillin, horrendous diseases … have been controlled or eradicated by medical science.

But in 2017, many more people will begin dying from common bacterial infections. By 2050, according to a UK government report, antibiotic resistant "superbugs" could kill 10 million people a year. The World Health Organisation calls this a "global health security threat".

This is largely because more antibiotics are consumed by farmed animals than by humans, partly to keep them from dying, but also … as growth promoters. Diseases that had become rare are now evolving new forms, transmissible to humans, in these horrific conditions.

As long as humans eat meat, this threat will intensify. So will the rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other life-threatening diseases as the cholesterol and saturated fat in meat and other animal-based foods increases the risk of developing these ailments.

The healthiest option is to choose tasty vegan foods … which don’t naturally harbour harmful bacteria.