However, the failure of Yass Valley Council to bother to even reply to an invitation to participate in the Communities Combating Pests and Weed Impacts During Drought Program is to be condemned. The program would have provided the Council with a federal government grant to assist in pest and weed control.

I note that the Goulburn Nationals raised the issue of the absence of effective pest and weed control in the Yass Valley Council area in this paper back in February/March of last year. Yet Yass Valley Council continued on, oblivious as always to the needs of its rural ratepayers.

In contrast to the asleep at the wheel approach of Yass Valley Council, both Goulburn Mulwaree and Queanbeyan-Palerang councils responded to the grant invitation and received $411,362 and $500,000 respectively. No doubt Yass Valley Council plans to just keep relying on extracting ever increasing rates from its rural ratepayers instead.

Not good enough.

I was appalled when it was reported that 40 former terrorists who have been fighting in Syria and Iraq with IS have returned home to Australia.

Because they have Australian citizenship it is apparent that the government is powerless to prevent their return.

This raises the question, just who owns this country when these battle-hardened terrorists are allowed to return home?

If the government was sincere then why don't they pass legislation to strip these terrorist of their citizenship?

I'm sure any such proposed legislation would have bipartisan support.

After all, the safety and protection of our citizens must be first and foremost among the priorities of our politicians.

By allowing these type of people re-entry is akin to allowing 40 Ivan Milats and Martin Bryants loose into the community. It is creating a situation that can only lead to disaster. Action is needed now.