The town needs a major makeover Mr Smith. You are right, all roads lead to Rutherglen. Therein lies the problem.

Previously, there was good money thrown away by the Indigo Shire Council trying to find a solution to the heavy vehicle bypass. Until this is addressed and put to bed, Rutherglen will continue to stagnate.

There are buildings in Main Street which are an embarrassment to the town and I cringe every time I approach the roundabout entering town from the the eastern end. A few of the eateries have actually ceased trading. 

The question was asked by residents at a council meeting a couple of years ago about making Rutherglen an RV friendly town. Hundreds of caravaners drive through and many stop in Rutherglen. But there is no caravan parking allocated, no dump point with easy access and no welcoming signage.

It is not just about the wineries Mr Smith, please get your priorities right.

OVER the past six months as an oncology patient, my husband has been admitted to Albury Base Hospital emergency department on three occasions and each time, he has received the best care from staff who are doing an excellent job.

More recently he was admitted to the medical ward B and the doctors, nurses and staff gave him the very best care and support at a difficult time.

I was also able to stay at Hilltop House, a secure and safe haven within minutes of the hospital.

The new cancer centre when completed will be a very necessary addition to Albury Base and the doctors and staff who will work there and the patients who will be treated there deserve the best facility that can be provided.

It will be a centre to be very proud of and the people of Albury and surrounding district are very fortunate that this has been able to be provided for our region.

BARBARA Bryant (The Border Mail, Letters 28/8/15) accuses Cathy McGowan of pure spin when it comes to fixing the rail. Personally I think her letter has pushed her case too far and as a consequence, her letter has become spin itself.

Looking at the history of the event, much blame can be put onto the federal Liberals.

Victorian Labor undertook to revamp the line and, in good faith, contracted Australian Rail Track Corporation to do the work.

The ARTC is a federal body under the control of the then Liberal federal government. It appears the work was shoddy. Two questions came to mind. Why did Sophie Mirabella and her colleagues allow this to happen under their watch? And, why did the Liberals regularly blame the state Labor government for the faults?

Bill Tilley also commented that the rail debacle was all Labor’s fault and he would fix it quickly once elected. Clearly this has not happened.

Unlike others, Cathy McGowan has refused to play the blame. She promised to have the situation looked at, not fix it immediately and, has worked tirelessly on it.

Since obtaining office, she has raised the profile with the state and governments and the ARTC. It may be “a lot of talk” however, making those in charge of a fix aware of the issues can only help. And a train ride by those concerned would certainly highlight the issues.

As I see it, trying to lump Cathy in with other pollies who played the blame game, and attempting to paint her in a bad light, is pure spin to my mind.