It features those two well-known puppets John “Punch” Barilaro and Katrina “Judy” Hodgkinson. However, don’t get me wrong and think this is just another kid’s show – it’s not. It is a very serious drama that tells of the effects of forced council mergers has had on the lives of both the Gundagai and Cootamundra communities.

Without giving too much away, it tells of how the citizens of both towns have had their lives disrupted by having their democratically elected councillors turfed out of office and replaced by administrators.

All this at the behest of an uncaring, hypocritical and arrogant state government. It also tells how damaging and detrimental it can be and the overall effect it has on townships when they are forced from a democracy into a dictatorship.

Gundagai is already losing its uniqueness and is rapidly becoming a suburb of Cootamundra. The script for the show is written entirely by that masterful puppeteer, Gladys Berejiklian. She also does the choreography and the voice-overs. In other words it is a one-woman show.

It would be remiss of me if I didn’t acknowledge the life-like performances of both marionettes, Punch and Judy. I urge everyone to see this fine drama.

I wish to comment on the article by Anthony Bunn (‘Wodonga a pioneer with info site cut’, The Border Mail, June 14) following the Ratepayer's Association meeting on Tuesday evening. I was unable to attend due to illness.

No Cr Tim Quilty, Wodonga is not the first place to close its Visitor Information Centre. Statistics were quoted in the agenda for the May council meeting about other Victorian towns closing theirs.  

A quote from Cr Quilty in the story said: “The lease had expired, the location was bad.” Well congratulations Wodonga Council. Are you now admitting that when you moved the centre from Gateway Island in 2012 that you put it in the wrong place?  About bloody time you admitted it. 

I am really doubting that these new tourism terminals will be any good at all. I saw in the budget forecast in the agenda that there is no money set aside for maintenance or replacements if required. Sure they will be inside. But vandalism happens all over our city. It will happen to these terminals and if they can't go outside, how are the new screens at Wodonga West Primary and Wodonga West Childrens Centre operating?

I agree with Pauline Coulthard’s point that the grey nomads will find another place to go and Wodonga will miss out.

Council has forgotten about the locals that came into the centre, looking for things to do when the grandkids come to town for school holidays, the locals who come in to get Information on other parts of Australia to visit, because no one else except travel agents have it,  the locals going overseas who came in to buy something from our local area to take as a gift for their hosts.

Yes, in 10 years, there may be a lack of visitor information centres but not now. To close the centre instead of moving it continues to show the short sightedness of Wodonga Council when it comes to tourism. Spend all those dollars getting the Bonegilla Migrant Experience upgraded then close the VIC? Very clever Wodonga Council.

Well done to the Beechworth community in taking a step to rid the town of plastic bags. We can all do more to help the environment, whether it be cutting out plastic bags or reusing things like water bottles. There’s just no need for the epic amount of waste we create.