Rehabilitation is a costly exercise. We don’t just grab a re-usable bag from Woollies, pop a joey in there, call it Skippy and hope for the best. This isn’t the Silver Brumby Movie.

Each species of animal has a different set of needs and requirements such as species-specific enclosures, fences, feed, pouches, medications, humidicribs and security procedures. All of these cost the wildlife shelters thousands of dollars to build and keep fit for purpose. A 20-kilogram bag of Wombaroo alone can cost the carer over $400, and some shelters will go through this amount a week. A humidicrib can be a $10,000 investment and most wildlife carers have bought these from community fundraisers.

The investment in a wildlife shelter proves that this is something people do because it is their passion.

So, I ask the DELWP, who will be reimbursing the carers? Who will be reimbursing the community for their donations to care for these animals? Who will cover the cost of euthanising hundreds, if not thousands, of native animals? Will it be the Australian public having to foot the bill as this is an Australian government organisation? Will it be the veterinarians having to cover the cost of euthanising native animals, placing even more financial strain on our already struggling veterinary services?

I know one thing, DELWP has opened a can of worms and should this go ahead, it will be wiping the blood off its hands with $100 bills.

In reference to your News Focus articles on May 19 about the issues of alcohol, I have been substantially alcohol free for a couple of years now and would only have an alcoholic drink about twice a month at a social occasion. Every time I have one beer or wine in an evening the next day I don't feel that good, and I wonder how was I affecting my body when I was drinking two or three every evening.

Like Seamus Evans, I still want to have a drink to mark the end of the day or go out and enjoy the company of my friends. I have found some non-alcoholic beers and wines in the bottle shops but probably not enough choice or quality. But the clubs and pubs do not cater for the non-drinker unless you want sweet fizzy drinks.

Go and ask your local pub for an non-alcoholic beer or wine and you will get a blank look. I would bring my own to my local pub and get them to sell them back to me. They have since started to get some in but they are often out of stock. The beers come from Germany or Czechoslovakia and the wines are poor grape juice substitutes. With all our world famous wineries and now blooming brewery industry why can’t we lead the way in non-alcoholic wines and beers?

Part of the proposed Wodonga Story will hopefully explain how and why this place was selected as an official crossing place, guarded by a police hut to protect it and travellers from Aboriginal attack. Such stories help the community understand how it has been and is peopled.