I was one of those who tried so hard to access the site. Not being computer literate I was at a disadvantage from the very start.

But sharp on starting time I was ready to try. First time I tried over 60 to 70 times in an hour without success.

The second time I was prepared 15 minutes prior to the start and bounced right on the opening. Again after trying for an hour 70 to 80 times, without even being granted access to the site, I finally gave up and asked myself am I that desperate for a $100 voucher?

I have to put myself through this ill designed game of chance. Mr Premier a fine, and generous idea, plagued with a stupid outlay of execution.

There must be a better way to make it fair for all. Congratulations to all those smart enough to be successful.

I sincerely hope they are used for its desired purpose, and commiserations to those like me who never ever had a chance.

I WORK for Mission Australia and have seen firsthand the effects of poverty on people in our community.

This Anti-Poverty Week (October 11-17), I want to see the federal government commit to permanent and adequate increases to income support and invest in social and affordable homes to help keep people out of poverty and homelessness.

Pre-COVID, more than 120,000 Tasmanians were living below the poverty line, including nearly one in six children.

Without a permanent income support increase, and with the JobSeeker coronavirus Supplement recently reduced, more people will be pushed into poverty. We know how distressing inadequate income support can be for people we serve at Mission Australia.

Without enough to cover the basics, they can be forced to make decisions including going without adequate food, missing out on life saving medicine, or being unable to afford transport to a job interview.

Many are pushed into precarious and unsafe living conditions because it is all they can afford. Coupled with the stressors of the pandemic, this can have a huge impact on their mental health and wellbeing. We must never go back to the original JobSeeker payment rates of just $40 a day which falls woefully short of the income needed to cover food, healthcare, power, bills and rent.

I hope to see many Australians call on our political leaders to permanently increase income support and invest in new social and affordable housing so everyone is included in the recovery ahead.

OCTOBER 13 is the deadline for representations to be made to Meander Valley Council around their draft amendment 1/2020 to the 2013 Interim Planning Scheme.

The centrepiece of the rezone amendment is a block of land that they anticipate would create an extra 170 lots of land.

While some in town loudly proclaim that the rezone has nothing to do with the proposed prison, it's fascinating to note that RTI information has shown correspondence between the Justice Department and MVC, to organise site visits at the old preferred site for due diligence work to be conducted in May 2019.

Miraculously in June 2019, the council approved the use of up to $13,000 of ratepayers money, to "prepare" the rezone amendment so that a small handful of land owners would profit. Council's amendment report also fails to mention how many more lots of land would be created when the new local provision schedule for MVC is released, and the minimum lot size allowable is changed from 700 square metres to 450 square metres.

Preference is given to letters submitted via examiner.com.au and of 150 words or less. Letters can be edited for space, clarity or legal reasons. Submissions should include the name and address of the author and a phone number. Only the suburb of the author will be published.