What I found was a virtually enclosed tunnel — with zero visibility upstream to the north; and the view downstream to the south felt like looking through 50 per cent shadecloth.

To the north the sewer pipe enclosure totally obscures any possibilities of serene vistas, and the southern outlook is hampered severely by the choice of steel grille.

Had I been the architect I would have enclosed the sewer main inside the hollow concrete section of the bridge where there is more than ample room and utilised any of a number of security grille options which safeguard the public yet still allow one to enjoy the vistas available.

Yes, the viewing platforms at each end do provide nice views — just not as nice as would be available from the bridge's highest point above the river.

Paul Haverfield, Duffy

Les Sullivan (Letters, October 10) "intuitively" believes that intermittent sources of power had nothing to do with the recent mass blackouts in SA. He would do well to cross-check his intuition with recent logical analysis of the event.

A preliminary report into the blackout from the Australian Energy Market Operator says it is clear that it was a "weather event" that triggered the collapse of three main transmission lines and ultimately the state-wide blackout.

The AEMO report also suggested some of the state's wind farms contributed to the cascading impacts that caused the state-wide outage.

The storms didn't destroy every transmission line in SA. They did destroy the ability to run wind turbines, which rely on the presence of synchronous baseload power.

Wind farms were not designed to run local grids.

George Papadopoulos, Yass

I was horrified to learn refugees detained on Manus Island have been told by the Australian government to either settle in Papua New Guinea (PNG) or go home.

These men are at high risk of persecution if they return to their home country. It simply isn't safe for them to go home.

Neither is it safe for the refugees to resettle in PNG, as can be seen from the brutal attacks of August, where two refugees were beaten and robbed by locals, followed by another attack on a refugee just last week.

Let's not forget Reza Berati, the 23-year-old refugee who was beaten to death in 2014.

These men came to us asking for help. We locked them in indefinite detention.

History is not going to look kindly on our current treatment of refugees.

K. Payne, Evatt

My full support to those calling for an inquiry into why Australia is receiving so little revenue from our massive gas exports ("Turnbull government called on to explain where Australia's offshore gas wealth is going", www.canberratimes.com.au, Oct 9).

Not only are many of these massive multinational companies avoiding paying their share of company tax, they are also avoiding paying the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT).

In light of South Australia's recent troubles with electricity it is also worth examining the impact of our LNG exports on this and on energy security in general.

How is it that South Australia has one of Australia's newest gas power stations, but that it has remained idle for most of the past year, having sold the gas to the export market instead of using it for electricity generation?

How can Australia soon become the world's largest exporter of gas but apparently not have enough gas for our domestic needs unless we frack farmland?

Why are Australian gas users paying more than users in many countries not blessed with such resources?

Why has our government allowed us to be so exposed to the disadvantages of the massive LNG export industry, but left us greatly insulated from most of the benefits?

David Osmond, Dickson

Rosemarie Willett's strong comments (Opinions, October 5,) regarding the Portal Buildings of Anzac Park East and West being sold are a timely reminder that there is work to be done to save the other portal buildings of Canberra.

Our iconic Sydney and Melbourne Buildings, designed by Sir John Sulman, are listed on the ACT Heritage Register which only protects the heritage value of the place, and suggests a need to prepare a conservation management plan.

Currently there does not appear to be any heritage guidelines for the many individual lease-holders, including specified heritage colours; hence the patchy and peeling painting in fifty shades of beige.

These inter-war Mediterranean-style buildings are in real danger of becoming an eyesore with shop fronts under the gracious colonnades presenting ugly mismatched frontages.

Regrettably the $500,000 pledged by the Greens will barely provide a decent coat of paint. Saving these buildings may take some brave decisions by our next government.

Maryann Mussared, Like Canberra Party, Yarralumla

Canberrans won't be fooled by Andrew Barr's last-minute attempt to portray himself as a caring, compassionate family man ("Principles and politics", September 11, p1, 8). It's his political actions alone by which he will be judged.

Eric Hunter, Cook

The new Australian National Dictionary still contains serious flaws.

The yowie is declared by the AND to be an ape-like monster, but readers are not told that this concept was invented in 1975 and the yowie is a misconstruing of a shadowy 19th century entity called the yahoo.

There is no attempt to chart the historical development of the word, which is the dictionary's stated aim.

The yahoo is unjustifiably written off as an evil spirit, whereas it is best thought of as an undiscovered but now long extinct marsupial.

In 1893 one was actually killed and buried at Braidwood. A search for its body has lately been undertaken by a team from ANU.

Here I must disclose an interest. Having become intrigued by the (virtually unknown) yahoo in 1970, I compiled a summary of the historical and linguistic evidence in 1973 then published the documents in 1977 to counter claims about the yowie.

My book was seized upon as support for the yowie. Apparently it was enough both were seen as ape-like and had similar names.

What ought to concern us is not the yowie but the much more interesting yahoo.

Graham Joyner, Waramanga

The Riverview Development in West Belconnen is planned to be a 6-star Green Community which applies only to the design of the community itself.

The location is inappropriate for two reasons. Firstly, walking and cycling facilities are planned, which is fine for recreation, but most residents will drive to work because the nearest major employer is in Belconnen Town Centre, at least 10 kilometres away.

Secondly, the development is next to the Murrumbidgee, an important wildlife corridor and major waterway in a dry landscape.

The Upper Murrumbidgee is now a shadow of its former self.

We need to find out how to restore the health of the river, and ensure that its corridor function endures before any further development near its banks is allowed.

When the development is half complete in 15 years our current water supply may be reaching its limits. What will be the environmental cost of providing more water, if available, for the rest of it?

Dave Kelly, Aranda

I'm sure I'm not the only person who will have difficulty voting in the upcoming election as most of the candidates and their policies, are unknown to me.

They seem to think my vote can be determined from the mugshots polluting the sides of the roads.

The climate sceptics have similarly polluted my mailbox with their pamphlets.

One group doesn't seem to know the difference between trams and light rail which is a worry. Is this 21st century democracy?

Apparently the election organisers seem to have realised that forcing people to differentiate between complete strangers is not democracy so I understand we don't have to fill in all boxes on the voting paper.

I would like to think that when the next election comes round the candidates will be better organised.

They must be present in the local shopping centres at specific times so we can meet them.

Meeting our political candidates and knowing their policies so that we have democracy backed up by knowledge is what we must have.

Audrey Guy, Ngunnawal

Timing is the chief reason political bean counters roll their eyes when it is put to them it makes better financial sense to head off, with programs in the community, the risk factors that propel people into the damaging criminal justice system.

Addressing the social determinants of health and wellbeing will take years; certainly beyond the horizon of politicians.

In the meantime, ACT real recurrent expenditure on justice services must continue at around the $250m a year (estimated by the Productivity Commission).

Justice reinvestment is fine in theory but crime has to be dealt with now, not after a generation grows up with better education, housing, health and the like.

It's a brave politician who, in our short electoral cycle, champions the case.

Unlike almost any other social intervention, the return on drug law reform is virtually immediate. Within six months of the introduction of heroin prescription in Switzerland there was a 98 per cent reduction among participants in serious property crime and a 92 per cent reduction in drug trafficking.

Yes, minister, or aspiring minister, you can be confident at least one courageous decision will bring a reward by the next election.

Bill Bush, Turner

While Australia's media remains enthralled by the childish antics of the "Budgie 9", not a word has been uttered about the kidnapping of Madeleine Habib, the Australian captain of the Gaza-bound ship, Zaytouna-Olivia, illegally seized in international waters by Israel's zionist government.

("Budgie Niner Jack Walker quits job in Christopher Pyne's office", Canberra Times, October 9th).

While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull found time to suggest the Malaysian authorities had been "very lenient" in their treatment of our nation's finest, it's a pity he was too busy to take issue with Israel's shameful criminal treatment of their fellow citizen.

John Richardson, Wallagoot.

Does anyone know if the Do Not Call Register is effective or not?

What does it cost to run this organisation per year?

How many staff are employed in this organisation?

Even though my number is registered with this government body, I still keep getting calls.

The caller is adamant they have a right to phone me because they are calling from outside the country.

Reporting the details of the calls is a waste of time as I am told there is nothing can be done about them.

Save some money, Malcolm, and disband this waste of tax payers' donations.

V. Lauf, Bungendore

CLOWNING AROUND

So we are advised that the police won't tolerate clowns exhibiting threatening behaviour on our streets.

Does this mean our local election has been called off?

James Grenfell, Spence

WELCOME VISITOR

Following my letter (Missing candidates CT p13, October 10) I had a personal visit from one of the Independent candidates, Margaret Webber, on Monday afternoon.

James Walcott, Mawson

'POLLIE CHARITY'

On October 15 I will vote for the party which undertakes, when in government, to outlaw the litter of electioneering signs and commits instead to start a "pollie charity" competition whereby parties vie for attention on a web site, in print media and social media on the basis of their support for local charities.

Keith Croker, Kambah

BLAME COAL

Malcolm T, Joshy F, Nick X! Thousands in Melbourne without power after a big storm! And not a peep about Victorian renewables and windfarms being the cause? Oh, sorry — Victoria is our largest burner of dirty brown coal for electricity.

Pardon me for thinking that brown coal is the cause of the blackout.

Mic Clayton, Cooma

TRAMS THE WAY

How ironic that at a time in our history when we are spending more than ever before on imported motor vehicles, parts and fuel, the genius economic managers of the Liberal party are wrecking the tram scheme.

Matt Ford, Crookwell

WRECKING ART

Senator Paterson, in demanding Australian art be de-funded, has little to distinguish himself from the ISIS (Daesh) vandals, who rampaged through Palmyra or the Taliban who wrecked the 500 CE Bamyian Buddhas.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

JIGSAW PUZZLE

I find that the board part of the zombie signs (Letters, 10th October 2016) is ideal for putting on the dining table to assemble 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. Use a second one to place the un-assembled pieces all right-side-up.

John May, Lyneham

AS THE ROMANS DO

If we adopted the Ancient Roman approach to sexuality, a lot of the heat would be removed from the same sex marriage debate. They were not concerned about homosexuality or heterosexuality; they simply classified people as active or passive during sex.

John Casey, Curtin

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