When, in 2011, the government announced it would rezone the ABC flats site along Cooyong Street, permitting high-rise apartments at the edge of Reid and Braddon, 137concerned Canberrans made submissions. All but four opposed the proposal.

Many of us went to the planning and environment sub-committee of the Legislative Assembly that was set up to investigate the proposal. The committee was split and the proposal was given the green light on the casting vote of the chairman, Mick Gentleman.

A design has now been completed for the first section of this precinct. No prior public meetings were arranged.

The public was invited to make submissions over the summer holidays. Some minor, if useful, amendments have been made as a result. Those who had made submissions in January were invited to meet the design team in recent days, and two public information sessions were held on April12.

To our astonishment, we learnt that the team involved had no idea of the controversy that had preceded the rezoning and sale of the site. Yet the same planning authority (ACTPLA), planning consultant (Purdon and Associates), and even the member who has become minister responsible for planning (Mr Gentleman), were and are still involved. I would appreciate some answers from these three.

Meanwhile, Canberrans who take an interest in their city and homes should keep careful documentation of the steps they take. And do not give up, or more decisions will be made about your city with scant regard to your concerns.

Elizabeth Teather, Reid

The attack on Jack Palmer's earlier letter by Graham Downie (Letters, April13) confuses, one hopes inadvertently, "disinterested" and "uninterested". By declaring that he was disinterested in relation to light rail, Jack Palmer was not admitting to a state of indifference, but rather making clear that there was no personal advantage to him in his position and that he was assessing the issue on its merits. An important distinction. I refer readers to any good dictionary.

John Blount, Fadden

Mankind has fought off fiefdoms, emperorships and tsardoms. But we seem to tacitly accept property developers. Too harsh an analogy? But really, why do we need them? Is a redevelopment on public land like, say, the Yarralumla brickworks ("Deal cemented for coveted brickworks, April12, p1) beyond us and our government to analyse, formulate, design and deliver ourselves?

Don't we want the development to reflect us and our aspirations, expressing individuality and variety, as well as innovation, amenity, community, heritage, environmental matters and privacy, all under our control? Of course we do. It's entirely possible, and is happening now in Melbourne and elsewhere.

At the brickworks, once the agreed broad land plan is worked out, and installed (by government), then bona fide owner-occupier individuals or groups (as body corporates formed before the event) can purchase blocks for single or multiple dwellings, and then commission individual designs, and call tenders for construction. Same for the commercial premises.

Power to the people!

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Yesterday, I had the unsettling experience of traversing most of Northbourne Avenue. For the first time since I came to Canberra in 1946, the avenue was totally bereft of trees on the median strip between the two carriageways. Buildings with their appearance no longer softened by trees, stood out in their stark reality.

The scene immediately became a potential canyon of buildings with 20-30 storeys and the avenue at its lowest level. Unless strictly limited, this could happen.

Already, in the short history of the avenue, many sites along it have sustained a succession of three buildings each larger and higher than its predecessor. Limits appropriate for this city can be enforced.

Rather than leave such a vital factor to the whims of a developer, a firmly enforced decision for the long term should be made now before it is too late.

R.R.Harding, O'Connor

As more public service agencies are relocated to regional areas, Dallas Stow (Letters, April12) looks forward to the people of Australia no longer blaming Canberrans for the government's unpopular policies but spreading the blame around.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is likely to happen. While Canberra-based public servants are regarded by other Australians as "a lazy, no-good, whingeing bunch of taxpayer-fund-wasting fat cats", I expect that the public servants based in regional areas will be regarded as good, solid, upstanding citizens doing an honest day's work and contributing greatly to the local economy, the development of regional Australia, the smooth running of government and the efficient delivery of services to their fellow Australians.

Canberrans will continue to be blamed for the unpopular policies.

D.Edwards, Weston

Can someone explain to me how Icon Water has the effrontery to charge me for "supply charges" from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017 in my April bill?

I am now in the fortunate position of not having to worry about the extra $100 that I am being charged in advance. Time was when it would have been a burden.

It is high time that some qualified authority made an investigation into the administration of the various utilities companies – the fraud squad, perhaps.

Barbara Fisher, Cook

It is to be hoped that the "anti-idling laws proposed to cut harmful vehicle emissions" ("Health experts call for 'anti-idling zones' at schools", April11, p2) will also apply at bus interchanges where diesel motors are left running until departure time.

Gary J.Wilson, Macgregor

The Climate Council has issued a report that says commissioning new coal mines is at odds with protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

Sir Peter Campbell (Letters, April 12) is quite right: we can have the world's biggest coal mine or the world's biggest coral reef, but not both.

The Climate Council has just issued a report which found it was virtually impossible for the recent coral-bleaching ocean temperatures to have occurred without climate change. It states categorically that the commissioning of new coal mines, such as Adani's mega-coal mine in the Galilee Basin, is completely at odds with protecting the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs globally.

Thus, it was sickening to see our Prime Minister meeting with Gautam Adani in India and promising to remove impediments to the proposed mine, such as Native Title. It was bad enough having the Queensland Labor government last week grant the proposed mine unlimited access to groundwater, which may drain huge amounts of water from the Great Artesian Basin.

Neither major party is doing well on this issue. Federal Labor must stand up to their Queensland colleagues and block any changes to the Native Title Act that would allow the mine to proceed.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago

Today, listening to a TED talk while doing my treadmill routine at the gym, I heard a talk called "Governments should fight corporations, not collaborate with them" by Jonathan Marks.

It made me realise why I am so delighted with Bill Shorten at the moment. At least he sometimes appreciates that it is the government's role to protect the environment and our public health.

His stand opposing Adani is laudable. Others seem to have forgotten the notion of the "common good".

Jill Sutton, Watson

A report by the British monitoring group Airwars has found that the death toll from US air strikes in Iraq and Syria nearly quadrupled in the month of March as compared to the last full month before Donald Trump entered the White House, from 465 in December 2016 to 1754 in March 2017, a rise of 277 per cent.

The report was issued in the midst of the media hysteria over fabricated charges of nerve gas attacks by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, the pretext for last week's missile strikes ordered by President Trump. It demonstrates that American bombing has killed far more innocent civilians in Iraq, including children, than reportedly died in last week's alleged chemical attack in Syria.

American media coverage? Not a word of it. Hypocrisy, everywhere.

Rex Williams, Ainslie

Tensions have ramped up between the US and North Korea, and the Trump administration is talking about regime change in Syria. Relations between Russia and the US and China and the US continue to be rocky.

In this time of increasing tensions, it is time for Australia to start thinking more deeply about what our role should be in these conflicts. Trump has tweeted that the US is ready to deal with North Korea alone.

The Prime Minister has said he backs the US in its tough talking with North Korea. "Diplomacy" through tweets, is this what Malcolm Turnbull supports?

But the problem is that these situations could easily get out of control, particularly with an American administration that is the least capable for decades, of negotiation, compromise or understanding the complexities of international relations.

If the US attacks North Korea, how will this end? Would China feel threatened? What would winning look like? Have these and other critical questions even been considered? Australia is desperately needed as a voice for caution against the ramping up of tensions by this appalling US administration. As former prime minister Malcolm Fraser said, the US is now a dangerous ally and we should disentangle ourselves from its military forces.

We need an independent foreign policy that is a voice for peace, not egging the US on its disastrous foreign policy ventures.

Kathryn Kelly and David Purnell, ACT representatives The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network

Bravo Amanda Vanstone for calling out former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt for her whining, finger wagging reproaches to Australia about a perceived lack of foreign aid.

Helle – now gainfully employed by Save the Children – spouted off on Q&A and Radio National, informing us we weren't doing enough, not taking our place in the world. Had she not seen the devastation of the Queensland and NSW floods?

Really, why didn't Q&A put Helle up against the Nationals' George Christensen (somewhat Scandi by heritage, to judge by his name) and make it a real debate on our foreign aid? Actually, come to think of it, Save the Children should have sent Kurt Wallender to ask us for donations, instead of Helle. But oh, wait ... isn't he a Brit?

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

Let me see if I have this right, Malcolm. The US foments, funds and equips a rebellion in Syria with the aim of installing a puppet government and when their attack dogs morph into IS and are on the verge of defeat there is a "convenient" chemical weapons incident and now it is Russia's responsibility to end the "war"?

Australian troops are defending Australia's freedom in the Middle East? Or the freedom of the US and other Western nations to pillage the region's oil?

Next you'll want us to believe that the economy is going gangbusters, housing is readily available and cheap, and your leadership is secure.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

"Graduates from Canberra find jobs quicker" according to the misleading headline to Emily Baker's article (April 13, p10).

Not so! Further reading reveals that it is graduates from Canberra University who find jobs more quickly than the national average. ANU graduates evidently have to wait longer.

Paul Edwards, Chapman

MUCH STILL TO LEARN

H.Ronald (Letters, April 13), describes uni students as "... infantile, cosseted prats". He is more accurate when, in his last sentence, he engages in some self-analysis with just two words: "Silly me."

Eric Hunter, Cook

TURNBULL'S A TRAITOR

Absolutely disgusted that our PM is supporting the catastrophic Adani project. Malcolm Turnbull is a traitor to all who believed he actually cared about the future of our planet.

Rick Godfrey, Lyneham

Dr Neville Exon tells us that "burning coal is a major contributor to global warming". Then, using flawless Clarke and Dawe logic, says "the Adani mine ... will not add to global warming". So is India, like the tanker whose front fell off, "outside the environment, beyond the environment"?

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

SADDLED WITH DEBT

Perhaps if the government cut HECS fees, at least some young people could afford the deposit for a house. Can't get a loan if you have a debt.

Susan Swift, Kambah

PERFECTLY RIDICULOUS

The state of the housing market in Australia has been perfectly captured when a record $5.5 million house in Forrest with a 10-car basement garage is described by the real estate agent as "perfectly matched to a young family".

Alan Robertson, Canberra

BLACK SWAN EVENT

Do the birds know something about the seasons we don't? Seen swimming on Lake Tuggeranong on Wednesday – a pair of black swans with two very young cygnets. Hopefully the cygnets will grow fast enough to outlive the winter frosts.

Don Sephton, Greenway

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