Last August, evidently a simple mistake was made reading our water meter.

I reckon (with hindsight) that 317kL was read wrongly as 377kL. In November, it was read correctly at 338kL (I did check the meter myself just after).

Icon Water issued a small bill for $55, allowing us a credit on our prior quarter's consumption that had been significantly overcharged.

Then I looked more closely at Icon's invoice, recalling those other letters. In our August bill, we were charged well into Tier 2 rates; at double Tier 1's cost. However, Icon's formally invoiced correction in November only credited our August payment as if it all had been Tier 1 use.

A very helpful call-centre member understood why I was angry with Icon. He promptly had the billing team revise our miscalculated overpayment credit so as to include both Tier 1 plus the double-rate Tier 2 overcharging. Net result: its November invoice was corrected from a debit of $55 to a $35 credit; Icon Water blithely had billed us $90 too much, until I had objected.

I have yet to receive any explanation why Icon Water does not recalculate misread meter billing using the proportions of all of the tiers that were initially charged for its incorrect meter reading.

John Monk, Lyneham

Jack Kershaw's vision for the West Basin (Letters, November 23) is very alarming.

He proposes a bridge connecting Acton Peninsula with Parkes. A similar proposal, the Immigration Bridge, has been rejected.

Mr Kershaw's reasons seem to be as a result of an obsession with Walter Burley Griffin's original drawings.

The actual history of the lake is different. Since its very beginning it has been used forsailing and other water activities.

A major obstruction to sail boats was built in the form of the Commonwealth Bridge, but at least West Basin can be escaped into if something goes wrong in strong westerly winds.

Given the lake is now a sailing venue, given its competition course and its wind patterns, it is not surprising that assessments have been made that such a bridge would become a major hazard and possible death trap for lake users.

John Holland, Dickson

The Turnbull government denied Australian citizenship to refugees in its Manus Island prison. As night follows day, the High Court denied seats to MPs and senators with dual citizenship. The Turnbull government is reaping what it had sowed. Buddhists call this karma. If Turnbull granted citizenship to Manus refugees decent Australians would rejoice. Racists and bigots would howl.

Graham Macafee, Latham

Yes, H. Simon (Letters, November 22), West Basin is derelict.

But this is because the ACT government has deliberately let it go to rack and ruin so it can justify its plans for the area.

The government actually closed down two good businesses, the boat hire and the bicycle hire, much to the distress of the owners, which added to the woes of the area.

I particularly want to emphasise, though, that the Guardians of the Lake "do not have blanket opposition to development", as stated in Simon's letter.

We are not against development. In fact, in this instance we would like to see the area revitalised with cafes, public cultural buildings, volley ball courts, children's play areas etc. But not private housing.

This is not an area suitable for private dwellings and it should be left as a people's park.

Once West Basin is filled in our community will realise what they have lost.

Penny Moyes, Hughes

I'm not sure how Jack Kershaw (Letters, November 23) managed to interpret my previous letter as an attack on the formalisation of the West Basin shoreline.

I argued the exact opposite.

I also agree with Mr Kershaw on the merits of an additional lake crossing near Acton Peninsula extending to Lennox Gardens. Walking a complete circuit around Lake Burley Griffin's central basin is currently one of Canberra's great pleasures.

Completing the West Basin circuit would improve the walkability of this underutilised section of the lake.

However, I think this opportunity was largely lost when public backlash saw the proposed "Immigration Bridge" removed from the National Capital Plan in 2013.

Simply moving the bridge by reclaiming additional lake bed does little to resolve many of the safety and accessibility issues raised by watercraft users.

For now, plans for an additional bridge appear dead in the water.

Ryan Hemsley, Wright

If, as Anne-Marie Wilkes (Letters, November 20) suggests, the development on an RZ-zoned block in West Belconnen is anything to go by, it seems houses today are still not being built to passive design principles.

In the 1980s the then federal Department of Housing had many architects using passive design plans.

Why aren't they all speaking out against the developers putting up designs that consume so much unnecessary power.

With good passive design structures everything built today would also stop the need for future building of massive power stations.

The design and layout of new suburbs has added to our present problem, but a new school in an open paddock should have no such design barriers.

Margaret Ryan, Turner

Once again B. Paine ( Letters, November 24) has been allowed to spout his misinformation on the Federal Golf Club's modernisation and development program.

He discusses the "privileged people who will get to live on the slopes of Red Hill via a special arrangement with the ACT government".

He is one of those privileged people who live in a suburb where the median property value is $1.4 million, but he obviously doesn't want others to also enjoy that chance.

If for any reason the club fails at any time in the future, the ACT government will develop the land as the new suburb of Federal.

He would then have at least another 600 neighbours to enjoy his privilege.

The golf club replacement and course improvements will in all probability increase his property value.

It will also provide local residents with many facilities to enjoy that are not available in the area at present for the cost of social or clubhouse membership.

I am sure that the ACT government will receive the appropriate amount of betterment tax prior to allowing the development to proceed.

Dave Jeffrey, Farrer

Clive Williams' detailed explanation of how the crisis in Korea has developed, and suggestions of how the current situation might be helped with careful diplomacy ("North Korea and the US's long history of broken promises and failures to try and forge a peace", November 24, p38) will, I hope, be carefully read and considered by our Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Korea became the first victim of Cold War enmity.

The intention, agreed by the allies, had been a free, unified Korea post war. But the Cold War was already in evidence before the surrender of Japan. Just days before the surrender, the Soviets occupied the north of Korea, and the nation became divided into north and south along the 38th parallel.

It says something of the power of Cold War enmity that you can take a nation with the same language and customs, divide it along an arbitrary imaginary line, and set one half in mortal combat against the other.

The way it was done was to install a dictator in both halves, Syngman Rhee in the south, Kim il-Sung in the north, and supply them with weapons.

Both dictators had a dream of a unified Korea, but with themselves in power. Soon the north, with the connivance and support of Stalin's Soviet Union, invaded the south.

Today it seems almost impossible that Korea will ever again become a unified nation. Even peace and mutually beneficial trade between north and south seems unattainable.

Harry Davis, Campbell

When will people realise that those men who are on Manus Island are not refugees but people who are trying to get into Australia illegally.

There have been a few letters recently in The Canberra Times from people feeling sorry for them living in squalid conditions.

What they do not recognise is the fact that these criminals made their accommodation a disgrace. After being given plenty of warning and assistance to move to new accommodation before they are shipped back to their rightful destination, they decided to disobey the law, wreck what we gave them and make an international issue of it.

If they can't obey the law of a country that has assisted in housing and feeding them, how could any civilised country expect them to obey the laws of that country if they were accepted?

New Zealand should take note concerning their proposed assistance to 150 of them.

In short, they are acting as criminals and deserve no sympathy at all.

If they don't have food and water in their present illegally occupied situation, it is their own doing.

Those with concerns for the welfare of those illegals should get their heads out of the sand and try doing better for real refugees who are doing the right thing.

Trevor Willis, Hughes

The likely loss of a 32-year-old submarine of the Argentinian navy reminded us of the potential danger of being in a defence force but also the need to upgrade or replace naval fleets frequently for safety and technical reasons.

The recent photos of this submarine with barnacles on its hull was concerning as it shows that servicing may be less frequent.

This disaster also shows the advantage of a nuclear powered boat over a conventional diesel electric powered submarine.

A nuclear powered submarine needs no refuelling during its life and is less likely to have propulsion problems.

Thankfully, the Royal Australian Navy maintains its fleet well and upgrades its vessels in a planned manner, but the government is still resisting buying a nuclear powered submarine squadron thus increasing risk for submariners.

Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic

On Wednesday, November 22, I was involved in a medical emergency at the Kingston Railway Station. The staff, Mike and Natalie, are to be congratulated for their efficiency and courtesy.

Mike handled the booking situation, while Natalie communicated with the ambulance.

I had felt unwell and an increase in lack of mobility, so asked for their assistance.

The ambulance officers attended to every test and comfort.

The Canberra Hospital doctors and nurses provided excellent service. By 4pm my condition had improved so I was able to return to Kingston for the 5.25pm train to Sydney.

The sign at railway stations suggests, if you feel unwell, do not board the train, but ask for help. I asked and am most grateful for the help received from all concerned.

Ramon Williams, Padstow, NSW

Anne Prendergast (Letters, November 23) obviously felt justified in refusing service to the Teachers Union and an atheist magazine. Would her conscience have allowed her to refuse service to those most militant of unions – the AMA, the Pharmacy Guild, the Business Council, the Minerals Council, the ACCI and any number of other organisations that use their spending power to extract favour from the Liberal Party?

Hypocrisy is a terrible thing.

Roger Terry, Kingston

Your editorial of Monday, November 20, used the polite term "tax avoidance" to describe the profit shifting by companies.

Tax avoidance is legal.

What these companies are doing is pure tax evasion.

They are lying about the actual value added in the countries in which they operate.

They install a guy in a low tax jurisdiction, call him a manager, and then charge their subsidiaries in higher tax countries vast amounts for the non-existent managerial services he provides.

John Walker, Queanbeyan, NSW

Friends in Newcastle have told me about community resentment to the V8 supercars race being foisted on them to the detriment of their home peace and safety.

Having recently driven along Parkes Way to get to early morning flights, I can recommend Canberra as a site for motor racing.

Most of the drivers going along there before 7am already believe they're in a race. I'm regularly overtaken while going at the speed limit.

It's wonderful some people love their jobs so much they break the speed limit getting to them in the morning.

Paul Wayper, Cook

CRUELTY WILL BE SEEN

Turnbull and Dutton should be considered for prosecution before the International Court of Justice. Calling in the police to move 350 refugees who lack food and water, medical treatment or access to mental assessment will be noted internationally. Australia doesn't deserve to be on the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Byron Kaufman, Dickson

LOOK TO THE FUTURE

It will be interesting to see in the coming years how the statistics of divorce, domestic violence, child abuse and child development compare in heterosexual versus same-sex marriages.

Eva Reid, Farrer

THANKS TO DAD

I'd like to thank my dad, who in 1940 chose not to travel halfway across the globe to seek asylum and abandon his family who were being killed and maimed by nightly bombing raids.

I'd like to thank him for his moral and physical courage in overcoming the sheer terror that is total war and volunteering to do his bit to protect those he holds dear.

Lee Welling, Nicholls

VOTE DONKEY

Australian donkeys are now being considered for live export to be cruelly slaughtered in China for the traditional medicine trade.

Let us call on politicians who are motivated by compassion rather than just dollars, to make sure these gentle creatures are never exported for slaughter.

John Davenport, Farrer

HEAL THYSELF

Why cannot Dr Alan Shroot (Letters, November 23) understand that most people with private medical cover costing well over $60 per week are still not covered for joint replacement?

Steven Hurren, Macquarie

HAIL THE SACRIFICE

I was most impressed by the letters from those impartial, selfless guardians of the public purse, Dr van Rensburg and Dr Shroot (Letters, November 23) defending us from nurse-led profligacy. Or could it be that the purses they are defending are their own?

John Mason, Latham

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

I write in response to Don Sephton's letter (Letters, November 24) regarding early tram delivery. I am sure Andrew Barr just wants to check the track gauge and wheel gauge are the same. Don't panic, Andrew; I can lend you a tape measure. Imperial or metric?

Brian Hale, Wanniassa

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

We have a classic liberal party that calls itself the Australian Greens, we have a conservative party that calls itself the Australian Labor Party, we have a far-right party that calls itself the Liberal Party, and we have a party that promotes sectional interests that calls itself the National Party.

Peter Hill, Kingston

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