This should be a wake-up call not only for the ACT government's Health Directorate, but also its Transport Canberra and City Services agency responsible for, inter alia, "mowing open spaces".

Little wonder that Canberra's pollen count keeps rising when grass in many "open spaces" regularly grows to 70 centimetres or higher before it is mowed. Furthermore, many "open space" areas remain unmowed, particularly along arterial roads, suburban streets and paddocks in places where tractors or ride-on mowers cannot function safely.

That creates not only health hazards but also increases the risk of uncontrollable grass fires. What a wonderful opportunity for employing the unemployed, armed with whipper-snippers, scythes etc, to remove the ever-growing hazard.

I've lived in Canberra since 1964 and during the period prior to self-government, all the open spaces were mowed regularly and far more often than now.

Yes, since 1964 the areas in question did expand in line with the almost six-fold increase in population. However, that's what governments are supposed to plan for and act on, not simply outsource irksome functions to private contractors. When deaths from pollen allergies or grassfire begin to occur, the blame game and ducking for cover will no doubt start. Class action lawsuits will also no doubt follow.

Romuald Baczynski, Isaacs

The tablet scenario described by Peter Martin has relevance in "real life" Australia ("Do your guests a favour: get something cheap", Sunday CT, December 3, p14).

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission identified an "ambiguity" in claims made for proprietary medication which claimed to target one form of pain more effectively, with marketers demanding a premium for this purported "benefit".

However, each tablet contained the same quantity of specific ingredient, which provided similar systemic effect.

Even with this evidence to hand, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia's watchdog over medication and prosthetics, bizarrely approved the corporation's term: "targeted relief from pain".

The advantage from the wording was therapeutic for profits.

This year the federal government finally got wise, taking 17 medications off the Pharmaceutical Benefits list, because their script supply cost far outweighed their over-the-counter priced comparable generics.

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

The possibility that the Turnbull government may give up to a billion dollars to the Adani Carmichael coal mine beggars belief.

Who knows why the Turnbull government would consider such an insane idea, except to appease Cory Bernardi and George Christenson. They obviously don't care about the Great Barrier Reef and global climate change.

I have an alternative suggestion for the billion dollars – invest it in science for the future. Townsville could have $10 million to build up its CSIRO research into mosquito control, Armidale could have $100million to build up its CSIRO research into agriculture and plant biology, creating jobs and avoiding the transfer of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority there.

Melbourne and Canberra CSIRO could have $100 million each to rebuild climate and air quality research, $100 million could go into CSIRO Zika and other viruses research, $100 million could go to endangered species recovery programs, etc, etc.

There'd be some left for employing more nurses.

The opportunity cost of handing over this money to an outdated destructive technology is unacceptable. The money should go to socially productive jobs, not jobs that will contribute to destroying the Great Barrier Reef, our climate and Queensland tourism jobs.

Kathryn Kelly, national convener, Friends of CSIRO

It was fantastic to see the report (Canberra Times, December 4, p56) regarding the marathon effort to be put in by Geoff Llewellyn, in the Sri Chinmoy National Capital Swim that day. As the article pointed out, it was remarkable because Geoff had just celebrated his 83rd birthday, and the swim is nine kilometres long.

I was disappointed that since then, the Canberra Times has not reported one word about the event. For the record, Geoff finished a very creditable 51st out of a total of 64 teams and individual swimmers, in a time of 3hrs, 33mins.

On the same note, could l report that Australia, including ACT players, is being represented at the World Floorball Championship being held in Latvia.

Geoff Barker, Flynn

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

The article by Eryk Bashaw in the Sunday Times Focus, tried vainly to put a gloss on Angela Merkel's reckless decision to welcome all comers to Germany without any consultation with other member's of the EU.

The resulting flood of humanity was predictable and alarming.

Overwhelmed by those seeking asylum, Sweden has already capitulated and authorities now advise their people that they must change to suit the new reality. For leaders to abandon their culture so cheaply adds insult to injury and I fear, as with Brexit and the Trump victory, a backlash against these foolish elites is inevitable.

Despite the Greens and some in the Labor party, thankfully most Australian politicians have grasped the importance of managing immigration to digestible bites and as a result we are well placed to avoid repeating this European lunacy.

But of course we are stupid in other ways. None more concerning than the looming and completely avoidable crisis in the supply of energy that has been created, once again, by reckless politicians.

Sadly, watching our current crop of utterly mediocre politicians fumbling a simple back packer's tax, I have no confidence that they can come to grips with a relatively simple energy problem, where we have abundant resources at our disposal, let alone the wicked problems we face with mounting debt and deficits.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra

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