The government plans for 45,000 extra people to live on Northbourne Avenue alone. A recent Legislative Assembly inquiry specifically recommended existing public open space be retained and enhanced as green space for a variety of recreational and active pursuits for the higher-density residential areas like this.

The largest park on the west side of the city deserves better treatment. It is a wasteland being used as a public works site and for commercial gain. It already has an odorous gross pollutant trap, a concrete drain, a fenced and locked oval, paid parking and sewerage holding tanks - it doesn't need a bus layover as well.

It could be a terrific park both now and for future generations but it needs more than rhetoric from the government. Public transport is important and needs to be supported. However, it is a shame to sacrifice parkland because a bus layover was not planned for in the City West building program.

Neil Parsons, president, Turner Residents Association

Tramline costs trees

It is noteworthy the pretty pictures of the proposed Gungahlin tram sometimes show the power line which supplies electricity to the tram, but never show the poles, catenary wires and other associated paraphernalia which will, no doubt, require the removal of more trees than has been revealed. It would appear the concept of a tree-lined boulevard will probably be destroyed.

But, hold on, the tram does not have to run down the middle of Northbourne Avenue! Although not shown on the original Griffin plans, some thoughtful individual did subsequently create the railway reservation on the western side of Mort Street and which is used for car parking.

At the Civic end, the reservation leads directly into the East Row bus interchange and, further north, on the other side of Haig Park, there is plenty of space for tram lines in Henty, Lowanna, Dooring Moncrieff and Challis streets before emerging on to the wide reservation on the eastern side of Northbourne Avenue.

This route will enable Northbourne Avenue to remain a tree-lined boulevard and the couple of ''stations'' along the route will open out through the ground floor of the proposed multi-storey development and be displayed in the avenue. Tram passengers will not have to brave the three lanes of bikes, buses and cars to reach the tram stops.

Denis Wylks, Holder

Charities get bills, too

Jevon Kinder's comments (Letters, April 23) regarding the ''widely accepted'' percentage of charity dollars which finds its way to the target cause/recipient (5-10 per cent, apparently) is not even close to reality in most cases. The problem with such misinformation is that it might bolster similar misconceptions in the community and lead others to refuse to part with a few discretional dollars as a result. All charities are required to make financial data publicly available and in most cases it's a relatively simple task to check where their expenditure goes.

If that's not good enough then there are plenty of other online resources which rate and discuss the better-known charities. While acknowledging that burgeoning charity bureaucracies are not to be encouraged we also need to understand there are reasonable overheads associated with raising funds and ensuring donations are properly allocated and well spent.

The 20-30 per cent range which many charities operate in is not an unreasonable ''overhead'' figure, in my judgment. I can recommend World Vision, Fred Hollows Foundation and Medecins Sans Frontieres, among others, but there are many more worthy causes which can be relied on not to waste your valuable donations. The simple answer to Jevon Kinder's issue is not to withhold donations but to research your charity and give to those who better manage their resources while achieving good outcomes.

Jon Stirzaker, Latham

Alarm over secrecy

Markus Mannheim's essay, ''Even impartial servants deserve their freedom of tweets'' (Forum, April 19, p7), missed some industrial relations and natural justice issues.

Admittedly, public servants who express strong political views in ways which might ''undermine perceptions of their professionalism'', might also produce intractable antagonism in the workplace.

Michaela Banerji's case is a prime example. As Mannheim reported, Banerji, a lawyer who had defended herself, also moonlighted ''as a psychoanalyst''. She had the professional training to be confrontational and disruptive.

This could have led to other breaches of the Code of Conduct. Nevertheless, secret sentencing is not acceptable, particularly when a penalty such as the termination of a ''permanent'' appointment is the issue. Disclosure of the details of the breaches which justify the penalty is imperative. These details have now gone before a court and are a matter of public record.

I still wonder what Banerji said which was so damnable. Why was she sacked? That is the real story, critical to the credibility of the court and also to all public servants as part of their conditions of service.

Gary J. Wilson, MacGregor

Vote for a referendum

I was surprised to read Robert Willson's diatribe (Letters, April 19) against republicans, uncharitably launched at Easter of all times. I thought it was un-Australian to kick a man while he is seemingly down, even worse to gloat over the anticipated victim.

If he wishes to finally bury the republican corpse, to prove Australia's determination to retain the monarchy, to maintain the status quo for another century, and to encourage young people to learn more about the 1901 constitution which he believes has served us so well, I challenge him to support the democratic review of that constitution now being sought by an increasing number of groups and citizens. That, followed by an equally democratic referendum, would enable us all to get on with the job of governing Australia better than we did in the last century.

Geoff Armstrong, Monash

In his pre-budget softening-up speech on Wednesday, Treasurer Joe Hockey took the trouble to denigrate France - that den of contemptible indiscipline, egalitarianism and extravagant social welfare that's not even one of the English-speaking countries to which we duly need to feel subservient - even as he spoke, in cheaply amazed tones, of its world-beating economic performance.

Not for France our budget deficits, even as he demonstrated palpable contempt for a nation that would reduce its retirement age and lavish exceptional free healthcare and generous pensions on its citizens.

Perhaps instead of indulging in anti-Gallic derision, Mr Hockey would like instead to examine the odd things that economically successful France is doing that we are not, and of which he now strangely intends to do even less. Simple, no?

Mr Hockey could have started by insisting that we reverse the same night's astounding decision to spend an extra $12 billion on the increasingly undeliverable, open price-tag F-35 JSFs, of which even the US government is now highly critical and despairing. Or are they the priority in a budget that he otherwise clearly intends to slash to the bone?

But perhaps this is not likely, following the 2007 gift the Howard government made to another US favourite, Boeing, and its then Australian head, Andrew Peacock, in spending $9 billion on the derisory Super Hornets that have been shunned by every other air force in the world.

Alex Mattea, Kingston

Joe Hockey, in his pre-budget speech, spoke about spending money now, or spending even more later. And also that there should be more emphasis on the ''we'' and less on the ''me''. What a pity he was not referring to climate change and the environment.

J. Saye, Kambah

The latest available Medicare statistics indicate that 76.5 per cent of the 262 million out-of-hospital GP visits are bulk-billed annually ('''Nothing is free': Joe Hockey warns of budget pain, with pensions in the firing line'', canberratimes.com.au, April 23).

Treasurer Joe Hockey exhorts Australians to contribute to the ''heavy lifting'' required to restore the nation's financial health, in part by supporting the mooted $6 co-payment for bulk-billed GP consultations, which will raise about $1.2 billion annually.

While arguing that this noble sacrifice on the part of Australians will help curb our insatiable appetite for good health, Uncle Joe neglected to mention that about 43,500 GPs will each pocket an average of $28,000 as a result of his fiscal sleight of hand.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

When Joe Hockey says ''every sector of the community will be affected by the budget cuts'', does this mean parliamentarians as well, or are their perks and allowances automatically exempt?

Sylvia Tracey, Hughes

Spread burden evenly

Senior public servants on salaries ranging from approximately $650,000 to $850,000 a year, ''plus perks'', are to receive a 5 per cent pay increase (''Public service bosses to pocket 5 per cent pay rise'', April 24, p1) while pensioners, both elderly and disabled - the most vulnerable of our citizens - are to be targeted for savings in the forthcoming budget (''Elderly to feel budget pain'', April 24, p1).

With the annual inflation rate at 2.9 per cent (''Interest rates on hold as inflation cools'', April 24, p11), an increase of 5 per cent to the salaries of highly paid executives cannot be justified. No doubt the public servants work hard to earn their money but let's keep things in perspective.

Our Treasurer claims everyone must do their bit to balance the budget - that should include the highly paid as well as the underprivileged.

A. Howarth, Isaacs

Disaster waiting to happen

I am rather concerned about any innocent people working at Liberal Party headquarters.

I'm no doctor, but it seems to me that Christopher Pyne's head is about to explode. When it does, the velocity of the fragments will be lethal to anyone close by.

Much worse will be the long-term effects of exposure to toxic fallout from that most insidious element Ri (Righteousindignatium for the lay person), which produces thought defects.

Meanwhile, pressure inside the amazing self-inflating Senator George Brandis is also approaching dangerous levels. He will go with more of a loud pop than a solid bang, but the fragments will consist of a large quantity of Po (the element Pompositium), which has the property of filling up all the space available to it while remaining strangely insubstantial.

Po isn't dangerously toxic, but it smells like rotten prawns and if you breathe it in, you speak in a funny condescending voice. Please watch out for flying Voltaire misquotes as well.

I just hope the emergency services' toxic-spill kits are up to the job.

Michael Williams, Curtin

Zero accuracy

Every year I am amazed, then depressed, by the temporary suspension of people's ability to count at Easter. Maybe it's something to do with an overdose of chocolate?

So for the benefit of Allan Gibson (Letters, April 23) and others, may I please point out that by modern reckoning, the passage of time from Friday to Sunday is TWO days, not three.

I know that biblical accounts refer to three days, but these accounts do not say ''three days later'' or ''after three days'', they say ''on the third day'', because that's how people with no concept of zero counted.

Can we, who have known zero for many, many centuries, please count accurately every day of the year, but especially at Easter?

Mark Raymond, Manton, NSW

I share Bryan Martin's enthusiasm for the iconic Murray cod (''By the power of cod'', Food & Wine, April 23, p5). Locally, as in the broader Murray-Darling Basin, these fish once abounded. In the Yass River, they were found as far up as the Gundaroo vicinity.

However, I would caution that the ''recovery'' of wild Murray cod is minor.

Closed seasons, bag limits and size limits are examples of more responsible fisheries management that have assisted this recovery. But the population structure of some wild Murray cod populations, and computer modelling of their viability, suggest the legal take of wild Murray cod by fishermen is too high, and threatens their long-term viability. Illegal fishing, river regulation, introduced carp, and droughts and rainfall/flow reductions interspersed with blackwater events are also threats.

Much of the ''recovery'' was based on Murray cod in the Edward-Wakool system, but these were lost when flood-starved floodplains were finally inundated between 2010 and 2012, creating anoxic blackwater.

There is also the question of age - a sizeable Murray cod can be anywhere from 20 to 50 years old, and I think it is somewhat questionable to kill and eat such old creatures - and the fact that Murray cod are the only predator of adult pest carp.

Indisputably, it is wiser to release wild Murray cod when they are caught. Why kill them when south-eastern Australia abounds (unfortunately) with damaging introduced trout and redfin, which are good eating?

Simon Kaminskas, Narrabundah

ROYAL FUN IN THE SUN

It's depressing that the Australian public, like the Brits, have bought the hysteria about the ''normal'' royal trio, how they ''work'' so hard doing their ''duty'' to Australia, ''comforting'' the less fortunate. The truth is that this fabulously wealthy, privileged, unemployed couple and their child are enjoying an incredibly expensive, super-luxury holiday at the expense of the Australian taxpayer.

Dr Merrick Jones, Kambah

TREES TO PLEASE

I also come from a family of generations of tree planters. Both my grandmother and my mother were also excellent at cutting ribbons. They also brought up lovely families. I can provide photos, if you would like.

John Walker, Queanbeyan, NSW

I DON'T GET IT

The economic situation is dire. The age of entitlement is over. We must all tighten our belts for the good of the country. The Public Service must be slashed. Co-payments must be introduced for medical services. Entitlement to age pensions must be tightened. But hang on. We can stump up $24 billion for the purchase and operation of fighter aircraft of dubious effectiveness and pay $75,000 to affluent women to have babies.

Brian Wenn, Oxley

TOO OLD TO FIGHT

Now I know why the Abbott government is extending the pension age to 70. To buy 58 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters with a price tag of more than $12 billion. It is all about priorities.

John Passant, Kambah

With apologies to the author of a caption on an old tea towel: ''It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the air force has to hold a cake stall to buy a bomber.'' Where is the bag of money which the Prime Minister says the government had put aside for the purchase of those fighter planes?

Suzanne Vidler, O'Malley

Is the Joint Strike Fighter ''peerless'', as claimed, or ''pointless''? Anyway, as the budget crisis is merely manufactured, it doesn't really matter if we squander another $12 billion on something we don't really need. Bring on the Medicare co-payment, cut the Medicare locals. Funny how this conservative mob prefer guns to butter!

Bruce Ryan, Kambah

MISSED IT BY A HAIR

Rosemary Walters (Letters, April 22) mentions ''a 1960s TV ad - Which twin has the Tony?'' I won't comment on the substance of Rosemary's letter, but this ad (it was Toni, not Tony, but I understand why Rosemary changed it) came out in 1946.

Barrie Virtue, Jerrabomberra, NSW

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