Transport consultant James McIntosh lectures us on how light rail brings intangible benefits over dedicated bus lanes, like increased land values, because bus routes can change (''Light rail about much more than transport'', October 16, p1). Therefore light rail is transformative, leading to certainty for developers and buyers and higher density living.
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What he is saying is that those long silver pieces of steel are a $1 billion psychological placebo compared to the financially and practically better option of buses which can route around accidents, and are not blocked by breakdowns. The inability to change routes, which logically is a major disadvantage, is being sold to us as a great virtue.
We are on the cusp of driverless vehicles; [are] 19th century placebos the kind of forward thinking we need from expensive transport consultants?
One also has to be sceptical whether we should compare the increase in land values when rail is installed in outlying suburbs in a major American metropolis with Northbourne Avenue which is, was, and always will be the most well-connected street to the city centre. Not much of the route is going to see increased residential density from rail. Northbourne is already being developed at a frantic pace. Mitchell is an industrial area.
Most of Flemington Road has either only just recently been built or is unavailable for development under the territory plan. If there was some plan on the books for genuine high-density living somewhere on the route with 20-storey buildings, then this argument would have substance, but there is not.
One would also question how close the city centre is to its limits as a work centre and destination. Since it has strict height limits and a shortage of land, surrounded by the ANU and heritage districts of Reid and Braddon, Civic is not like the Sydney CBD with limitless growth potential. Canberra's decentralised design is different to any other city on Earth, and there seems to be a lack of caution among the gurus in estimating the relevance of comparisons.
Chris Bitmead, Turner
Soldiers stand sentinel
Mark Thomas (''Let's salute great mates'', Panorama, October 18, p2) has clearly never visited the Australian War Memorial or Anzac Parade, otherwise he would not write such rubbish about our statuary as: ''Ordinary soldiers, tired and at work, should replace generals''. I cite the Hall of Memory and the statues surrounding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Simpson and his donkey, the Australian Army Memorial, the Korean War memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Light Horse Memorial, among others. All soldiers, sailors and airmen; not a general in sight.
Drive down to the coast and look at the memorial at Braidwood, a soldier, typical of hundreds in towns across Australia. You have forgotten your history.
John Robbins, Farrer
Dalgety's day is here
Ian Warden asks ''Is it too late (for Canberra) to begin again, this time at Dalgety'' (''Dalgety failed to make a splash'', Gang-gang, October 15, p12)?
Of course not. In fact, a great start is already being made. In accordance with Abbott government policy, Barnaby Joyce is searching for better places to send local bureaucrats. Apparently many small national capitals are envisaged.
And extending the logic of Barnaby wanting to send to Tasmania those Canberrans addressing the challenges of the Murray-Darling Basin, I'd say Dalgety has an excellent chance of attracting important aspects of national governance.
Perhaps Treasury and Finance could see it become our economic and financial capital.
Tennant Creek offers great attractions as Australia's Defence capital: a safe, inland location and desert climate simulating typical Islamist-fighting conditions. Environment moved to Coober Pedy would give them a good feel for where climate change is taking us.
Cuthbert Douglas, Bonython
Like it or change it
R. C. Warn (Letters, October 17) thinks those who dislike Australia should leave . There is much I dislike about Australia today: our treatment of refugees, our nonsensical response to climate change, the loss of industries, and the negativity of our politicians. If the only people left in Australia are the ones who like all this then there'll be nobody left to try to make things better.
In the words of Julian Barnes: ''The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonourably, foolishly, viciously.'' I don't have to like it to want to make it better - quite the opposite.
Kate Roediger, Melba
Buffeted island bullied
As Noel Towell's article ''Norfolk Island ministers fear return to colonial-style rule'', October 10, p4) makes clear, the federal Territories Minister Jamie Briggs is proposing to do away with the limited self-government currently enjoyed by the community on the island. This news has precipitated public demonstrations on the island, and represents the latest and perhaps most devastating episode of bullying of Norfolk Island by the Commonwealth government over past years.
The Norfolk Island government did indeed become bankrupt in 2010, largely but not entirely as a result of the global financial crisis; and it can readily be admitted that some changes in arrangements between Canberra and the island are, as a consequence, warranted. However, the minister's proposal takes no cognisance of the damaging effects it would have on the island community's integrity, spirit, and self-reliance in assuring its own well-being.
It undermines the very qualities required to ensure a successful, isolated island society and economy. The situation is reminiscent of the occasion some years ago when a reporter of the Vietnam War asked a US commander why he had razed a particular village in his area, only to be told: ''We had to destroy it to save it ''.
Chris Nobbs, Auckland, NZ
Recognise Palestine
It's just a matter of time now before Palestine takes its rightful place among other world nations officially (''Palestine recognised'' October 15, p10). However, we can expect America, Israel and a few Washington-dominated Pacific Islands to be the final holdouts.
Our own government, sadly dominated as it is by the US and Israel against Palestine and following a recent Julie Bishop initiative, supported Israel in a vote against Palestine in the United Nations against the wishes of the majority of the Australian people.
Julie Bishop, out of touch with reality, yet again.
Alan McNeil, Weetangera
A few feminine traits would be very welcome in cabinet
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has likened Bill Shorten to a female - high praise indeed. (''Insult defended'', October 20, p4). Women often excel at literacy and language. Imagine having a prime minister who used language to communicate instead of slogans to manipulate. A scientifically literate PM would be especially welcome.
Childbirth is no picnic, but women are extraordinarily courageous. Imagine if we had a PM who was brave enough to insist that the big companies pay the taxes they owe instead of bullying the weakest members of our community into fixing the budget.
Many women are emotionally intelligent and responsible, working hard to build strong families and supportive communities, instead of encouraging bigoted people to fling insults. Most women drive well, using their cars to really get places, instead of showing off.
I admit I don't see Julie Bishop and Bronwyn Bishop measuring up to these ideals, but if other politicians can be as admirable as the average woman is, they will be doing vastly better than the Abbott cabinet.
Rosemary Walters, Palmerston
It was interesting to read the report by Heath Ashton of Finance Minister Mathias Cormann copying lines from Arnold Schwarzenegger about ''economic girlie men''. Many years ago, my son lost interest in football when the coach abused players as ''girlies''.
Just as there is no place in sport for sexist (or racist) terms of abuse, there is no place for it in politics.
Cormann also reveals a lazy and ignorant mentality when he has to recycle other people's comments.
Jane Holesgrove, O'Connor
A poor excuse not to help
I do appreciate that the Australian government cannot safely fly Ebola-infected volunteers the long distance to Australia for treatment. In the Afghan and Iraqi wars, wounded Australians were ''medivaced'' by US transports to Germany for medical care. One has to assume some sort of agreement is thus in place to enable these military evacuations.
I therefore cannot understand why our government has not already negotiated a similar arrangement with the US and others who already have several thousand people on the ground in west Africa fighting Ebola. Such an agreement may, of course, not necessarily require evacuation when the appropriate US-funded hospital infrastructure currently under construction in west Africa is completed.
Digby Habel, Cook
Oxfam says the Ebola outbreak in western Africa could be the ''definitive humanitarian crisis of our generation''. How can a disease that has killed 7000 people in 40 years be remotely compared with diseases such as TB, AIDS and malaria, which kill millions of people per year? When the disease threatens to impact First World countries, that's how. Sadly, people will die. Tragically, most of those people will be in Africa, while the media focus on the few non-Africans who have contracted the disease. We have a prime minister who is willing to send planes and troops to war who is not willing to send a nurse or doctor to Africa. That is the humanitarian crisis.
T. Robb, Weetangera
IS reprising role of serpent
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said that the way to attack Christians is to approach them with a religious question like the serpent did to Adam and Eve. The serpent suggested that God had meant something different. The fall is mankind talking about God as if man knows what God means better than God has himself spoken.
The Islamic State is reprising the role of the serpent. They claim to know the will of God better than the rest of us. Those who follow so-called religious leaders must be as careful as Adam and Eve that they are not usurping the God they claim to be interpreting.
Vincent Hodge, Acton
Unfair to focus on scam
Your front-page article (''New NGA boss looks to shake off the Shiva'', October 17, p1) focused heavily on the old news that the National Gallery of Australia was tricked by an unscrupulous art dealer into buying a statue that was not his to sell.
It would have been much more newsworthy to tell us more about the aims of the gallery's new director, Gerard Vaughn, to build on the work of the outstandingly successful outgoing director, Ron Radford.
It is very sad - you could say tragic - that Australia has lost the Shiva, but quite misleading to let that overshadow all other aspects of the development of the collection and the gallery and our debt to Ron Radford.
Ron Walker, Campbell
Divestment a good start
It beggars belief that Mikayla Novak of the Institute of Public Affairs takes the high moral ground in the divestment debate (''Portfolio decision a failure of ethics'', Forum, October 18, p7). Novak seems to assume that maintaining ''living standards'' is the only ethic, if indeed it is one.
She utterly ignores the ethic of preserving a habitable Earth, not only for humanity, but for all the other species on it. She fails to acknowledge that leading international bodies, including the World Bank and the International Energy Agency, have said we need to keep 80 per cent of fossil fuels in the ground if we are to keep within the two-degree limit of warming and avoid runaway climate change.
Ian Young, of the Australian National University, is to be commended for withdrawing ANU funds from seven resource companies. The pity is, he didn't go far enough and withdraw them from all fossil fuel companies. Nevertheless, it was a commendable start.
As for coal being needed to get the poor out of poverty, renewable energy has made great gains and is approaching price parity with coal. As for storage, the US will likely complete its second utility-scale power plant using molten salt thermal energy storage this year.
Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW
Households need to restrain killer cats
Thank goodness the ACT government is finally moving to catch up with other jurisdictions on responsible management of cats (''Time running out for city's unrestrained animal killers'', October 11, p3).
Last night, our son's much loved guinea pigs were both killed by local cats. Our son is completely distraught and can't understand how cat owners can so callously let their cats roam freely in the neighbourhood for such sport.
There is little doubt they are doing the same to bird and reptile populations in the neighbouring Mt Ainslie reserve.
If owners are so irresponsible, then it is clear the government has no option but to move decisively on registration, cat containment and penalties for breaches.
In the meantime, I would encourage all cat owners to stop turning a blind eye to what their cats are up to beyond the home, and do something about it.
Ian Kershaw, Ainslie
No safe crossing
Dr James Pittock (''The bike path to nowhere'', Times2, October 17, p5) hits the nail on the head about poorly designed pedestrian and cycling infrastructure connections.
However, I disagree with his estimate that 90 per cent of people jaywalk across the $4.3 million Clunies Ross and Barry Drive intersection. For example, when a Belconnen bus stops on the north side of the intersection, I often observe 100 per cent of the disembarking passengers jaywalking across to the ANU campus. It is inexcusable for the ACT government to not provide a safe pedestrian crossing on each side of a new intersection, particularly for the route most trafficked.
Brendan Baxter, Downer
TO THE POINT
WOOLLY THINKING
I would have thought that banning Baa Baa Black Sheep from Australian classrooms by the nursery rhyme police is a form of apartheid. Does that mean I had better not wear my black pure wool jumper any more in case I offend any easily led sheep?
Leslie Barnard, Latham
T-SHIRT OFFENDS
There are many things I don't like about my country, but I'm not leaving. R.C. Warn (Letters, October 17) seems to think it's OK to tell me to leave via T-shirt. Congratulations to Woolworths for standing up to such bullying by withdrawing offensive and divisive T-shirts.
Megan Taylor, Narrabundah
BURLEY GRIFFIN BUSY
Ian Warden (''Ornamental waters we have to have'', Lake Burley Griffin anniversary edition, October 17, p3) ''didn't recognise the Lake Burley Griffin that Dale Middleby described in a recent editon of Panorama as a 'busy waterway'''. How can that be? Compared with other inland Australian lakes (Eyre, Eucumbene, George etc), it bustles like Hong Kong Harbour.
Peter Robinson, Ainslie
CARTOON WELL LIKED
Barnaby Joyce (''Northern gatekeepers keep the wolves at bay'', Times2,October 17, p5) need not fear his newspaper column being treated like Footrot Flats. People enjoy, collect and even reread Footrot Flats.
Michael Barry, Torrens
STREET DEFACED
Recently I had occasion to walk from Phillip to Weston along the north side of Hindmarsh Drive. I suggest that the Chief Minister and the appropriate minister should do likewise. Like me they will be appalled at the graffiti, from one end to the other. One wonders at the intellectual level of those who seek to satisfy some primitive urge to leave signs of their passage. I have a solution to the problem but I doubt it would be acceptable!
Norman Lee, Weston
BODY LANGUAGE
Presumably Tony Abbott has gone to Indonesia to backslap its newly elected President Widodo. We know that the PM will shirtfront President Putin at the G20 meeting in November. But what will he do to President Obama?
Hugh Smith, Deakin
CHECK THE CATCH
Perhaps M.A. Smith (Letters, October 17) should examine the cats' catches as they may be antechinus (marsupial mice). These are beautiful shy native critters found in the Canberra region and look nothing like the introduced rat or the house mouse.
Michael Dwyer, Melba
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