A similar situation has occurred with the Red Hill Flats redevelopment, with significant and ongoing community feedback against the bulk and scale of the proposed development (150 dwellings to nearly 600), and a preference for a maximum of two to three storeys being completely ignored. The current plan has heights of six to seven storeys, which would increase the total number of dwellings in Red Hill by about 35per cent, with no improvements to surrounding infrastructure.

This will have a significant impact on traffic and parking throughout the suburb, and once done, cannot be undone.

The government's proposal (DV334) to rezone the site from RZ2 to RZ5, would almost certainly lead to an inappropriately large housing development.

If community engagement is to be effective, it needs decision-makers to have a genuine commitment to doing it properly, and managing it more efficiently, even if they get a result they would not have preferred.

Melissa Bennett, Red Hill Residents Group

Club land for club

Steven Hurren (Letters, August 14) is right in saying the Canberra Services Club should be built on the old site of the Services Club in Manuka. The ACT government should focus on the interests of people who want to be part of a club, not on paying off those with narrow self-interests like parents' groups and the Defence Housing Authority.

How did the authority become part of the equation anyway? It is just another Commonwealth government profit centre ($89million annual profit, according to its last published annual report). Any land lease to the club should of course contain a clause preventing any part of the land eventually being sold off to property developers (as has happened with the nearby Brumbies club and Italian club).

John McGinness, Narrabundah

Diviners invite sceptics

My thanks to Bernard Walsh and Bill Brown (Letters, August 12) for denigrating Austin Goodfellow's work in divining a water supply for the Arboretum. The narrow minds of the people I call the "Scoffers Society" are always on display whenever they cannot understand anything in the natural environment. I spent years, as a CSIRO scientist, corresponding with diviners from all over Australia and could never fault their enthusiasm for the practice. I could, and did, challenge their claims for perceiving "depth" and "salinity" as that is only a part of the story.

I believe that what they are detecting is a major change in the electrical conductivity in the underlying regolith. We used an electronic instrument (electromagnetic induction) to detect exactly the same things that the diviners (including myself) detected. In the 1980s the press mistakenly dubbed my EM work as electronic divining and I appeared on national TV doing both, and verifying it, up in the Kowen Forest area, by drilling. I have published work in the Australian Journal of Soil Research and I also have a friend at Majors Creek who would willingly support my divining prowess.

To be completely honest, I did take part in a Skeptics' test for detecting a small metal target hidden under a length of carpet, and failed, as did every other contestant in that exercise.

Dick Smith will remember the occasion, as he arrived in his helicopter to award the $25,000 prize, should it be won. So, scoffers, come and have a yarn sometime, you might learn something.

Dr Baden Williams, Lyneham

Those "skeptics" (Letters, August 13) who are so scathing about the fascinating feat of water divining should give it a try. I was able to do it with a minimum of tuition, though I would not claim to be an expert. And some years ago I watched as an ACTEW technician used various electronic gadgets to determine the location of underground services, then, having made his notes and marks, produced a piece of fencing wire to confirm his findings.

Be careful what you are sceptical about. William Smith, the working-class man now known as the Father of English geology, was denounced as a charlatan by the Geological Society of London in 1815. Fortunately the significance of his work and methods was recognised before he died. Naturalist Alfred Wallace suffered similar prejudices. The world is still full of surprises.

Jennifer Jones, Spence

Pay up or move out

The harsh reality of life is that if I cannot afford the rent of my residence, I must vacate. The same inexorable logic applies to those who own properties but cannot afford the rates or heating bill or whatever. They must move out and either let or sell the property, despite what Chris Mobbs (Letters, August 13) thinks a fair thing. Taxes cannot be formulated on an individual's ability to pay, no matter how Mobbs confuses the issue with an argument about redirecting stamp duty, essentially a one-off, non-renewable sales tax.

Gary J.Wilson, MacGregor

Tailgate, expect to wait

Last Thursday, the flow of south-bound traffic on the Parkway was almost brought to a standstill for several hours by a multiple car pile up (surprisingly, north-bound traffic was also slowed). This caused enormous frustration, occurring as it did during peak-hour. The observable evidence suggests the accident was a product of tailgating.

For years, I have observed the lemming-like motorists charging out of the Tuggeranong Valley with barely a car length between them and the car in front, and doing so at speed. This has caused me to question not only their driving sense, but their intelligence. Evidently the same problem exists northside. Tailgating, perhaps the most ubiquitous of all bad-driving issues, guarantees with mathematical certainty that an accident will happen – usually involving multiple cars – in the event of something untoward happening. Combined with speed, as it is on the Parkway, it is very dangerous.

Surprisingly, in my 30 years of driving, I have never seen our local constabulary taking the problem seriously.

Perhaps it is now time. Meanwhile, Canberra's motorists might recognise that a great many of them are part of the problem they experienced on Thursday.

Graham Clews, Kambah

Your columnist Ian Warden's seemingly inexhaustible tales of the life and times of Canberra's bird life are entertaining and educational.

However, one cannot help but worry about the future of this natural wonderment given the number of bird-munching feral cats that inhabit our suburbs.

For instance, recently I saw six (sic) feral cats sunning themselves in the stormwater channel underneath the ACT government's Callam Offices in Woden. They live in the nearby drains. Previously I have seen numbers of cats living around the Hellenic Club.

These are sustained by the opened tins of cat food left by, no doubt well meaning, but foolish people.

It would be a simple job for our municipal authorities to capture and euthanase feral cats in inner-city areas, so why don't they?.

Disclaimer: I own an ancient and well fed (by me) cat. It will not be replaced when it dies.

Timothy Walsh, Garran

Dog laws OK

The dog attack on the Hettingers' child ("They failed us: parents of dog bite victim slam new laws", August 13, p1) was a very unfortunate event, but Magistrate Beth Campbell got it right, and the laws do not need changing. Animals are unpredictable. I've been thrown off my docile horse and viciously attacked by my beloved cuddly moggy.

So far my dog has not attacked me or anyone else, but she might one day, for some reason fathomable only to her. In the meantime, I will continue to take her to the shops, where she will continue to spread joy as she is being patted and admired and even involved in a selfie or two (she's very cute).

It's a risk I'm taking, but life is full of it.

L. Bentley, Braddon

Tony Abbott and the cohorts sprayed soot over a rainbow last week. He tried to tell us equal marriage is just too difficult for his cohorts to deal with. Except it isn't, rainbow love and marriage is no more difficult than hetero love and marriage.

People fall in love all the time, at first sight or gradually, with someone of the opposite or same sex, and for a short or long time. Some of those couples may go on to nervously raise the subject of marriage, and perhaps excitingly make wedding plans.

Except for those couples with a rainbow love, as Tony has told them not to bother nervously raising the subject of marriage or to excitingly make wedding plans. Tony has said rainbow love is less than equal to the hetero love experienced by his cohorts. Tony has said no to rainbows at weddings.

Tony and the cohorts will soon be releasing a plan to obscure rainbows in the sky, as that spectrum is just too difficult to deal with. It will be replaced with a black and white arch in the sky, symbolising man and woman, trousers and dress.

Stuart Walkley, Lyneham

Since prehistoric times the natural sexual order has been male/female plus procreation. Nature has offered no alternative. The inability of man to impose his will on nature was clearly defined by King Canute's experiment to halt the incoming tide. He had the courage to submit himself to ridicule, in order to confirm to his fawning courtiers what idiots they were. He knew his human limitations.

In the present parliamentary brawl a similar issue is at stake. There are those who, in this sexual partnership debate, insist they can change nature and reverse the proven status of normal. The real issue for our representatives is whether history will define them as Canutes or courtiers. I write, of course, as "antediluvian", having lived for three decades before 1960, and becoming pre-armed by Josef Goebbels to protect myself against disinformation.

Lindsay Grigg, Fadden

Contempt of thought

MPs' rorts, corrupt inquiries, defiance of majority views on issues such as war, equal marriage, assisted dying, mental health, violence against women, treatment of refugees, renewable energy, climate, the environment, fair taxation, health, education, science, freedom, jobs ... where do our elected representatives get off?

Only, one fears, when they have finally dragged this once great country through as much dirt, humiliation, economic and social ruin as we can stomach. If this is contempt of parliament, then most Australians already have it.

Julian Cribb, Franklin

Stagnating vision

The Australian jobs engine is coughing and sputtering. Wages growth remains at its slowest pace in nearly 20 years. And unemployment spiked to a 13-year high in July.

When it comes to employment, productivity, resource utilisation, economic growth and real wealth creation the trends are slipping backwards. And while the Australian economy stagnates, serious global risks remain on the horizon.

One of great ironies of Australian politics is that most politicians talk about helping the middle class support policies that undermine capital accumulation and retard the growth in real wages.

Victor Diskordia, McKellar

Coal no comfort

Your editorial on the government's climate policy ("Paltry cut embarrasses Australia", Times2, August 12, p2) was right to cast the Coalition as "reluctant conscripts in the war to reduce fossil-fuel". But Australia's prosperity does not "rest on coal exports" as you claim.

Even in Queensland, our largest coal exporting state, coal is an insignificant part of the economy, employing just 1per cent of the workforce and paying only 3per cent of state revenue through royalties, around the same amount it received through parking fines.

While coal export earnings are considerable, the industry is almost entirely foreign owned, meaning most profits are also exported.

Coal companies, and their lobby groups, are prodigious commissioners of economic modelling studies, which invariably paint the industry as being large and important. The "multiplier" models favoured by the coal industry have been described as "biased" by the ABS and are regularly "abused" according to the Productivity Commission. Some Coalition and Labor politicians support coal out of a misguided concern for our prosperity. But most remember the mining tax debate and support the industry for political convenience.

Roderick Campbell, research director, the Australia Institute

Wind is the way to go

William Gray (Letters, August 13) is correct in pointing out that many countries have slashed subsidies to wind power. However the main reason is because wind power is rapidly reducing in price. In 2014, the world added a record 51 GW of wind generation, bringing the cumulative total to 370 GW of wind. For comparison, Australia has about 60 GW of all generating capacity, of which four GW is wind.

South Australia has demonstrated wind generation can economically reduce emissions. In 2005-06, SA obtained 33per cent of its electricity demand from SA coal generation, and another 19per cent from Victorian imports.

In 2014-15, the coal percentage was down to 20per cent, while imports were down to 12per cent. Gas generation also reduced significantly.

During that same period, wind generation has increased from 6per cent to 33per cent while solar increased to 7per cent of demand.

As a result, emissions from electricity generation have dropped by 37per cent. SA has also announced its last coal power station will soon close.

Finally, it is not necessary for wind to be backed up by baseload generation. Solar is usually very productive when it is not windy. Hydro, biofuels, storage and demand management can also help match supply with demand. As we phase out coal, we can also use our current gas generators sparingly to complement renewable generation and still massively reduce our carbon emissions.

David Osmond, Dickson

ACE CHARM OFFENSIVE

So Nick Kyrgios' mother defends his insulting a young woman who has done nothing to deserve his contempt, saying: "He'll say whatever comes to his mind that will upset the guy." I wonder whether Mrs Kyrgios really thinks that she's encouraging the right attitude in her son towards women.

It's time men stopped treating and talking about women as though they were objects, handed around between the guys as trophies.

Dr Juliet Flesch, Kew, Vic

Nick Kyrgios' comment to Stan Wawrinka that "Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend" was disgraceful and pathetic, and is another in a long line of transgressions by Kyrgios. It is a wonder that Wawrinka didn't go into the dressing room and deck Kyrgios. Perhaps this would have woken him up to his obnoxious approach.

Eric Hodge, Pearce

There is little doubt that Nick Kyrgios is potentially one of Australia's all-time tennis greats. Let's hope we soon see more of him in the headlines for his sporting achievements than for his inappropriate on-court antics.

Ian De Landelles, Hawker

VOTE IS REDUNDANT

I must be mistaken in my belief that politicians in this country represent their constituents. Why do we need a referendum when seven out of 10 Australians accept gay marriage and wish it to be officially recognised? Wake up and stand up representatives, or you may not represent the community much longer.

Mark Howard, Forde

Scott Morrison says that the Australian people should make the decision on same-sex marriage. We already have: 75 per cent of us want it. Now get on with the job we pay you for, Scott.

Fred Pilcher, Kaleen

SAGE COUNCIL HEADED

I see that Messrs Rattenbury and Barr think it is a good idea to listen to Canberrans and to act within community expectations. That revelation came out after Mr Barr's dodgy Manuka land swap failed. Let's hope they apply that thinking to their even more dodgy tram project.

Terry Werner, Wright

SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

I wanted to again thank the beautiful lady who gave me flowers last Friday at the Belconnen Markets. This lady could see I was having a difficult time with my four-year-old son whilst trying to breastfeed my baby. As I got up to leave, she gave me some gorgeous flowers which I have enjoyed all week. It was such a nice thing to do.

Lucy McDevitt, Weetangera

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