Then they increased the supply of water to Canberra, to reduce risks of running out in future. It rained, and when we found we had plenty of water available in our dams, the government loosened water restrictions. And the people of Canberra, having learnt to live through restrictions, stubbornly refused to resume their wasteful ways. Despite the increased supply and the lifting of restrictions, consumption remained stable.

So now Icon Water wants to reduce the cost per kilolitre (while increasing the base water supply charge) to "give the right signals" to consumers, according to Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission Joe Dimasi ("Report backs Icon to set water pricing", September7, p3). The "right signals" will increase costs for parsimonious users of water, and decrease costs for the large and wasteful users. Why?

Because, according to Mr Dimasi, it does not make sense to have water overflowing the dams and not being used.

Mr Dimasi's reported views ignore that the water which flows over dams is not wasted, but becomes available downstream for other users (domestic, rural and industrial) and the environment, all the way down to the Murray mouth in South Australia and beyond.

Encouraging profligate use of water is always the wrong signal.

Bruce Wright, Latham

Why must water supply charges be raised from $101? What justification is provided by ICRC to favour an annual water supply charge increase to $610 rather than $390?

Why is the per kilolitre price predicted to fall over the decade from 2018, and what is the "marginal cost" figure envisioned? Why should users with low consumption levels pay more while larger water users pay less?

What are the "right signals" that I as a consumer need to understand? If the dams are full, surely it makes sense to allow additional environmental flow to maintain the health of the waterways. The ICRC should not become a rubber stamp for a gold-plated water supply infrastructure. It should should remain the "scrupulous and rigorous" agency responsible for setting tariffs.

Heather Stewart, Weston

Before Andrew Barr embarks on his new and untested method of public consultation ("Divide and rules: Barr's strategy on public projects", September 5, p15), he needs to get back to making the ACT's planning regime easier to use and understand. The complexity is mind-boggling.

There is the Planning and Development Act, a document of 648pages, the Territory Plan, which takes up nearly 200 megabytes, and the Planning and Development Regulation, of over 320 pages. Furthermore, all these documents are continually being updated. There have been more than 340 variations to the Territory Plan since 2007.

Here is an example of a typical problem. In the Territory Plan there are defined rules and subjective criteria.

In the high-density residential zone (RZ5), the rule on building heights specifies a maximum of six storeys but there is no mention of the height in metres. However, in the criteria, provided there is "consistency with the desired character and reasonable solar access to dwellings on adjoining residential blocks", there is no height limit.

Surprisingly, the subjective criteria have precedence over the rules and there is no definition of high, medium and low density in the legislation.

Even if a developer breaks some of the rules, the minister can approve the development using the call-in powers.

Why can't all the rules and conditions relating to every block be made available in a single codified document? Andwhy can't the rules be written so there is no need for subjective criteria? It shouldn't be too difficult.

David Denham, Griffith

It is surprising that John Hutchison and his neighbours are connected to the gas network just for cooktops (Letters, September 5). In 2014, the Alternative Technology Association produced a report titled Are We Still Cooking with Gas?

One of the findings of this report was that, Australia-wide, "Itis not cost-effective to connect a new home to mains gas when efficient electric appliances are an option".

John's household is likely to pay less than $20 a year for gas and more than $250 a year in supply charges. A gasfitter can convert a gas cooktop to LPG and connect a bottle of LPG outside. Gas account gone and with it, gas-use "estimates".

Ben Elliston, Hawker

I was surprised at the jocular attitude taken on the radio on Wednesday morning by the Actew AGL CEO Michael Costello. He observed that the flood of erroneous bills sent to customers had led to long delays for callers to ActewAGL's 1300 number. In my view he should have offered a public apology and a 1800 number for affected customers, most of whom do not enjoy even a 20th of Mr Costello's rumoured $1million package.

Chris Smith, Kingston

Congratulations to Bob Douglas and the Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy for setting up a website to compare our candidates in the forthcoming election ("Get to know our MLA candidates before voting", Comment, September 8, p16).

Any candidate not participating will be at the bottom of my preferences.

James Walcott, Mawson

The righteous indignation expressed by the Prime Minister from overseas ("Turnbull leads assault on Dastyari, Shorten", September 7, p6) does nothing to demonstrate his success as a leader, but appears to be more an exercise in point-scoring in hopes that it takes our minds off his foundering government.

I am disappointed that Senator Sam "caved" under the intense pressure applied by both the government and the media and resigned his post. There was more noise and aggression directed at the senator over his indiscretion in allowing a Chinese businessman to pay for his "overspend" than there was when Darwin Harbour was leased to the Chinese by the Northern Territory government or when the current government agreed to station American forces in the Territory.

I hope the media will continue its investigations into political donations to parties and individuals with the same degree of enthusiasm and aggression towards those next in the spotlight. Perhaps they could begin by checking the donations received by the government frontbench, looking in particular at Julie Bishop, the Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce and Scott Morrison.

One suspects that donors would contribute more to the government members and expect more in return. Let's open the books of the righteous.

W. Book, Hackett

Say what you like about Sam Dastyari, and many have done so lately on radio, TV and the daily newspapers ("The ghost of Dastyari's past", Comment, September 8, p16).

Nevertheless, were Dastyari a "professional politician", like most of today's politicians, then not only would he have ignored giving public admissions of his error of judgment, but also he would have declined to resign.

By dominating the headlines Dastyari has done his colleagues, who had no convincing answers to the nation's important problems, a great favour.

Sam Nona, Burradoo, NSW

It is disturbing to discover that the largest foreign owners of Australian farmland are from a country with a hereditary head of state, a long history of conflict with its neighbours, an unstable economy and a habit of changing its mind on trade deals. Perhaps we would be more secure if a greater portion of farmland was owned by people from a stable, prosperous country with a growing economy. I wonder if Chinese investors are still interested?

Tony Judge, Woolgoolga, NSW

Nicholas Stuart's piece "Reviewing Afghanistan" (Comment, September 6, p18) was a welcome commentary on our former military presence there, but with only a passing reference to the "witches' brew of ... poverty" for Afghans. The ongoing impact of war on civilians was exemplified in the article "Our efforts in landmine removal are declining" (Comment, August 31, p19).

In 2012-13, Australia helped clear 4.14square kilometres of Afghanistan's contaminated land. However, new mines are constantly added as territorial control shifts between Afghan government forces and militia groups, and there are more than 4300 minefields remaining. The presences of mines and explosives reduce the economic potential of affected areas, as land and resources remain unusable for growing food or generating income, and restricting access to market routes and infrastructure.

Despite Afghanistan's unpromising future, Australia's help for its civilians was reduced by 40per cent in 2015-16: from $131million in 2014-15 to $78million.

With our help, the Afghan people can walk their land in safety. It's not mission accomplished, however. More aid is needed.

Peter Graves, Curtin

Fergus Thomson (Letters, September 6) stated he was astounded and dismayed to see Malcolm Turnbull with his hand over his heart while laying a wreath, claiming this is an American custom "never Australian". He is wrong. The hand on the heart gesture started in Britain on Armistice (now Remembrance) Day in 1920 during the ceremony of the dedication of the Cenotaph at Whitehall. The RSL maintains this tradition, with members placing a hand over the medals (not the heart) at a march past, ceremonial occasion and wreath-laying ceremony.

John Perkins, Cooma, NSW

One hopes that Bruce Haigh's article, "Prado brigade blocks Indigenous empowerment" (Comment, September 5, p15) is heeded by all government authorities, employees and non-Indigenous people providing essential services in Aboriginal communities. While most of these service-providers might not wish to remain in remote Aboriginal communities after a given project is complete, every effort must be made to involve them in Indigenous life while they provide key services such as health, education, housing and management.

As Haigh pinpoints, could not a dedicated aim of empowering Aboriginal people to manage their affairs and combat examples of white paternalism, or even racism, be accomplished by government-assisted mentoring on a well-resourced scale?

Keith McEwan, Bonython

Your article "Drop by the AWM shed for a big day out" (September 7, pp2-3), and the family excursion that it is promoting, might be appropriate for an exhibition of farming equipment, but for an exhibition of killing machines they are highly inappropriate.

The portrayal by the Australian War Memorial of weapons as fun objects for a family outing ignores the reality of what these devices do to families in war zones. Our children are taught in schools and in the home that conflicts should be resolved without physical violence, and yet the message of weapons exhibitions is that physical violence is pretty fun and exciting all the same, maybe something the kiddies might like to aspire to when they grow up. There are strong moves to prevent alcohol advertising reaching children and young adults, and yet the AWM actively promotes the exposure of children and young adults to equipment made specifically to kill or maim, as if it is all a game.

Sue Wareham, vice-president, Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia)

We must thank Sam Dastyari for providing sophisticates like Barnaby Joyce, Eric Abetz and others, the opportunity to explain to us all the subtle difference between motes andbeams.

Adrian Gibbs, Yarralumla

While the Liberal Party looks down on Sam Dastyari with mock disgust, it's OK for Julie Bishop, Warren Truss and George Brandis to travel to China in 2012 all expenses paid, courtesy of the Chinese Communist Party. What hypocrites.

Richard Ryan, Summerland Point, NSW

Well, the financial gods are still with Senator Dastyari. He's resigned from the shadow ministry, but won't lose any of his parliamentary salary. Why? Because he and Andrew Leigh MP were the only shadow ministers not to get a pay increase when appointed to their positions after the election.

Tony Falla, Ngunnawal

Ronald Reagan once said: "Both politicians and diapers need to be changed often and for the same reason!" Canberra voters might like to bear his observation in mind at next month's election.

C.J. Mountifield, Greenway, NSW

To Barrie Smillie (Letters, September6), there is only one thing to say: "C'est si bon."

Eric Hunter, Cook

Last Friday, I took bus No.27 from the Waramanga shops at 7.59am. Changed at Woden, express service to Civic. Got a seat, too. Ordered coffee in Civic before 8.30. Easy as. Peak hour, too!

John Mungoven, Stirling

Actual liquidated (dollars and cents) and ascertained (proven and openly accessible) damages caused by a subsequent government's cancellation of the ACT light rail project, are all that should be payable to the contractor, and not the massive scary "penalties" bandied about by the current government.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Penleigh Boyd (Letters, September8) asserts that no Australian can become head of state. Wrong. The Governor-General is our head of state, and the High Court of Australia said so in 1907.

David Smith, Mawson

Viva Ecuador. Shame on you Sweden. Britain, let Julian Assange free.

John Rodriguez, Florey

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