The Labor Club's residential development in Braddon (Sunday Times, September 27, p4) raises potential conflicts of interest for the government.
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Importantly, is the block subject to the lease variation charge and, if so, will it be paid or will the government waive the charge – essentially for itself? Particularly interesting given Mr Barr's reported comment, in responding to the Liberal's plan to remove the charge in some areas, that "I don't think it's a high priority at the moment to give a tax cut to wealthy, international and interstate property owners in large part, it would create a distortion within the market in Canberra."
B.Paine, Red Hill
Treatment barbaric
Am I the only person reading the story of Fenika Togatuki (Sunday Times, September 27, p12) that's feeling disgust at his treatment in Goulburn jail?
He had made mistakes, many young people do. He was ill with schizophrenia and other psychological problems. His cell sounds positively Gestapo-like; no sunshine, 24-hour lights, no personal possessions. It was barbaric and unworthy of a first world (are we still first world or just aspiring towards it?) society.
I hope our "authorities" are happy with their cruelty.
Christopher Yates, Scullin
Adage still applies
Ross Ramsay's letter (Sunday Times, September 27) puts me in mind of the old adage from a slower-paced market: He who sells what isn't his'n.
Must buy it back
Or go to pris'n.
Fredrik Limacher, Kambah
Wait for a mandate
The Business Council of Australia is right to caution the Canberra Liberals of the adverse effects of their stated intention to cancel contracts for light rail if they are elected at next year's local election ("Libs warned not to cancel rail contract", September 28, p3).
Equally, the two bidding consortiums ought to consider the significant opposition that exists in the community to the light rail proposal and the consequences of signing a contract prior to next year's election. The opponents of light rail have sought to obtain a definitive choice from the community by either referendum or putting the case to the community at the next election. The Labor/Green alliance ignores this and seems destined to sign contracts regardless.
The consortiums ought to weigh this carefully. The successful tenderer, if the light rail proposal goes ahead, is going to be a part of this community for a long time to come. The ratepayers of the ACT could be well served if the bidding consortiums chose to exercise good corporate citizenship and agreed to delay the signing of the contracts until a clear mandate was granted at the next election. A stance which may not be a desirable commercial decision, but one which would demonstrate a willingness to listen to the community. Something this current government clearly does not want to do.
Ken Stokes, Wanniassa
It is dispiriting that the chief executives of the Business Council of Australia and of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia can only write to the Canberra Liberals about the so called damage to Australia's reputation if any light rail contract was to be cancelled. As "business" leaders why don't they exhort the current ACT government to undertake a true cost-benefit analysis of what is, to most rational observers, a very expensive piece of infrastructure to serve one segment of the Canberra community and largely at the behest of one member of the Assembly.
Or have they joined the vocal crowd which champions any type of infrastructure with the new jobs and new industry mantra instead of comparing the costs and benefits of alternative use of the investment?
As I have suggested before, the same investment could produce a significantly enhanced bus service for the whole of Canberra, a world-class convention centre, and remedy the deteriorating roads which in some cases are becoming like patchwork quilts.
Eric Hodge, Pearce
Hidden agenda, perhaps?
Shane Rattenbury ("Canberra needs a road diet to get in better shape", Times2, September 29, p5) makes the old assumption that the fast-growing population in Canberra's north would use Northbourne Avenue for their daily commute and shopping instead of bypassing Civic by travelling on other roads such as the GDE, Clarrie Hermes Drive and Majura Parkway.
To alleviate the situation, the ACT government could transfer at least some of the staff who work in Civic to buildings, existing or to be built, in the northern suburbs.
Silly me, I forgot that such a move would reduce the number of passengers using light rail.
Ken McPhan, Spence
Time to put the plan right
The new development permitted in the City To The Lake Plan is grossly excessive, ruining the open-space, campus-like character of the area, and many important vistas. It diminishes Parliament House, the focal point of the capital, and arguably the nation.
This stems from the National Capital Authority's sad and loose "Griffin Legacy Plan", driven by a 2003 "Canberra Central Task Force" set up by out-of-town political heavies and development lobbyists demanding that the ACT derive more revenue from inner-city land sales after "up-zoning". (The task force was responsible for ditching time-honoured and appropriate "Civic", replacing it with cringing "City", with no public consultation.)
The Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on the National Capital largely rejected the Griffin-Legacy Amendments to the National Capital Plan, but they were "whipped" through parliament late at night.
With work about to commence on public works along the West Basin shore, it's time to put the City to the Lake Plan right. The general height and density of proposed development at City Hill, and on the land extending from there down to the lake, especially along Commonwealth Avenue, have to be dramatically reduced.
Now that land uses there are gelling, City Hill needs a new inspired and binding master plan/design that can respect heritage and brilliantly realise through great individual works of architecture, landscaping, and art, the territory's main civic, cultural, judicial, legislative, exhibition/conferencing, public gathering, administrative, recreational, and related functions.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
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