So Zed Seselja finally wakes up from his senatorial slumber to discover a vision of suburbs in the Brindabellas (''Seselja bid to extend Tuggeranong'', April 27, p1). He can't be serious.
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The prospect of Tuggeranong extending across the Murrumbidgee River featured in the early discussion paper efforts of the NCDC. In this scenario, the path for the Tuggeranong Parkway had it continuing from its present junction with Drakeford Drive, following the present alignment of Kambah Pool Road. A major bridge was to take it above Kambah Pool, into the hills on the other side. Such an alignment would today have the four-lane Tuggeranong Parkway pass within metres of the Murrumbidgee Country Club and Gleneagles Stage 1.
It did not take long for the downsides of the proposal to become apparent. The range on the western side of the river presents a series of small valleys, with inclines of some 45 to 60 degrees. It was concluded that pushing dormitory suburbs into that challenging landscape would require a massive engineering effort. Note was taken of the environmental destruction that would be caused by such a development and the risks of sewage and other contamination of the nearby river. It was duly abandoned.
The argument regarding the Tuggeranong Town Centre being to one side of Tuggeranong is a furphy. The six suburbs then talked about on the other side of the river would not have made the Hyperdome any more central than it is now. And why in the age of the automobile would anyone think centrality matters? To get to any of Canberra's town centres involves getting in a car and driving, regardless of their geographic placement.
Paul Varsanyi, Kambah
Master plan indeed
While the Woden community is kept busy with proposed master plans for the town centre, ACT government is pushing forward a three-towers development at 7 Irving Street, Woden (12 and nine storeys), a site that forms part of the future master plan.
Is this one of the ''special'' developments the minister hoped to fast-track? How seriously is the government working on the master plan when it negates its purpose with unintegrated developments?
The proposed three towers at 7 Irving Street have all the drawbacks that section 9 development in Woden had, a development that created a lot of discontent and had to be withdrawn over lack of compliance, bad orientation, overshadowing and overlooking.
The density of the three towers is 457 dwellings a hectare while Sky Plaza is 208 dwellings a hectare. Is such high density warranted and has any thought been given to the relationship of this development to the surrounding sites?
Lydia Frommer, Lyons
Incongruous symbols
I understand a campaign has been under way in Canberra to develop an ACT coat of arms.
To me, this is a no-brainer: not only is the ACT the only Australian jurisdiction without a coat of arms but the symbol that we have co-opted to represent the territory (the coat of arms of the city of Canberra) is bizarrely unfamiliar - a gum tree held behind a castle portcullis? The Duke of York's white rose?
These aren't symbols that come to my mind when I think of the ACT.
The concept of an ACT coat of arms has support from numerous civil society groups, from the naval association to the republicans; even the heraldry society thinks it's peculiar that a territory has adopted a city's coat of arms. I hope that it won't be too long before our representatives in the Legislative Assembly realise the incongruity in our symbols and begin a real process to develop an ACT coat of arms.
Toby Philips, Forrest
Colonial days? No!
Membership of the Australian Republican Movement surged when Prime Minister Abbott announced the return of dames and knights and has continued to grow during the royal visit. The membership has also responded to the concept that the prime minister of our nation should swear allegiance to the Australian people and not to the ruler of another nation. Your editorial ''What next for the Republic'' (Forum, April 26, p6) indicates that many politicians from all parties are in favour of an Australian head of state but maybe not until the end of the Queen's reign. The editorial calls for political leadership. I, too, call on our political leaders to truly show leadership and to prepare our nation for our own head of state before the end of the Queen's reign.
Australians realise there is a need for discussion and debate in order that the Australian people determine a model that will suit our national identity - one that recognises the Australian sense of ''fair go'', where an Australian head of state is not chosen on the basis of race, religion, place of birth, privileged family and gender, as is the case now. And it needs to happen now so that we are ready to become a truly independent nation with our own head of state.
Australians are ready to move forward. Mr Abbott, don't take us back to colonial days.
Deborah Crossing, ARM member, Curtin
Another Hilton yarn
I was delighted to read of the ''former Blackball Hilton'' (Letters, April 28). Before Adelaide got its own ''Hilton'' I was ''resting'' in Adelaide and taxi driving. One evening I picked up a passenger from the airport who requested ''the Hilton Hotel''. There is a suburb of Adelaide called Hilton and it did contain an eponymous ''Hilton hotel'' although hardly in the mould Conrad would have approved. I gently expressed surprise to my passenger as the pub at that time could have been kindly rated as a bit of a bloodhouse.
He said his US travel agent had made the booking for him. There was little time to forewarn him as Hilton is close to the airport. We arrived just in time to meet a large knot of patrons being ejected from the front bar right alongside the cab. ''Where is the entrance?'' he asked. ''That's it,'' I said, pointing to the still swinging doors.
He took his suitcase and entered, back straight and ready to honour his booking. As it was Show week I was not game to offer to tour Adelaide's hotels with him. I had already worn out that path during the afternoon. I never saw him again. But much to my pleasure the Adelaide Hilton has on many occasions soothed my weary old bones.
Fredrik Limacher, Kambah
Chipping in
At last someone (the Palmer United Party) who does not have to depend on Murdoch. Australian Democrats founder Don Chipp must be smiling.
Phillip Owen, Forde
Car sharing is the wheel deal for commuters
It's good to see SEE-Change and Canberra Loves 40% have proposed a car-share scheme for Canberra (''Paid parking, global warming: It's time to pool in Canberra'', April 28, p1). Having used car-sharing schemes in both Sydney and Melbourne, the cost savings are immense. Most of Canberra has a decent cycling network, and the public transport system is gradually improving to the point where a large proportion of us could make do with a car only a few times a week. By introducing a car-share scheme, those of us who can regularly commute by walking, bicycling, or on a bus could supplement our regular commutes with occasional car use only when required.
For all those workers in the Parliamentary Triangle, car sharing would allow them to bus or ride into work, knowing if they needed to run short-notice errands at lunchtime, there was a share car on hand, and they could use it for less than $10 an hour. In other cities, young parents have often been able to use share cars instead of buying a second car - saving thousands of dollars.
Since moving to Canberra, I have had to purchase a car for the first time in years, and yet only use it occasionally. I would happily pay for the use of a car-share scheme in Canberra, where the costs of vehicle purchase, insurance, registration and maintenance are shared among many users, yet where I can still access a car whenever I want, wherever I want, for only a small hourly or daily fee.
Spencer Milburn, Kingston
The plane truth
I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if Australia had re-equipped its fighter squadrons with the Eurofighter instead of opting for the American JSF, we would have had them a long time ago. We would not have needed to buy the Super Hornets as a stopgap, and by the time the Eurofighters neared the end of their useful lives, (say 20 years) the JSF might be ready as a replacement.
Wal Pywell, Wanniassa
Rich and powerful must lead the way on climate change
I have read Joe Hockey's pre-budget speech warnings and Matt Wade's article ''Crisis? What budget crisis? (Forum, April 26, p1) and find myself again frustrated. I firmly agree with Mr Hockey that we ought to be working towards and thinking about a ''better future'' as opposed to ''what's in it for me?'' when contemplating the budget (and everything really); I also agree that the budget (and government policies ) ought to be about ''our quality of life for the years ahead''.
I would suggest, however, more than having debt reduced, a future relies heavily on having a planet to live on. Our children would appreciate seeing we seriously sought to address the ''great moral challenge of our time'' and not merely paid it lip service, continuing to leave action on climate change unaddressed. Is it too hard? Too unpopular? Too expensive? Too unbelievable?
If this really is a tough budget and a principled government, where is the strong line taken to ensure the wealthiest, most influential among us are called on to accept the privilege of paying their fair share to contribute to our shared future? Who is calling on the big polluters and the wealthiest amongst us to reflect on our ''better future'' and to move beyond ''what's in it for me?'' so that, together, we all have a future?
Alison Coster, Karabar, NSW
Edge off stimulus deal
The Rudd government gave $900 to each of 8 million eligible Australian taxpayers during the GFC. The intention was to stimulate the economy. Many argue it had some effect in this regard, and it certainly didn't make things worse. Five years later and the Abbott government is apparently considering the imposition of a ''debt levy''. The purpose is to reduce the budget deficit, in part resulting from the earlier stimulus package.
Most argue it will risk undoing the work of the stimulus package. During the GFC, the then secretary of the Treasury, Ken Henry, advised the government to ''go early, go hard, go households''. I wonder what the Treasury Secretary, Martin Parkinson, is advising this government?
Rob Ewin, Campbell
Eight-year itch?
It's amazing when you think the Libs giveth and the Libs taketh away. Costello and Howard giveth personal income tax cuts for eight years in a row in the so-called good times while Hockey and Abbott propose to taketh personal income tax via levies (aka taxes) in the so-called bad times. But will they taketh away more personal income tax for eight years in a row just to balance the books?
Chris Lathbury, Fadden
We need to talk, Tony
When the inevitable conscious uncoupling from Tony Abbott takes place, the insightful voter will say to him, ''It's not me, it's you.''
Annie Lang, Kambah
Search should be over
It was reasonable for Australia to mount an aerial search for debris from the missing Malaysian plane but, sadly, this has proved fruitless. We are now told Australia is to embark on a protracted, and very expensive, search of the ocean bed. I suggest it is time to call a halt.
Let's take a cold, hard look at the facts. In the first place, there is no clear proof the plane ditched in the proposed search area - or even that it is anywhere in the southern Indian Ocean. Even if it is there and, by some miracle, it is located, what are the prospects of recovering the flight data recorders? Vanishingly slight.
But the clinching argument is that, quite simply, this affair really has nothing to with Australia. The fact of Australia's (relative) proximity to the search area probably warranted our aerial search, but enough is enough.
We in Australia have already played a generous role, and we have no legal or moral obligation now to undertake such a dubious and costly undersea venture.
(Dr) Alvin Hopper, Dickson
Heed Washington
Malcolm Fraser's warning against Australia becoming too closely allied with the US is a point well made (''Pull back on US ties, says Fraser'', April 27, p9). One wishes he had come to this realisation much sooner; it was, of course, the Coalition governments in which Mr Fraser served that sent more than 500 young Australians to their deaths in Vietnam. He should be congratulated for his most recent insights, belated though they may be. Is there an alternative to the fawning servility with which successive Australian governments have followed the US over the past four decades? One clue lies in the advice that ''excessive partiality for one foreign nation, and excessive dislike of another, cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other.'' The source of this wise warning? George Washington.
Peter Grabosky, Forrest
Indigenous defenders
Your editorial ''Enduring message of service, sacrifice'' (Times2, April 25, p2) makes the point that military campaigns from Gallipoli onwards have such a strong grip on our consciousness as a nation that we readily acknowledge the sacrifice and suffering of all those who have served in uniform at our behest.
On Anzac Day, the thoughts of many of us turn to defence: sacrificing our all to defend our country, our family, our mates, our values … We are comforted by the fact our efforts to counter enemy attacks on NSW, NT, Qld and WA during World War II are commemorated in the Australian War Memorial. Unfortunately, whenever terms such as ''our consciousness'' are used in this context, it is clear they refer to all Australians other than indigenous ones.
They bore the brunt of a colonial invader from distant shores. AWM director Dr Brendan Nelson stated the defence of their homeland by our fellow Australians could not be recognised by the memorial because its charter was limited to commemorating Australians who travelled overseas to defend their country. (The previous director stated the AWM was limited to commemorating actions by ''formed'' military units.)
The greatest possible way to commemorate the centenary of Gallipoli would undoubtedly be one that truly united all Australians; one that saw indigenous and non-indigenous Australians standing side by side on the steps of the AWM to commemorate the past sacrifices of their ancestors.
Bruce Cameron, Campbell
TO THE POINT
CORRUPTION INQUIRY
For those who fret that NSW ICAC is a star chamber, then ponder whether any of the blatant and rampant corruption so far forensically revealed would have been so comprehensively exposed by our clunking, expensive, slanted to the well-heeled, adversarial justice system. As Anatole France cynically observed: our impartial laws, punishing rich and poor alike, for stealing bread and sleeping under bridges.
A.M. Whiddett,Yarralumla
SEXUAL VIOLENCE BIAS
Jack Pappas (Letters, April 28) shows a complete disregard for reputable research (as outlined in the article ''Freeze ruling a small win for sexual assault victims'', Times2, April 24, p5) and precisely demonstrates the sort of entrenched bias which hinders rational discussion about issues relating to sexual violence.
Anne Laisk, Weston
CAPITOL THEATRE
Hear, hear Glenda James (Letters, April 28). The following comment on the old Capitol Theatre is from ''In Trust for the Future - the first ACT Heritage Listings'' by Peter Dowling: ''Despite a public campaign to save it from destruction and the Trust's insistence that it was significant to Canberra's heritage, in 1980 it disappeared almost overnight. Its destruction was (and still is) a sad indictment of the urban development philosophy of the national capital developers of the time.''
Sara York, Kingston
LEVY ON THE WEALTHY
This talk of a levy on income is probably just a scarecrow to make the real cuts seem relatively palatable. But if it is OK to muse about new sources of revenue, how about a wealth levy? Say 1 per cent on wealth over $10 million - with safeguards against disguising ownership.
Ron Walker, Campbell
LEAVE GARDEN ALONE
Wednesday April 30 is our last chance to tell the National Capital Authority we do not want the barbecue and picnic facilities on the south side of Lennox Gardens removed and replaced with a Chinese garden from the city of Beijing. This lovely picnic area is a much-loved site and heavily used at weekends. The proposed Chinese garden should be placed in an area which needs enhancement to give a benefit to Canberrans, not remove one.
Gina Pinkas, Aranda
DEFENCE BUDGET CUTS
Those protesting the quarantining of defence from further budget cuts oddly ignore that it is the only major area of government already cut savagely and continually in recent years.
Neil James, executive director, Australia Defence Association
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