In relation to the proposed redevelopment of the former Burnie Court site, it appears that the ACT Planning and Land Authority, in seeking to rebut objections from community and expert professional groups on key issues of sunlight exposure, over-shadowing, density increases, built-form incompatibility and traffic impacts, has simply lifted verbatim conclusions from the planning report commissioned by the developer.

While rejecting any imputation of plagiarism on the authority's part, its chief executive, Neil Savery, contended that it was not unreasonable for the authority to adopt the same conclusions as the developer's consultants when it finds itself totally in agreement with them.

Unfortunately, what is apparently standard practice by ACTPLA obviously conflicts with its statutory and professional obligations to undertake balanced, expert and objective assessments of its own and be able to validate them publicly from both an environmental and a public interest standpoint.

Without providing a measure of mitigation, it also appears from the committee hearings that, in relation to large and complex projects, ACTPLA is severely constrained by a lack of adequate professional staff, nor does it have sufficient funds to engage consultants to assist it in the conduct of its own at-arms-length investigations.

Rectification of these fiscal deficiencies accordingly goes to the heart of whether the Government accepts that a fully functioning planning system is part and parcel of its drive to maintain a constant flow of revenue from land and property development in the territory, or whether it does not.

Tony Powell, Griffith

Israel, same ol' story

Barack Obama's half-hearted condemnation of Netanyahu's intransigence in consolidating and expanding illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank may well look good against his predecessor's record of unblushing support for every imaginable atrocity the Israelis chose to commit in their oppressive war against virtually defenceless Palestinians.