The tree in Corroboree Park which Rosslyn Beeby reported the felling of (''Ainslie residents dispute tree felling'', October 3, p3), was a magnificent specimen, and a special tree to me.
I have passed by that tree twice daily for two years, always distracted by the wildlife in it. About 7m up, just past the first fork, there was a hollow in which two families of galahs were raised over that period. The parents have never left the tree, even in the winter when the fledglings had gone. They could be seen clinging to the trunk above, or beside the hollow, pecking around house-proud sort of activities. I went past on the afternoon the tree was felled. The female was flying around where the tree had been, carrying twigs for nesting. This circling the vacant airspace continued, almost non-stop, for a couple of days.
Now it has settled down to silent vigil, on the electric wire near where the tree was, or in the tree opposite. Go look, Mr Chief Minister the galah pair will be there in the early morning, waiting despondently for the tree to return.
The Government's response is that the tree was in ''poor condition'' and had hollows. For its age, the tree was in a wonderful state. I, too, saw the cross-sections of the trunks after the felling the tree was sturdy.
But that's not the main point. Much of our wildlife lives and breeds in such trees. Is it too much for the Government to cohabit, sensibly and sensitively, with the ageing beauty that has been created by those who planted this garden town?
Mike Gilligan,
Gundaroo, NSW
ROT AND HOLLOW FEELINGS
L. Giles (Letters, October 8) questioned if the trees being felled are checked for hollows. I asked some tree fellers why two trees had been felled.
They showed me a thin surface area of rot on one and a hollow on another.
The tree pictured on Wednesday (''Griffith residents puzzled at felling of healthy gum trees'', October 7, p4) displayed such a hollow. They are being checked for hollows and then felled because of it. I wondered if the otherwise healthy tree and its hollow could have been saved by heavy pruning instead, thus preserving a home for a bird.
Julie Macklin,
Narrabundah
CALVARY CONFUSION
The lease for Calvary hospital was negotiated between prime minister Harold Holt and the then Archbishop O'Brien and given to Little Company of Mary by the archbishop to hold on behalf of the Church.
If LCM can no longer discharge its duty it should return the lease to the archdiocese for the balance of the lease.
The LCM board has failed to involve the wider church and the community in its deliberations. It the board gets its way, $77million will leave the territory for no good reason.
The Stanhope Government should not be spending the federal health dollar in this way when it is not necessary. It has underfunded the hospital because it suits and the community must not accept this situation.
As a principle, if funding were to be provided only where the government had ownership of the assets, we would have Joe Stalin back in charge and state ownership would be the rule of the day. An unworkable policy.
There is no impediment to a closer working relationship between ACT Health and Calvary under a local board established by the archdiocese.
The close relationship which exists between the two pathology departments can be replicated in other areas such as ICU, CCU and emergency.
However, improved funding would also help. The Catholic and wider community should make their submissions to the Government's consultation process.
Paul Monagle,
Covenor, Friends of Calvary Hospital
LAW SOCIETY GAPS
The ACT Law Society's refusal to accept the court's decision in the case of ACT private lawyer David Lander (''Warning to keep a civil (service) tongue'', October 7, p1) has all the hallmarks of a witch-hunt by a society management consisting overwhelmingly of public servants.
Lander's apparent sin was that in bluntly accusing a government department of insensitivity and incompetence in its dealings with his client he offended the faceless government authority in plain language (without swear words) which most people would laud, rather than decry.
With powerful public servants such as Louise Vardanega of the Australian Government Solicitor's office in controlling positions, the Law Society is open to serious questions of self-interest in its bloody-minded pursuit of a private sector member who is not one of their own power structure. One has to wonder about the the ability of such an organisation to make fair and equitable decisions in other complaint matters brought by disaffected members of the public against lawyers who happen to be in the public service.
John Bell,
Lyneham
THREAT TO VETERANS PARK
I walked through Veterans Park today in bright sunlight.
The grass was lush, trees were in blossom, people were sitting chatting. I thought, how could anyone, anywhere, consider sacrificing this oasis for yet another blank office building of which Civic has dozens.
There's a lot of military history in this park. I noticed three memorial plaques to servicemen who gave their lives for Australia. All three plaques were unveiled by governors-general Zelman Cowen, Ninian Stephen and william Deane. There's an Australian Special Air Service memorial rose garden at the Northbourne Avenue end with 46 names on plaques. There's also a memorial fountain, not playing, of course.
Come on, Jon Stanhope. Just say one simple word to these developers: No.
And could you please arrange for the fountain to play again in memory of those who died for our country.
Graeme Barrow,
Hackett
TOWERS OF DARKNESS
In reference to the story ''Plan for $200m Civic 'Towers' '' (September 29, p1), I raise the following questions:
Is this development-driven planning at the cost of a human scale and social amenity?
Will Northbourne Avenue landholders west of the development be consulted about the loss of street-level sunlight when the height of buildings is raised?
If the Veterans Park Memorial (unveiled October 18, 1981) is to be moved as a ''land swap'', has consideration been given to the greater impact of wind, dust and noise of a busier intersection as the alternative site?
Has Stanhope's ''guarantee'' of the amenity of the new park location taken into consideration that midday shade is more highly prized than sun at the existing Veterans Park Memorial, which receives morning and afternoon sunshine as well as wind protection?
As a volunteer supplying breakfast at the Early Morning Centre across Northbourne Avenue, I note that on August 7 guests were encouraged to plant a flowering plum to serve as a memorial ''Eternity Tree'' of remembrance to 10 of their friends who died during the past year. This tribute is likely to be an annual event.
To other Canberrans, these marginalised people were nameless, but the Veterans Park Memorial now holds a special sentimental value for several dozen people, including veterans of Korea and Vietnam (places named on two plaques within the park).
Terry Birtles,
Hall
OBEYING THE ORDERS
Commodore Norman Lee, RAN Retd, asks (Letters, October 8) what motivates Pamela Curr to disparage the navy for obeying the orders of the civil power.
The answer lies in the p2 article of the same date in The Australian newspaper where her real agenda and suspect modus operandi is disclosed.
The Sri Lankan brothers who precipitated her Monday missive in The Canberra Times had escaped lawful custody in our country before their claims to more permanent settlement could be properly assessed by appropriate instrumentalities.
The two were deported, with a credibility gap subsequently widened by authoritative material establishing they were bad lads by any measure.
Pamela Curr provides increasing evidence that she will say, do, ignore, imply, fabricate or misinterpret anything to advance the cause of people-smugglers and dodgy asylum-seekers, not caring if the RAN and Department of Immigration and Citizenship have to take undeserved crossfire. There's the agenda and she makes no attempt to hide it.
Patrick Jones,
Griffith
PUZZLE ABOUT GOD
It is a terrible tragedy we have been witnessing in Australia, seeing those earthquakes ravaging Indonesia and Samoa.
It is easy to understand all the grieving, mourning experienced by these people.
What I try but cannot understand is the reason behind their presence in church to pray and thank their particular God. If they have a God they must believe it to be omnipotent and able to decide the fate of this planet and its people.
If those earthquakes have happened it is logically because that particular God wanted them to happen; so why go to church and thank someone who kicked you in the teeth? Isn't it an insult to all those dead people to witness all those church goers going to church thanking that God for what he has done to them? Were they all bad people? What was their crime?
G. Coquillette,
Spence
CLIMATE OF LEADERSHIP
Don Henry (''Climate right for Australia to lead'', October 8, p19) advocates Australia's adopting a leadership role in moving towards a low-carbon economy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, using our bountiful supplies of clean renewable energy sources and creating many employment opportunities.
Henry makes no mention of chlorophyll, which is the planet's most important complex molecule and is the only one capable, through photosynthesis, of drawing down and sequestering carbon dioxide into carbon sinks of trees, vegetation and soils to promote climate cooling and enhance soil fertility.
While temporarily increasing crop yields, land clearing and industrial agriculture have removed much of the organic material from soil, much of which is blown away in dust storms, while we continue to destroy old growth native forests, which represent a major carbon sink. Many Australian farmers, who see their future at risk on the world's most arid continent, are seeking to repair their landscapes in ecologically and economically sustainable ways (see: www.oilmallee.org.au and www.amazingcarbon.com.au).
It would be a positive initiative for the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Government, ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Change conference, to advocate a cessation of native forest clearing and propose a new agricultural revolution to address the interrelated problems of threats to food and water security and climate change.
Bryan Furnass,
Hughes
BRILLIANCE BLURRED
What a brilliant week it has been for Australia! Elizabeth Blackburn became the first Australian woman to win the Nobel Prize; the country has emerged from the recession ahead of the other industrialised nations; and the boys have retained the one-day cricket trophy.
Trust Malcolm Turnbull to butt in and spoil it.
Sam Nona,
Burradoo, NSW
CEMENT SHOE SHUFFLE
When John Hargreaves steps down, can he please take Al Grassby's statue with him?
Tom Ruut,
Garran
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