The arboretum's Tree Advisory Panel, which I chair, is as concerned as Ron Gray (Letters, September 21) that the trees established at the site survive and flourish under our likely future climate.
Of the 35 species established to date, around two-thirds have a track record of success in Canberra; the majority of the remainder (20 per cent) are closely related to species with a record of success, or are from arid or semi-arid environments harsher than Canberra's.
Only five species mostly those Ron lists have not been trialled in Canberra previously, or are known to require more moisture than our climate delivers naturally.
In each of these cases, we have been informed by experience of growing the species elsewhere; the arboretum plan allows for ongoing irrigation of up to 10 per cent of the species we plant.
In a few cases such as the celebrated Wollemi Pine, for which there is no prior experience because of its unique history we have taken a calculated risk.
In all cases, we believe the species will tolerate the extent of climate change predicted for Canberra over the next 100 years. We're helped in this by the generally high levels of adaptability and plasticity that many populations of trees possess.
For these reasons, I believe the evidence suggests that we should be optimistic, rather than pessimistic, about the future of the trees we plant and the arboretum we're creating.
In relation to Ron's concern about the prostitution of expertise, your readers should be aware that the ANU has made my time available to the arboretum project free of charge, as part of the university's service to the Canberra community.
Peter Kanowski,
Professor of Forestry, ANU
NO DIVIDENDS IN CUTS
Almost every day in the Canberra Times we see evidence of how the so-called 3 per cent efficiency dividend is increasingly impacting on the smaller Commonwealth agencies.
This measure was introduced by the previous government and is being continued by the present one. It could be better called a ''funding cut'', as that is precisely what it is.
Over the past few days the cumulative effects of the funding cuts have been highlighted at the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Australian War Memorial.
Other institutions which I am aware of with similar problems range from the regulatory, such as the Australian National Audit Office, which finds itself unable to perform it full statutory role, to the cultural, such as the Australian National Library, which has had to cut services and trim programs.
While major departments can largely absorb the cuts although I am sure they are also having difficulty the cut to the smaller agencies has a disproportionate effect.
These agencies have to provide the same administrative and support services to staff as larger ones, while attempting to fulfil their actual roles.
The ED is an iniquitous imposition which should be removed.
Vic Adams,
Reid
LIKEABLE LARRIKIN
There is little evidence from the latest scrap involving ACT Minister John Hargreaves to suggest he should resign.
I was not at the function but hearing from persons attending the Hellenic Club fund-raiser, Hargreaves has little to answer for.
He did not initiate the ''polly'' throwing incident and Amanda Bresnan certainly did not give the impression on the night she was hostile to the act. In fact, I am told she was laughing throughout! The seriousness of misconduct must diminish if the victim only comes forward after reflection.
Especially is this so if the injured party is in the political world and a member of another party.
With all three political parties in the ACT Legislative Assembly involved, the question must be asked, was the whole thing a set-up?
Sure, Hargreaves' style will upset powerful groups within our city. His blokey, rough-diamond, hard-drinking, ocker-rocker image could offend groups like the politically fashionable feminist lobby.
I find Hargreaves a breath of fresh air and most interesting to watch, a bit like those three other larrikin politicians of the past, John Gorton, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.
Frank Boddy,
Lyons
BATTLING OFFICIALDOM
Congratulations to solicitor David Landers for his courageous stand against the ACT Department of Education and ACT Law Society (''Lawyer wins right to criticise 'unhelpful' bureaucrats'', September 25, p1).
People have suffered for too long at the hands of unaccountable officials in bureaucracies who, in any dispute, can hide behind bureaucratic barriers and draw on taxpayers' funds to avoid responsibility.
His victory is a small but important step for the ordinary person.
Ted Beardow,
Beauty Point, NSW
I am astounded that the ACT Department of Education has had the cheek to accuse people who criticise it of professional misconduct (''Lawyer wins right to criticise 'unhelpful' bureaucrats'', September 25, p1).
Who do these arrogant bureaucrats think they are? Don't they realise that robust public criticism of perceived injustice and maladministration is indispensable to correcting abuses?
David Landers should be named Australian of the Year.
Michael McCarthy,
Deakin
CONFLICTING CALLS
The closing ceremony at the Australian War Memorial should not be sponsored, either being performed by volunteers, the military or paid for by the Government (ie taxpayers).
If the volunteer fire brigade in Ypres can play the Last Post and the Ode be read at the Menin Gate every night since November 11, 1929 (excluding World War II) to express gratitude to those who died for Belgium's freedom, all for no cost, then why can't the AWM do the same for our service personnel?
Steve Hurren,
Macquarie
I don't see a conflict of interest in sponsorship at the War Memorial.
Didn't all those soldiers die so we could enjoy unfettered free market capitalism?
War memorial sponsorship is noble and honest, a true symbol of our victory and our values.
Andrew Dib,
Lyneham
CLOUDED BY DUST
The opening paragraph from Acacia Rose (Letters, September 24) spells gloom and doom for our future climate, including further dust storms.
Further, she (I presume) writes that the dust storm apparently suppressed the rain for Canberra on Tuesday (predicted 70 per cent probability), and that this is in line with CSIRO research as regards a general correlation between precipitation (other than dust) and air pollution.
I will not contest the latter but, for the record, I measured 23mm of rain at my Kambah home between late Monday evening (lightning storms) and early Wednesday morning, which covers the period of the dust storm.
I think that storm was simply a freak event, which we have had in the past, and to which no particular significance should be attached.
Greg Jackson,
Kambah
GREENHOUSE GROWTH
So both China and India, already the world's first and fifth-biggest emitters, say they want to link their emissions to their growth at Copenhagen (''US, China vow action'', September 24, p15).
But such a commitment is meaningless. Their emissions are already linked to their growth.
Their economies keep growing rapidly and, reflecting accelerating investment in coal-fired electricity, cement and steel production and car ownership, their surging emissions will ensure global concentrations of GHGs keep rising strongly, regardless of mooted cuts by the West.
John West,
Reid
A BIT OF BIFF
The Canberra Times reported a brawl in an under-16 rugby league match (''NRL backs 20-year ban for 'beyond unacceptable' junior violence'', September 24, p28) which led to one player being suspended for 20 years, two more for five years and another for two years.
The fight led to six teenagers being charged by the police.
On the same page (''Melbourne braces for impact as Broncos continue physical finals charge'') you reported that the Melbourne Storm anticipates that the Brisbane Broncos will ''come down here and try and bash us up''.
Still on the same page, you feature the headline ''Saints promise blood, brutality''. The St Kilda coach is quoted as saying, ''it's going to be brutal, there's going to be blood rules, there's going to be big collisions, that's the way it's going to be played.''
And finally, still on the same page (''Lloyd's legacy of goals, dives and bumps''), a retiring AFL player is reported to have said, ''I've copped plenty of hits in my time and I've given a few out and that's the way footy should be.''
These 16-year-olds are required to make very fine judgments. I may have to reconsider my opposition to them having a vote at federal elections.
Stuart Magee,
Griffith
QUESTION TIME QUESTIONS
Congratulations David McLennan for your article (''Disorder in the House'', September 18, p27). You must be about the first member of the parliamentary press gallery to draw the attention of your readers, and therefore some of the electorate, to the farcical question times in the House of Representatives.
For the PM to concede ''that the present system has significant imperfections and all politicians could lift their game'' is somewhat typical and to be expected.
He should lead by example and reduce his waffling responses by at least 50 per cent and make them far more pithy and relevant.
I suggest that the entire performance could be vastly improved if those in the press gallery did not appear to be so moribund.
Criticism of both sides should be reported. This would relate to cutting out multi-faceted questions which give ministers responding open slather as to which section they address, and should thus reduce points of order on ''relevance''.
Ministers should be roundly criticised for their long-winded and generally irrelevant responses.
The Speaker should also come into contention for his handling of proceedings and his rulings on relevance. With criticism being roundly and liberally dispensed, members on both sides would soon get the message that their performance was lacking, and the purpose of question time of giving ''citizens' representatives a chance to hold the Government to account and question its activities'', would be restored.
N. Bailey,
Murrumbateman, NSW