Canberrans are finding that the power of the mighty dollar is insidiously starting to destroy the legacy of yet another one of our most influential founders, Professor Lindsay Pryor the internationally acclaimed botanist and landscape architect who was responsible for most of the now mature tree plantings throughout the centre and older suburbs of our beautiful city.
Following Burley Griffin's principles, his avenue plantings and his parks and garden trees remain dominant on the landscape in the Parliamentary Triangle where buildings are kept below the treetops, at six storeys or less. In the adjacent suburb of Barton, renowned architects such as Mitchell, Giurgola & Thorp with their leafy ''Landmark'' apartment complex and lovely wide gardens, all stayed within these rules, as controlled by the National Capital Authority and forerunners.
The large Macquarie Street/Blackall Street land next to the Edmund Barton offices, formerly intended for a much needed car park, is the first of the losers. In their efforts to maximise its sale price, the spin doctors in what remains of the NCA, are now proposing ''Draft Amendment 57''. This will allow a developer to build not just one, but three high rise blocks of 10 storeys each (plus machinery and plant rooms etc) way above the treetops, on top of a six storey podium covering all but the street edges of the site ) no parks, no gardens. A disastrous precedent is being established.
B. Pryor, Kingston
Take the green step
Rapidly melting ice and loss of albedo (reflective) effect at the poles indicate a tipping point in climate disruption which threatens civilisation (''Political inertia over polar melting will cut no ice'', April 8, p23).
Yet most politicians, not least the Australian Government and opposition, are scientifically illiterate and spectacularly incompetent at initiating urgent mitigation measures to reduce emissions and promote bio-sequestration of carbon to initiate a renewable energy revolution.
Under the influence of the coal lobby, the Government's proposal to reduce carbon emissions by 5 per cent is pathetically irresponsible in the face of the need to reduce emissions globally by 80 per cent before mid-century.
They forgo credibility for Australia to provide leadership at the end-of-year climate conference in Copenhagen.
Thirty years ago, the physicist Sir Mark Oliphant stated that Australia had the capacity to obtain its energy needs from the Simpson Desert, given the government's courage to do so.
No such courage is apparent in the present government, who promote community spending to increase our carbon footprint, rather than decrease it through progressive replacement of coal by renewable clean energy.
Australia's world-class science and technology and endless sunshine could provide all our energy needs, together with abundant employment and export opportunities for renewable energy.
Why can't our Government drag their feet of clay out of their addiction to 19th century dirty fossil-fuels?
Bryan Furnass, Hughes
Memorial for all
It is absolutely astounding that Mike Wright (Letters, April 7) thinks academic research like mine is nit-picking.
Apart from the fact that I have worked independently from universities and have had no support from any academy why the vehemence against learning, or is it that your prejudices preclude you from understanding? You are not fighting overseas now Wright: why don't you take the trouble to read any of a myriad of well-researched historical works?
Surely an informed view is what counts here, not a Kath & Kim moment.
On the 19th century Australian frontier it was readily accepted by white squatters and settlers that a war was being waged; so how do you reconcile this with your views?
In regards to the War Memorial being yours, may I ask why it is called the Australian War Memorial? Is it not for all Australians?
Similarly you don't think the Eureka Rebellion should be recognised at the AWM well, it is, in the colonial gallery.
My grandfather was at Gallipoli.
Australian military history belongs to all. It belongs to indigenous Australians too, but their history, as a part of our history, is ignored.
Dr Timothy Bottoms, Ainslie
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