Athllon Drive site would be perfect for a new Canberra stadium

Given our climate, and the huge popularity of rugby and other sports here, a new stadium should have a crowd-pulling, flexible, all-over, translucent roof. So, affordability and ease of timely construction would be critical factors, including in the choice of a site.

Location equity is also vital in Canberra. So, the new rugby-type stadium needs to be located in the south.

Waiting for it there is a large, vacant, well-orientated site, with generally the required zoning. It's on the west side of Athllon Drive, Greenway, adjoining existing sporting and accommodation facilities in a spectacular Canberra lake and mountain setting, with room for allied functions.

It's close to the growing Tuggeranong town centre, near the bus station, opposite the aquatic centre, and right on the planned tramline.

In your April 21 editorial you ask "Is ideology driving gendered violence?"

I see a violently negative attitude towards women as irrational and more likely to be related to mental health issues and a lack of appropriate psychological or psychiatric treatment and care.

This in turn reflects an inadequate focus on and funding for mental health.

Today (April 25) we commemorate those who have laid down their lives in defence of this nation and the landing of the Australian and NZ Army Corps (Anzac) at Gallipoli. More than 60,000 Australians lost their lives during WWI, including 8700 at Gallipoli.

But little or no thought is given to the contribution made to the WWI war effort by Australian-bred horses. Known as "Walers", as they were primarily bred in NSW, more than 136,000 were sent overseas in support of our troops and allies. Tough horses, they carried both our men and transported their military supplies.

Only one, "Sandy", was allowed to return at the end of the war because of transport costs and a fear that diseases may be imported. Sandy was the mount of the senior Australian officer, Major General Sir William Bridges [the first commandant of Duntroon], who died as a result of injuries sustained during the landing at Gallipoli.

The public can view the horse's taxidermied head and neck in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The horses were heroes, too.

The eleventh hour stumping up of a paltry $200,000 extra by the ACT government to support Canberra United, one of the most successful teams to represent the city, is a further indicator of the need to send them to the opposition benches.

In contrast the current government feels justified in handing $2.8 million dollars a year to an out-of-town AFL team to play three games a year here.

For that money the ACT government could support Canberra United for the next decade. October can't come soon enough for many of us.

Jane Timbrell's letter (Letters, April 23) is a sad reminder of people not understanding what Australians commemorate on Anzac Day.

We remember and honour the thousands of Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander and Papua New Guineans who fought and died for our freedom.

We do not celebrate peace for one day of the year. Because of the sacrifice these men and women made we celebrate peace every day in Australia.

The Australian War Memorial will never be removed. It is a memorial to the people who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

Thank you for a refreshingly open opinion on the nature of Canberra's Anzac Day ceremony (Letters, April 23). Anzac Day and Remembrance Day are occasions for the community of veterans, families, friends and for those of us grateful for sacrifices made.

They should not be for politicians, and their excessively long speeches. Nor for the excessive numbers of senior ADF personnel (not all of whom are veterans) in the official party.

Neither day is an Armed Forces Day, per se. Such days are for Communist nations. A (partial) Federation Guard should parade, with an ADF band, and Catafalque Party. And any ADF formation that has been on service as a unit (such as the crew of an RAN vessel recently on contentious patrolling).

In earlier decades, serving ADF veterans attended and paraded in civvies, alongside former ADF veterans (also in civvies). Respect for each other, and great respect from the wider community.

The most appropriate recent services have been in the Sculpture Garden. Stripped down to allow community members nearer engagement. My former veteran family members were not ones for the grand show. They were humble people.

I've just received notice that Canberra's "Tree Week" begins soon. We are invited to celebrate the glories of the bush capital.

On the same day, I completed a survey for the City Renewal Authority, which plans to destroy the mature shade trees adorning the Dickson shops. Ironic, eh? But a sad reflection of how our supposedly Green government has lost its way.

The Prime Minister's attempts to prevent adult Australians knowing what actually happened at the recent church stabbing are an affront to democracy, free speech and transparency.

There are far more distressing scenes on TV and at the cinema; far more social discord is fomented by policing failures. Then there is also the government's own failure to adequately fund preventative mental health.

When Australians are losing millions of dollars each year to e-scammers, and the internet is awash with uncensored porn, surely the e-Safety Commissioner has better things to do than prevent adults from choosing to watch a video of a real event of public interest?

Why does the government treat us all like snowflakes and prevent us knowing the truth?

I would like to thank the nurse and the young couple passing by who stopped to help me when I had collapsed outside the Woden Plaza a few weeks ago.

These lovely people and the security man stayed with me until the ambulance arrived. I was helpless and their help was outstanding. I was in hospital for nine days and am still recovering. I would welcome the opportunity to thank them personally.

Also a huge thank you to the nursing staff at Ward 7 in the Canberra Hospital. They were just fabulous.

It's good news that cheaper renewable energy is driving down electricity costs.

Now powering almost 40 per cent of Australia's electricity grid, renewable energy is also reducing our climate pollution and resulting in cleaner air, particularly in traditional energy producing regional areas.

It also improves our energy independence. Whether via rooftop solar or wind farms, let's get behind more of the abundant solar and wind energy that is benefiting us all.

So Michael McCarthy believes basically that it takes two to tango by referencing the situation between Russia and the Ukraine, and Israel and the situation in the Gaza. Putin invaded the Ukraine unprovoked, so now Ukraine should just sit back and cop it? The situation in Gaza would not be what it currently is without Hamas's cowardly attack.

Netanyahu should start acting like a statesman instead of a "yahoo", but then again it would take both Israel and Hamas to sit down and sort things out to the betterment of them both. Quite frankly with Hamas's mindset to destroy Israel, I can't see this happening, As far as the situation with Putin is concerned, this won't change until he leaves the scene.

Apropos Mokhles Sidden's suggested requirement of securing accommodation before visas (Letters, April 23), it seems to me that universities should be prohibited from offering international student places without a matching accommodation offer (for the ordinary term of the degree, not just the first year). That would rationalise university operations and go a long way to solving Australia's housing problem.

If Elon Musk refuses to obey Australian take-down laws couldn't we extradite him from the USA? Or, if he goes to the UK, we could get that country to put him under virtual house-arrest in the Ecuadorian embassy for seven years and then jail him for five more without a trial.

The Canberra Times stadium survey (April 23) is pitched as a two-horse race: Civic vs Bruce. A loaded question asks the punter to rank the statement: "Location in the city" in terms of its importance. The options are: "I don't care, neutral, and important". How about "no"?

I'd be careful about justifying statements by quoting the Bible, Ian Jannaway (Letters, April 23): "Now therefore kill all the males among the little ones and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him..." (Numbers 31,17) and that is only one among many.

I don't as a rule comment on other contributions to the letters pages, no matter how inane they are. But in the case of M. Flint (Letters, April 22), I am prepared to make an exception. I will not be lectured about modern Australian political history by this man. I will not. Not now, not ever.

PM Netanyahu says he would oppose any US sanctions against Israeli military units accused of rights violations. He would. It's come to a point where his own Israeli people don't trust him to do what's right. But the fact that the US is considering such a sanction is telling.

Why aren't car manufacturers developing a device for cars that would automatically disable mobile phones upon ignition? There are far too many morons on our roads who desperately need help disengaging from their mobiles while driving. They are the cause of many accidents.

Once upon a time two young staffers walked into Parliament House. No one lived happily ever after. Except a bunch of lawyers.

With recent tragedies still raw in our consciousness and politicians adjuring kindness, gentleness and compassion, why not extend the beatitudes to the plight of the growing numbers of the homeless?

To my surprise I received a telephone directory in my mailbox this week. The number of people using them must be very small these days, so isn't it time to consign them to the history books and save on costs?

If it comes to pass that a decision is made to rename the Sirius Building might I suggest a name that might partly satisfy both sides? My suggestion is the "You Can't Be Sirius Building".