Canberra Times Letters to the Editor: African lovegrass a growing crisis that government must tackle now

The now dominant grass in many parts of Canberra is a noxious weed — African lovegrass.

In recent years this weed has taken over thousands of hectares of land in our nature reserves, road verges and farming land.

How did it get there? It's been actively spread by government mowing. Now, not only is it dominant on public land, it's infiltrating the lawns of our homes, ovals, school sporting fields, and is continuing to spread at an exponential rate.

Take a look along the Murrumbidgee River reserves right next to our suburbs. This grass from the plains of Africa is an environmental disaster, quickly becoming a monoculture and causing a loss of plant diversity and wildlife habitat.

But more than that, where it's not mown, it's tall and highly flammable, burning hotter and higher than native grasses.

One day, when an African lovegrass fire causes loss of property (and potentially life), I am in no doubt that expensive barristers will again be required to justify government inaction during a coronial enquiry, as they were post 2003 fires.

Maybe it's time for government to admit there's a problem, tell people of the ACT about the consequences of its uncontrolled spread, and do something about this dangerous weed?

Tom Gay, Deakin

Re "Seselja to push for inquiry into stage two of light rail" (February 13, p1): Light rail can't go on just one of the two matching central lake crossings, such as the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, because they need to express themselves strictly identically and symmetrically, and to have trams on both would be stupid, because they converge.

If the madness of trams is to continue, or in any case, we should look to Griffin's missing central crossing.

It would take the form of a gently curving (circular) low-level car/tram/bike/pedestrian (no heavy vehicles) bridge, springing from lower Lawson Crescent on Acton Peninsula to the south of the Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and making southern landfall tangentially on a significantly-increased-in-area Lennox Gardens.

This crossing preserves the Commonwealth-Kings Avenue Bridge symmetry; the yacht course in West Lake; the integrity of the Acton Peninsula land form (by not having a intrusive bridge sticking off the end of it — never in Griffin's plans); completes his circular form of West Basin to the south; provides much-needed connectivity between Civic-Acton, Parkes, the Parliamentary Zone, and beyond; stimulates a better, more lively development plan for the peninsula and the adjoining Australian National University land; and delivers new good circular-edged, sunny, north-facing Lennox Gardens lakeside land for recreational use, which would be far better than the currently proposed West Basin apartment-compromised, south-facing (sun-deprived), expensive (with Parkes Way vertically duplicated) City-to-the-Lake precinct.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

A Senate inquiry into the proposed stage two of the light rail should be welcomed since it should publish a proper cost-benefit analysis (never available for stage one), reduce the excessive construction cost apparent in stage one (around $700,000 per metre), or encourage Canberrans to think about what more we are giving up if stage two proceeds.

Regarding the last point, stage one has already resulted in continuing pressure to develop and sell public land irrespective of the detrimental impact on the community's wellbeing (eg, West Basin), "re-profiling" (the government's term — meaning defer and defer) of other projects, and a general run-down in services resulting in, for example, longer hospital waiting lists (essentially forcing families to maintain or increase their private health cover, at a cost of thousands per year) and the much commented on lack of mowing.

It will be ironic if the Senate saves the ACT government from itself.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

I see that Chief Minister Barr (February 15) has told the Legislative Assembly that he wants to give up Canberra's unique urban planning advantages — the admiration of Australians and foreigners alike — so that Canberra can look like "anywhere else in the world".

May he live to see it.

And no, I'm not from the 1940s.

John Griffin, Hughes

Zen Seselja just doesn't get it. The majority of Canberrans want light rail. His personal conservative base didn't. The majority of Canberrans wanted gay marriage. His personal conservative base didn't.

Being one of the political representatives of the ACT in federal parliament should involve representing the interests of all Canberrans. The decision to have a light rail system has been made. Canberra voters have told him what they want, twice.

Is Mr Seselja's prime interest the people and future of the ACT or simply the interests and the future of Mr Seselja?

Patrick O'Hara, Isaacs

It's disappointing to read that the ACT government has apparently decided, as part of a budgetary review, to delay a significant part (900m) of the duplication of the John Gorton Drive extension (Coppins Crossing Road) south of William Hovell Drive.

This road is an essential arterial link between Weston Creek and Belconnen via the rapidly expanding Molonglo Valley.

It's unbelievable that the government is heading down the same mistaken path as it did on the GDE and the Cotter Road (delayed) duplications.

Today's traffic gridlock on Coppins Crossing Road shows the urgent need for its completion.

Same old. Same old. Just do it now.

John Mungoven, Stirling

Re "Rates rise may force unit owner to delay retirement" (February 15, p2).

Whilst we all have sympathy with Ms Young and other apartment owners, I believe all ACT voters were warned what would transpire if Barr/Rattenbury were returned to government at the last ACT election, ie rates would skyrocket.

How else were they going to pay for their white elephant, the Tonka Tram.

If you think it's bad enough now, just wait till they sign off on the Woden link.

Oh and while we're at it, the free kick to developers in the postponing lease variation charges.

Sorry Ms Young ... this is your life.

Peter Toscan, Amaroo

Re your article: "A dozen schools far from full house" (February 14, p1).

This comes as no surprise to the Canberra community, especially in Tuggeranong.

This has been the trend for many years and while I can only speak about the secondary schools in Tuggeranong, it has not been without the effort of teachers in those schools to attract student numbers.

Each year at the beginning of term two these schools work extremely hard using a variety of media to highlight specific curriculum choices so that parents will enrol their children in their school.

As the article explains, numbers equate to resources and this allows these schools to refine their programs to accommodate the needs of their students.

The ACT Education Directorate allows this unhealthy competition and once again does nothing to address priority enrolments for Tuggeranong schools.

In fact the Education Directorate is selective in its choice of priority enrolment areas as demonstrated in North Canberra.

It is an ongoing problem as nothing is done to try to create an even "playing field".

As for the employment of Stephen Lamb from a Victoria University, I'm sure that one of the many retired principals in our community could have been employed to investigate this concern.

These principals no doubt would have understood and sympathised with these schools and provided many examples on how to address this problem.

Susan Swift, Kambah

There is no excuse for the bad manners shown to John Morland at an ANU climate conference (Letters, February 14) but there is an explanation.

Morland was trying to have a discussion on the relative effects of water vapour and CO2 as greenhouse gasses.

This tactic of wasting time by dragging a red herring has been a feature of public meetings since the climate change denialists got organised in the early 1990s. Morland is a relative newcomer but he should know that his intentions were made obvious when he quoted scientific opinion from a lecture in 1865.

At that time spectroscopy was in its infancy and it would be fully 55 years before there was a useful understanding of the mechanism of radiative forcing whereby the energy of electromagnetic radiation is transferred to the vibrations of atoms within polyatomic molecules.

Frustration in the face of this tactic can result in the deplorable incident experienced by Morland.

Of course water vapour is the biggest contributor to radiative forcing and H2O in its various forms is responsible for controlling at least 85 per cent of the power which drives the climate.

In pre-industrial times this power amounted to around 239 Watts per square metre of the earth's surface. Since then the CO2 concentration has increased resulting in an extra 2W/m2.

Water vapour, which is essentially constant over long periods of time, can be assumed to have added nothing.

The extra power can result in heating of the atmosphere, heating of the oceans, melting of glaciers and in intensifying storms. There are large uncertainties in quantifying these phenomena and public meetings are held to inform as to the state of research.

Nick Ware, O'Connor

This Aboriginal advisory council seems to be Bill Shorten's latest project, similar to the original NBN proposal which was drawn up on the back of a drinks coaster by Stephen Conroy.

No detail, no plan, no costing. If Aboriginals, or anyone else, want to be involved in decision making in Australia, the answer is simple. Form a political party, or join existing parties, get elected just like the rest of us do.

This advisory council idea is insane. Essentially state-sponsored racism which will be extremely divisive. I don't know how many Aboriginal tribes there are, but for the sake of simplicity let's say 250. To ensure procedural fairness, we'd need one delegate from each. The selection process at this stage is unknown.

Each delegate would need at least four staff to cover all of the issues. It can be argued that virtually all existing federal departments affect Aboriginals in one way or other, (they affect all Australians already) so there would need to be consultation with all departments, and possibly attendance at cabinet meetings.

To house all these people, we would need a new suitable building, organise another 250 Comcars, plus travel allowances etc.

Not forgetting that all of these people would also need to be paid. Do the maths.

I agree with Turnbull – this concept would never get up via referendum, but Shorten is saying that he will just legislate it if elected.

This will morph into a third house of government, with even more attendant costs and delays. This is just a new version of ATSIC, but on steroids.

The mind boggles.

John Burns, Hall

Congratulations to Bill Shorten on his Indigenous Voice to Parliament initiative, whatever that entails.

But why stop there?

Why not a Pensioners' Voice to Parliament?

Why not a Voice to Parliament for the disadvantaged, the homeless, the unemployed, students, returned servicemen, small business, big business, farmers, miners, workers, refugees, single parents, women, men, children and all other groups with special issues, hopes and concerns?

The risk, I suppose, is in raising the expectations of individual groups beyond the ability, or readiness, of the wider community to satisfy them.

Ken Brazel, Molongolo

Another senseless murder of innocent people in the US because of the powerful rich gun law owners that rule.

If the tally of deceased this year alone were US soldiers serving their country the so-called law makers would be in mourning and rightly so but when it's a civilian murdering their own in mass numbers it's accepted with no changes ever taking place.

How much longer can it go on.

Barbara Mecham, Melba

PM MADE RIGHT MOVE

The PM should be commended for his late, but necessary, step towards restoring some respect for the office of Deputy Prime Minister and for parliamentary standards.

What to do next to minimise damage from Baa-rnaby brain snaps?

Ambassador to Burundi perhaps?

Free accommodation with no strings.

Don Burns, Mawson

HOLDING BACK TIDE

Sex in the House has been banned .

Thanks Malcolm (Canute) Turnbull.

Roy Bray, Flynn

JOYCE ON BORROWED TIME

The Liberals want Joyce out of the Parliament as he is an electoral liability. They have been very vocal about this. He has a reprieve – but only until the next Newspoll. If the numbers fall the Liberals will call for Barnaby's head.

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

BARNACLE ON THE BOAT

Barnaby is an albatross around the Prime Minister's neck and a barnacle on his boat.

Annie Lang, Kambah

BAN NEEDS EXTENDING

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced that the Ministerial Code of Conduct will be changed to include a ban on sexual relations between ministers and their staff. Why stop at ministers? Why not all members of Parliament?

Don Sephton, Greenway

THERE'S A LESSON HERE

A simple message from the people to all politicians and their political parties: 'fess up, don't cover up.

Sue Dyer, Downer

FINER DETAILS PLEASE

Will the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister please explain to the Australian public their definition of the "sexual relations" they have just banned. Will the ban be retrospective?

John Davenport, Farrer

LEAST OF HIS FAULTS

Why the recent outcry over Barnaby Joyce's foibles and misdemeanours? The fault for which he should be condemned is his indifference to cruelty to animals.

Mike Dallwitz, Giralang

TRUMP LOGIC A FAIL

Not a single Muslim refugee has ever killed an American, yet Trump bans all Muslim refugees.

Contrarily, there have been 1606 mass shootings since Sandy Hook, yet there is still no sign of any gun control laws.

Khizar Rana, Walkerville, SA

DEADLY CONSEQUENCES

In America they demand the right to bear arms. As a result they have an obligation to bear coffins.

Go figure.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

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