Yet they were more than happy to leave us with a plethora of cheek-by-jowl high-rise apartment and hotel complexes, an increasingly busy six-lane motorway, two rail lines and many negative impacts on the quality of life of thousands of existing residents living along or near to what will now be a basic yet densely populated transit corridor.

Scope and space for the inclusion of significant lush, green and naturally-shaded public and private landscaping to counteract the many extensive vertical and horizontal heat-trapping environments that will fill the whole corridor, were taken away, probably forever.

The development "solutions" to date and many artists' impressions of other parts of the kilometres-long massive rebuild, with its vast expanses of hard surface surrounds and a few tokenistic trees dotted here and there, do not engender confidence in the interest or ability of the NCA or ACT government to deliver a highly visually attractive, appealing or "putting people first" boulevard that would place our national capital's main entrance on a world map of places to envy or stop at and wander around ("Feedback sought for 'visually stunning' gateway to Canberra", canberratimes.com.au, January 23).

As for transporting tens of thousands of extra residents, let alone anyone else, along the corridor, will Stage 1 light rail require an overhead storey of extra tracks within a decade?

Sue Dyer, Downer

I realise that the Barr government intends that motorists should be relegated to fourth or fifth place in the list of worthy people, but if we want to be known as a smart city something should be done to improve traffic flow through traffic lights, especially at off-peak times.

There are numerous sets of lights where one can wait for a considerable time when there is no traffic moving across the lights to justify them not changing.

Sometimes there are multiple lanes of traffic unable to move, being blocked only by a red light.

Surely the technology exists to detect this situation and change lights, as opposed to what looks like a fixed time cycle. The result is poorly burned fuel and driver frustration (making speeding more likely?).

Chris Mobbs, Torrens

Nicholas Stuart's article on education standards ("Australia's education system needs transforming", January 16, p18) follows a well-worn path. Everyone's an expert on education as we've all been to school.

He makes a welcome point about paying teachers properly, but that's about it. No one it seems is interested in emulating the world exemplar, as it would a) cost money, and b) upset too many ideologies.

Finland's teachers all have higher degrees, are paid well and have high status, and most importantly, none work in disadvantaged schools. Gonski, eat your heart out.

I was also concerned about Stuart's disdain for humanities. In his view, learning about SMSFs ranks higher than the study of the Peloponnesian War.

To quote Winston Churchill: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Bob Gardiner, Isabella Plains

Barrie Smilie suggests (Letters, January 17) that religion adds "to our apathy on the dire effects of global warming".

After all, he comments: "Who could imagine that our god would let us perish."

He hasn't read his Bible very well. It is full of warnings that those who don't do the right thing will self-destruct or be destroyed.

Specifically, the King James Version says in Genesis that mankind is "to have dominion over the earth" but this would be more fully rendered "have dominion over, be responsible for and take care of" the Earth.

Then, in the New Testament (Rev 11.18), it makes the point that "God will destroy them that destroy the Earth".

In New Testament times, readers must have wondered what this meant as mankind didn't possess the power to destroy the Earth but now we do and the warning becomes more pertinent.

Time for a rethink, Barrie. Go to Grimm if you want fairy tales.

Stan Marks, Hawker

There may be another answer to the mental health issues of our defence personnel ("How Veterans Affairs could gain soldiers' fragile trust", Canberra Times, 21 Jan, p4-5).

Recently, The New York Times had a long article by a serving Marine special forces officer Lt-Colonel Parker, tellingly titled "I'm Prepared to Talk About the Things I Did in Iraq. Are People Ready to Listen?"

He wrote in extensive detail of his experiences in Iraq hunting bomb-makers and then the difficulties of conversing with civilians afterwards in America.

Perhaps his nationally-circulated article helped Colonel Parker rethink his experiences in Iraq and exorcise some of his memories of combat with no front line.

Chris Masters' "No Front Line" has reported on Australia's special forces in Afghanistan, but we are yet to hear the direct voices of those who were there.

They must soldier on – in or out of uniform.

Coping with mental trauma can be helped by soldiers writing about them, privately or publicly. Being published in something like an "Australian Small Wars Journal" would be a good start.

Peter Graves, Curtin

I find l get really frustrated hearing all the arguments about whether or not January 26 is the right date to celebrate Australia Day.

If there is so much discussion and disagreement about it then it must be the wrong date, especially when our esteemed Prime Minister has to tell us how we are to dress on the day.

I can agree with the arguments put forward by John Brummelt (Letters, January 19) September 1, Wattle Day.

It seems a very good alternative, especially as John says, Indigenous Australians – and many non-Indigenous Australians – will never accept January 26.

Rosemary Crossland (Letters, January 19) also argues strongly that the 26th Jan is a date not acceptable to all Australians.

l have picked the date that can be unequivally accepted by all Australians and that truly proved we are one people.

That date was a very proud and humbling day for us all.

I am talking about May 27, 1967, the day when 90 per cent of Australian voters elected to accept our Indigenous people as full Australians. It meant a huge amount to many people.

Even those born overseas were proud on that day.

Geoff Barker, Flynn

With the current royal commission's focus on our "aged care system", my heart sinks.

As my own memory gradually fails and some dear friends die, I want more than ever to be embedded in a close and loving community where I am part of rocking the newly born, feeding the pets, comforting frightened adolescents, writing some more comic holiday songs, and taking part in noisy political arguments over dinner.

As I lose the details, I am convinced I can help my dear ones focus more on the all-important "big picture".

I remain remorseful about the close relatives whom I have allowed in the recent past to be warehoused into nursing homes. I am not surprised that demented people have been known to kill each other in the absence of any legislated staffing ratios, nor that staff turnover is high among people who must wipe too many sore old bottoms in quick succession.

I dream instead of communities who insist on taking their turns at cherishing their repetitious and increasingly balmy friends and relatives.

Such dear ones could teach us the value of a slower pace, the miracle of our bodily functions as they require closer attention, an awareness of the impermanence of life, and the value of more mindful living.

Just as we now insist that any child, no matter how disabled, should be allowed to join an ordinary classroom, we should insist that ageing people be accommodated throughout our community.

They do not deserve to be siphoned off into a "system".

Jill Sutton, Watson

The article, "How much is preventing a heart attack worth?" (canberratimes.com.au, January 20), has exposed an issue that must have been plaguing politicians, ethicists and medicos alike for a while now.

It reported: "One Australian study found that if you treated just 1000 people at high risk of a heart attack with the new drugs for 25 years, it would prevent 70 strokes or heart attacks. But to do so would cost around $76 million — more than a million dollars for each heart attack prevented. The study concluded that giving the medication to a wider population would not be cost-effective."

At last the PBS funding criteria are apparently in the public arena.

They seem fairly realistic but do not explain the other echelons under which new cancer drugs costing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year – which are expected to extend life expectancy only for about five years – are approved.

Similarly unexplained are the incredibly expensive procedures and drug therapies required to address congenital conditions that require lifetime support.

I doubt that "investigation only" is adequate justification for all these cases but even if it was, how does our government intend to retrieve its investment?

Other less ethical motivations are fairly obvious. One is simply good PR for a humane, sympathetic government. Another is the existence of a profession which would become essential to the species.

G. Wilson, Macgregor

Given Clive Palmer's obnoxious messages, and phone calls starting to come quick and fast from other parties, my new game consists of writing down the names of candidates and their party, and giving them negative points in terms of receiving my vote (nuisance emails will also count).

When I vote, those with the highest points will be at the bottom of my preferences, followed by the next highest and so on.

After all, the major parties are self-centered and morally corrupt, and will break all their promises (those not broken already).

Minor parties will benefit (except for Clive's).

Perhaps I will take more points off for robo calls. I invite others to play the same game and tell their friends so we can make political spammers regret this strategy.

David Lewis, Murrumbateman, NSW

Here in Australia, we are very smart with water.

Because we have so much of it, we developed clever ways of getting rid of it.

Our most advanced technology is to clear bush at a rate matched by few countries on Earth, then laser-level the ground and flood-irrigate it from huge reservoirs.

We manage to evaporate 50-70 per cent of the water this way, a success again matched by few countries on Earth.

Because there is so much water left, we export it.

For instance, 15,000 litres per kilogram of beef, 10,000 litres per kilogram of lamb and up to 20,000 litres per kilogram of cotton (a T-shirt and a pair of jeans).

Let the cotton industry tell you anything they want about how "water efficient" they've become. The upshot is: we cannot afford growing cotton.

Jochen Zeil, Hackett

Max Brown makes some valid points about water tanks (Letters, January 18) but overlooks others.

On open land, rainwater first soaks into the ground and only the excess drains into river systems.

Once the land is covered in buildings and roads, there is less absorption and a much greater percentage of rainwater runs off into streams via stormwater drains.

Water tanks interrupt that process by capturing rainwater for use on gardens, thus replicating the natural pattern.

The more important question is how much water an urban population uses that is drawn from huge dams on the rivers.

Canberra is by far the largest city in the Murray-Darling Basin with the next largest being Albury-Wodonga at only 90,000.

What effect will Canberra's continued growth have on water flow in the river system, especially in a warming climate?

Robyn Coghlan, Hawker

Religion has always made a welter of straining the bounds of credibility, but the concept that the all-powerful, all-seeing, all-knowing creator of the universe needs his creations to make laws protecting him against having his feelings hurt not only takes the cake, it takes the entire bakery.

Fred Pilcher, Kaleen

REVISIONIST ADMONITION

Rod Holesgrove (Letters, January 19) reveals a worrying whiff of "revisionism" when admonishing The Canberra Times for publishing a historical fact: our hottest day on record in 1968. He may think fighting fire with fire is the go but encouraging fact-suppression to counter climate change denial seems a curious strategy when scientific evidence stands so firmly on his side.

Peter Robinson, Ainslie

STATING APRIL 1

Isn't light rail supposed to start on April 1?

John Mungoven, Stirling

BRADMAN OR TRUMP

Is ScoMo's cap a signal of respect for the Don. Bradman or Trump? I can't decide.

Peter Snowdon, Aranda

THEY MUST HATE US

Your editorial said it all about the length and depth of the gouging of ACT motorists (January 23). They surely must hate us, to treat us so.

S. Davey, Torrens

COLOUR UP LONSDALE

The rainbow roundabout in Braddon isn't a rainbow and the roundabout is neither necessary nor historic. The ACT government should consider commissioning an important artist to make a rainbow, or even two – maybe one at both ends of Lonsdale Street – and consider removing the roundabout. The pole could stay.

Stephen Martin, Ainslie

REPLICATING TITANIC

Surely the most appropriate replica Scott Morrison should commission is the Titanic. Symbolic both of his party and his leadership.

Maria Greene, Curtin

LEAVE STREET ALONE

Does the City Renewal Authority not have enough to do, overseeing the transformation of Northbourne Avenue? Lonsdale St is working perfectly – please leave it alone.

Shane Theis, Lyons

FAKE NEWS CONCERNS

As the Prime Minister apparently has James Cook on HMB Endeavour, circumnavigating Australia in 1770, we should be concerned that some of his other statements leading up to the forthcoming election, may also be fake news.

John Davenport, Farrer

RESPECT ENDEAVOUR

Critics of plans for the HMS Endeavour replica to sail around Australia next year are doing a great disservice to a remarkable vessel and the many wonderful people who helped bring her into being.

Originally planned as Bond Corp's gift to Australia for the Bicentenary, the ship nearly foundered when the company hit tough times. She was completed by a charitable trust funded through donations and the efforts of volunteers. HM Bark Endeavour deserves to be seen by all Australians.

N. Ellis, Belconnen

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