Griffins deserve more credit

I was also delighted to read a reference to Walter Griffin's vision, for painting the hills red.

There aren't many references these days to the Griffins' vision for Canberra.

Our government and planners seem to have forgotten that Canberra was designed by Walter and Marion Griffin to be the nation's capital and a symbolic city of which all Australians can be proud.

For their treasured place in Canberra's architectural heritage, both Marion and Walter Griffin deserve much more of Australia's honour.

Peter Graves, Curtin

Re: "'They lied to us': Bulldozers roll in at Chapman public housing block" (canberratimes.com.au November 24), I don't presume to speak for them, but my guess is that most Chapman residents already lucky enough to live here are not at all concerned about this new community housing and will welcome the new residents when they move in. I sure will.

Steve Blume, Chapman

"Fast-growing Canberra poised to have 500,000 residents within a decade" (November 23, p13). And what then?

"Growth is good" is currently the reason for such a number on our horizon. If it's good now, why would population growth be otherwise when we reach the end of the decade; or the next, or the one after?

Keep growth up for long enough and we are on the way to being Karachi-of-the-south, with water-and-sewage problems and their concomitant "downstream" effects.

The prospect of ever-increasing numbers depending for water on climate-change-shrinking flows from Murrumbidgee and Cotter Rivers is of concern: Tantangara impoundment will be excluded due to being pressed into pumped hydro service; and can the latest Cotter Dam continue to provide sufficient capacity?

If we pedal fast enough with recycling and ignore whinging residents down-Murrumbidgee, we might extend our misery a bit. However there are other concerns, more than just water — and not just a tramful: it is unhelpful for the administration to put the telescope to the blind eye when looking to the future.

Colin Samundsett, Farrer

Jenny Goldie (Letters, November 23) correctly stated the PM needs to take more than 30,000 off the net migration figures. Taking 230,000 off would be about right. Compare Australia's growth rate of 1.6 per cent with those of comparable countries: US 0.7 per cent, Canada 1.2, UK 0.6, France 0.5, Germany 0.4.

Why is it that Australia needs a high population growth rate, generated by a high immigration rate, but other First World countries do not? Are our Treasury officials correct, while those of most comparable countries are wrong? The government needs to explain its reasons for high immigration.

The "excuse" about the needs of an ageing population seems nonsense. Surely productivity improvements will easily cope with that "problem". Importantly, population growth cannot go on forever. When does the government think it should end?

As Australia's immigration rate over the past decade has been ridiculously high, the delayed effect of immigration on population is likely to soon raise the population growth rate even higher.

Therefore it is essential to now dramatically lower the immigration rate to compensate for the recent foolishness.

Many Australians are becoming aware of that foolishness. I suspect that at the next election the party which promises the greatest reduction in immigration will gain a considerable advantage.

R. Salmond, Melba

The Canberra Times editorial of November 23 was spot on in its observations on the Eastman retrial. Of particular concern is the fact that the signs are that both the AFP and the DPP have learnt nothing.

The retrial was pursued with scant regard for the public purse and with equal disregard of the cautions of Justice Martin. One can't help feel there was a degree of vindictiveness in this along with a desperate determination to gloss over the unholy mess they made of the case at first instance.

At any rate it is gratifying to note that the jury came to the right decision.

T.J. Marks, Holt

We will no doubt hear much from Australian Federal Police and the Winchester family about how disappointed they are at the jury's verdict in the trial of David Eastman, and how they have lost any sense of closure.

This is now the third time — if the original coronial inquest is considered — that a court has found Mr Eastman had no case to answer.

While the Winchester family and the AFP indeed deserve justice and closure, it is worth reflecting on whether such can be delivered by jailing someone who is not guilty.

Stephen Jones, Bonython

The item in The Canberra Times "Labuschagne in firing line as selectors try to settle line-up" (November 22, p17) seems to suggest that players are at fault for not presenting themselves in an orderly queue for selection as batsmen at the top level. That is not so.

The right players are there, undiscovered. The selectors are simply not doing their jobs, failing to identify those with the right blend of cricket ability and temperament.

Instead of exploring for talent, the selectors have shown they have little talent themselves. It is not good enough to keep picking the same people over and over. For heaven's sake selectors, if you can't pick well from new talent, you should be dropped yourselves.

Roy Darling, Florey

How many of us have realised that debilitating disease can release some inspiring and surprising potential? Fans of Oliver Sacks will have glimpsed this phenomenon but local artist Nancy Tingey's newly published and vibrant work Magic Happens is set to extend our understanding. The publication of her book coincides with a seminar on Parkinson's here in Canberra ("Living with Parkinson's", November 22, p12).

The stunning colour and movement in Tingey's story of Painting with Parkinsons will make us all realise how much we could use our art to "dance the skies" and to top "the wind-swept heights with easy grace" as we progressively lose our other faculties.

Incidentally it might also explain why we are horrified at the proposal that drones will soon pollute "the high untrespassed sanctity of space". As we see the ground increasingly absorbed in "development", our "mental wellness", a focus of the seminar, might well be challenged. Are we losing one of our last options for finding tranquillity?

Jill Sutton, Watson

The Canberra Business Chamber ("Not fit for purpose", November 22, p1) wants the government to commit to rejuvenating the city precinct and deliver on projects including a new convention centre, a new theatre complex and sports stadium. The relative merits of these projects and others including the extension of light rail to Woden, a city bus interchange, the revitalisation of Woden and Tuggeranong town centres, improvements to the health and education system and the bus network need to be assessed to ensure the best use of limited public funds. Projects supported should maximise benefits to the community and therefore require an evidence base. They should not be prioritised (as is likely in the case of light rail) on the basis of their potential to win votes and provide ribbon-cutting opportunities.

Mike Quirk, Garran

As we walked towards the summit of Black Mountain then down towards the Botanic Gardens on Saturday, we heard a repetitive, amplified boom. Once in the gardens, the disco thump hit us all too clearly and we saw an industrial-grade fence. Security guards in yellow vests were evident. Obviously forbidden territory unless you had a ticket. It looked and felt like a form of over-amplified border security, the sort used at Australia's notorious refugee camps, and an unnerving, discomforting sight.

The steady stream of disco-goers were focused on boom, boom and their fun. Why shouldn't they be but why in the National Botanic Gardens, an enclave for peace, bird sound, and enjoyment of those native plants that haven't succumbed to drought? What is the gardens' directorate thinking of?

If the higher echelons are trying to "broaden the base" of visitors, the approach seems entirely inappropriate.

As we left the gardens dispiritedly, we passed two drink cans left for hard-pressed gardens' staff to retrieve. A couple of concertgoers walked across a garden bed.

This isn't the way to go. Funding cuts are part of the problem. A quick solution would be to cut the ridiculous $500 million granted to the war memorial, diverting instead a generous portion to the gardens which has battled funding cuts over the years. Save the gardens without boom, boom, security fences, and displacement.

Judy and Dave Kelly, Aranda

Surely after the rout by Labor in the Victorian election, the federal Coalition will now establish immigration and energy policies that provide a clear and positive alternative to those offered by Labor.

Owen Reid, Dunlop

Ben Green, Access Canberra's regulatory solutions and compliance director, defends action against cars parked on footpaths on the basis it is a safety risk as it forces pedestrians to walk on the roadway. ("Flyers to remind drivers", November 23, p12) I support this view.

But I do wonder why the priority is the one day a year of the school fete, and not the 30 per cent of school days when footpaths are rendered unusable due to obstruction by bins. The problem is apparent at the northern ends of Southwell and Mckeahnie streets, major feeder routes to Weetangera Primary.

Bryce French, Weetangera

David Pope's editorial cartoon of November 23 hits more than one nail squarely on the head.

One "nail" is the dust storm that swept through Canberra last Wednesday night (November 21), leaving the city covered with a thin layer of dust. Where I live, rain that fell during the night and early morning turned the dust into red-brown mud. On my car alone there was probably enough mud to fill a small plant pot.

The dust, which comes mainly from the severely parched areas of western NSW, is of course derived from topsoil left exposed as a result of the drought.

Each time there is a dust storm like this, more topsoil is lost, and it doesn't take very many years to completely remove this valuable asset.

Topsoil is one of Australia's most precious commodities, and soil that is capable of growing food is especially valuable. We can ill afford to have it blown away.

This brings me to the second point. Pope's cartoon also refers to responses of the Morrison government and Labor to energy and climate change.

The Coalition, kowtowing to Tony Abbott and his ilk, has dropped any pretence of acting on climate change by addressing emissions.

Labor has vowed that it will adopt the national energy guarantee, but it, too, has bowed to pressure from the conservatives to compromise on the future welfare of this country and on the fate of its precious soils.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

"There's never been a more exciting time to be an Australian", the (until very recently) prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, proclaimed.

Last week the current Home Affairs Minister, Peter Dutton, warned that Australians are facing "unprecedented threat".

These are just two of the assertions by this seemingly chaotic Coalition government, with Scott Morrison as current Prime Minister.

Mercifully, Tony Abbott, a third (fairly recent) prime minister, bit into a raw onion, possibly rendering him momentarily speechless.

Although he did assert (very, very recently) that Nauru is a tropical paradise.

Annie Lang, Kambah

Re: "Maritime Safety jobs set for Coffs Harbour" (November 24, p1). Having worked at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in the old Magenta Belconnen building in a previous life and before Senator David Smith and our own Andrew Leigh grow too wrathful at the thought of AMSA relocating staff to Coffs Harbour, may I offer a slice of AMSA history.

In the '80s, AMSA was threatened with relocation to Newcastle by Labor's then-transport minister Peter Morris, a move robustly rebuffed by AMSA's then-CEO, who, quite coincidentally, it is believed, had bought in Bruce.

AMSA remained firmly in Canberra, but had several regional and state offices including Karratha, ensuring ship safety and averting the danger of oil spills.

Coffs Harbour sounds even nicer than Newcastle.

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

LEST WE FORGET

Hear, hear Peter Stanley! I agree "Commemorate, don't commercialise". ("Commemoration without conscience: Our War Memorial must remain a sacred place", November 22, p19)

Ann Darbyshire, Hughes

BUS INTERCHANGE

The best place for an underground bus interchange ("Going below for bus interchange", November 21, p1) would be directly under the Alinga Street light rail terminus. That would allow bus passengers to transfer direct to light rail. It would also allow them to get to east Civic, or west Civic, without having to cross several lanes of 60km/h traffic. As a bonus, it would provide a faster, safer way to cross Northbourne Avenue.

Leon Arundell, Downer

SCHOOL FETE PARKING

How petty to target parking outside school fetes. Parents work hard and generously to support their school. As the law must be kept I hope there will be equal vigilance concerning parking on the sides and median strip of Parkes Way when there is a running festival and in Manuka when there is a match at the oval.

Bea Duncan, Barton

DEFECTIVE COMPASS

President Donald Trump's statements from day one siding with Saudi Arabia over the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi confirms one thing: he is a man with a defective moral compass.

Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, Sydney

IMPORT CRICKETERS

We need more immigrants from India, not fewer. With any luck the sheer weight of numbers might help produce cricketers of the caliber of Indian greats like Tendulkar and Kohli and lead to a resurrection of our cricketing fortunes.

Keith Hill, Isaacs

COACHING JOB

Shane Warne has suggested that Ricky Ponting coach batsmen in the Australian cricket team ("Warne names his picks for batting coach", p37, November 22). I would support that nomination if it meant that Mr Ponting had less time available to promote gambling on the TV.

Gordon Fyfe, Kambah

PROP ROTATION

Chris Dutton ("Happy Slipper fits Brumbies", November 22,) notes that recruitment of James Slipper may result in a "prop rotation". Add the seed for a return to the finals?

Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW

BRADLEY OF POLITICS

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been described to me as the Steven Bradley of Australian politics. I think it is proving to be true.

Jane Timbrell, Reid

THE WRONG FIT

"Not fit for purpose" (November 22, p1) — and I thought the story was going to be about the ACT government!

Paul E Bowler, Chapman

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