I know I shouldn't believe everything I read on the web but I am brought up short when I see Prof Peter Newman, the urger of 19th-century trams on Canberra, compare their "high cost, long construction period", with their trackless, wireless 21st-century Chinese descendants described as "low-cost, short construction period, huge volume, energy efficient and environmentally friendly".
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I ponder the lost opportunity cost of $1 billion and the endless months of construction chaos and loss of a Northbourne avenue of urban trees.
Today I read that the Property Council "want stage 2 done as quickly as possible". ("Taking the path of least resistance", December 4, p.1 ).
I pinch myself in astonishment when I read that "a business case for a trackless tram route ... between Canning and Stirling is being prepared" and that "work is also being done with the cities of Stirling, Vincent, Perth, Victoria Park and Canning, the Property Council and local community groups on how the system could pay for itself".
Is the real fantasy not the new technology but the degree of community co-operation?
Bill Bush, Turner
Better light-rail route
The route of light rail stage 2, Civic-Woden, is still not right ("Taking the path of least resistance", December 4, p.1).
For the same reasons the tram line has now apparently (and rightly) been removed from King George Terrace and Kings Avenue south, it needs to be removed from Commonwealth Avenue altogether.
Using that avenue would: pander to inappropriate property development; cause traffic delays; destroy the architectural and engineering integrity of the bridge (and its match with King's Avenue bridge); cause massive construction cost and disruption; and ruin a cultural landscape (notably superb established trees).
And there's still the problem of getting the tracks up to Commonwealth Avenue from London Circuit, and installing two-way tracks at the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and State Circle.
Better, cheaper overall, faster at rush hours, more inclusive, and less construction-disruptive, to go via: Edinburgh Avenue; Lawson Crescent; a beautiful new curving bridge (á la Griffin's missing third central lake crossing) springing from south-west Acton Peninsula (preserving the West Lake yacht course); a shared zone across expanded Lennox Gardens; Flynn Drive; the State Circle cutting; and around to Adelaide Avenue, serving Barton and Parliament House on the way.
Back from "good" to "perfect", Mr Barr.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
Put brakes on stage 2
Surely before proceeding with stage 2 of the light rail there should be a detailed cost-benefit analysis conducted.
If this is not to be done, then we should wait until stage 1 has been running for 12 to 24 months. The cost to the ACT budget of light rail is very significant. We need some certainty of its effectiveness and efficiency before blindly committing to further expenditure.
D. Just, Campbell
Cyclist's mixed signals
The other afternoon, I brought my car to a gentle stop at a cross walk on a quiet street in plenty of time to allow a fast-approaching cyclist to see me and cross the street safely.
He didn't cross.
Rather, he stopped abruptly on the median strip and gestured imperiously for me to drive on.
I gestured graciously that he should proceed.
He didn't, so I lowered the window and told him that he had right of way and should proceed. He didn't, and told me loudly that, among other things, he didn't trust car drivers.
I returned his greetings, with an additional adjective or two, and it wasn't until another car approached that my suspicious interlocutor finally crossed the street.
Was that the end of the exchange?
Alas, no. My new friend followed me on his bicycle for a while, yelling various pieces of advice to me, until I turned in at the shops I was headed for, where he and his bicycle disappeared into ... of all things, a bicycle repair shop!
Truly, you can't make this stuff up and the incident did provide much bemused mirth for a passer-by with whom I walked into the shops.
What's that about some people being their own worst enemies?
P. Moran, Watson
Bike stats disputed
I estimate that each kilometre travelled by bicycle represents a net cost of almost 50 cents to the economy.
My estimate does not include the value of being able to reach a destination (which is the main reason why people travel!), or the costs of providing transport infrastructure.
It takes about a dollar's worth of time to cycle a kilometre.
Depreciation, maintenance and insurance cost about 60 cents per kilometre. Extra food, to replace the extra calories used by cycling, costs about 7 cents.
The health benefits of cycling are worth about $1.20 per kilometre.
On what basis does Pedal Power estimate that each kilometre travelled by bicycle benefits the economy by $1.69 ("Bike barometer stats proof of enormous savings, says Pedal Power boss," canberratimes.com.au, December 2)?
I am a former executive officer of Pedal Power.
Leon Arundell, Downer
Ground these drones
It seems the deal was done and dusted for Wing well before Bonython residents became the involuntary lab rats for the commercial drone "trial".
CASA, Wing and the Barr Labor government collaborated to ensure its smooth introduction.
Now the last two will work assiduously to negate, discredit and silence opposition, no matter if, as is emerging, not just the lab rats but a critical mass of Canberrans reject this aerial pollution.
Make no mistake, once drones compete with the airspace of birdlife they will inevitably metastasise beyond effective control.
A drone service acting other than in the strict public interest, such as welfare and safety, is acting solely in the interests of corporate profits and should be banned.
There is insufficient space here to list the likely adverse consequences, let alone potential ones, of commercial drone services, but doubtless any number of litigation lawyers are salivating at the prospects of exploiting them.
A. Whiddett, Forrest
Legal system for elite
Deborah Snow's defamation law analysis clearly illustrates how Australia's muggins taxpayer-supported legal system is the plaything of society's Jekyll and Hyde, "connected", (incestuous) elite (Fighting for the right to know, Forum, December 1, p.4-5).
It confirms the adage that one can have as much "justice" as one can afford.
A. White, Queanbeyan, NSW
Speedway: Not again
I must take a stand and comment on the one-sided, ongoing stalemate between the Canberra Speedway, five Ridgeway residents, the ACT government Sport Minister and ACT Environment Minister.
Several weeks ago after two years and thousands of dollars, some as grants and some as materials, the very progressive members of the Canberra Speedway, formerly the NATCAP location, finally finished a massive refurbishment of the venue reshaping it to a speedway circuit and establishing new safety fencing and spectator amenities.
The group were given permission to present the first night, twilight, 4pm start, 10pm curfew racing event with the blessing of the ACT government under several rules and regulations.
The event and the presentation were a resounding success with an estimated viewing audience of 2000 plus and a solid entry list of competitors.
Well, sadly as expected by myself anyway, some Ridgeway residents where not happy, with five complaining of noise excess and therefore putting a proposed second event on hold while the powers that be go to war.
In usual fashion, a la 20 years ago, each time the Ridgeway antagonists jumped the relevant ACT minister involved handballed it to the ACT environment minister and weeks of too-ing and fro-ing has ensued.
We now see history repeating itself and the same game being played, played by five people who live in NSW, not the ACT and who live with the daily, 24/7 movement and noise of heavy transport within a kilometre of their residences along with continual airplane flight above them as well.
Can't the ACT Green Labor government take the initiative this time, now, and communicate with all parties in a civil manner in regard to these alleged breaches?
I say "alleged" as the noise level allowed would close down every sporting event in the ACT if it was applied to them and mean no lawns would ever be mowed at Ridgeway again.
Why not just say that "if these breaches happen again we will come down on you" (the old three strikes and you're out routine", or better still, let's re-evaluate the draconian acoustic assessment in place.
Michael Attwell, Dunlop
All for electric cars
Graham Downie (Letters, November 30) is not quite right on a few points. First, I did not advocate in my letter of November 28 "increasing use of private motor vehicles", and I agree with Mr Downie that this should not be done. Rather, I was advocating the replacement of petrol or diesel-powered cars with electric ones.
Further, I wrote that "the ACT government would do well to financially support and/or encourage" the use of electric cars.
This leaves it open for the government – which is rather better equipped than I am to make judgments on the pros and cons of financial support – to simply encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Mr Downie overlooks the fact that the ACT derives most of its electricity from renewable sources, and the government plans to make the share of renewable energy 100 per cent by 2020. Therefore, by that date electric vehicles in the ACT will be making no contribution at all to carbon-dioxide emissions.
Finally, I think Mr Downie is being a little unrealistic if he thinks that significant numbers of Canberrans can be weaned off the cars that enable them to get around the city exactly when and where they want to.
Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Population reality
Recent ABS population projections suggest that Canberra could have 500,000 residents within a decade, up from 419,200 in March 2018.
The Chief Minister is claiming his government had been planning for the increase, to avoid the congestion and strain on infrastructure experienced by Sydneysiders and Melburnians.
The reality is different: increasing congestion, decreasing housing affordability, the failure to undertake a thorough review of the ACT planning strategy, inadequate land supply, ad hoc rural lease purchases, inadequate school and retail planning, the failure to influence employment location, the inadequate management of development and the provision of light rail that does little to reduce greenhouse emissions and diverts funds from more effective and responsible projects. Light rail does not a strategy make.
Mr Barr, your words are hollow. High-quality, evidence-based planning is urgently needed to accommodate projected growth. Please do some.
Mike Quirk, Garran
Activist students right
Mr Morrison has said the government did not support "schools being turned into Parliaments ... what we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools".
Students have already learnt enough to know that Mr Morrison is selling their future up the river to keep his job as captain of a sinking ship.
If they learn any more about how pathetic the LNP has been on climate change the activism can only get worse.
Mr Morrison is betting his future on the fact many Australians are self-interested morons who could not give a stuff about anything but their hip pocket and who don't understand his climate policy void pushed up energy prices in the first place.
He may well have 40 per cent of the population pegged but that won't be enough come election time.
Mal Wilson, Campbell
Museum fails disabled
The National Museum fails miserably regards catering for the disabled.
I visited it recently with a friend in a wheelchair. It has ramps that, for a wheelchair, are almost impossible to climb and can be dangerous to descend.
Lifts are placed in obscure locations and poorly sign-posted.
The soft carpet might be good to walk on but is seriously inconvenient for wheelchairs.
The disabled toilets are small and it's a struggle to hold the door open while getting a wheelchair through it.
It is appallingly unfriendly to handicapped people, which in this day and age is unacceptable.
J. McLean, Croydon, Vic
TO THE POINT
SHAME ON SCOMO
So our latest PM is happily spreading the coal message around the world via the G20 under the guise of substantiating free trade agreements in wilful disregard of the great damage coal is doing to our world. The number one cause of rising Co2 levels is coal. Australia is one of the world's major traders in this dangerous commodity. Shame on ScoMo.
Laurelle Atkinson, St. Helens, Tas
NUMBERS ISSUE
So, the Libs are imposing a two-thirds quota vote to unseat a federal leader following the next election. How does that work when after the next election there will probably only be two of you in parliament?
Linus Cole, Palmerston
NOTHING CHANGES
Scott Morrison's previous occupation was as a marketeer, a career motivated by a philosophy of "You're not trying if you're not lying." Some things change but nothing changes.
Steve Hart, Hawker
FEMALE QUOTAS
Mark Sproat (Letters, December 3) argues against quotas for female Liberal MPs. The gaping hole in arguments like his is that it assumes all the present male members are chosen on merit.
Eric Hunter, Cook
BALLOT RULES
No doubt Malcolm Turnbull would have preferred the change in Liberal leadership ballot rules to be made retrospective.
Ian De Landelles, Murrays Beach, NSW
TURNBULL'S DOGMA
Turnbull's dogma – think not of what the Liberal Party did to you, think of what you can do to the Liberal Party.
Alex Wallensky, Broulee, NSW
RUN ON NAILS
If the Liberals continue in the direction they are moving Bunnings will run out of nails for the coffins.
Robyn Lewis, Raglan, NSW
KELLY MYSTERY
It seemed the brainy ones were going independent. Craig Kelly didn't occur to me.
Barrie Smillie, Duffy
SAVE THE COUNTRY
If Labor hopes to present an alternative option at the next election, it needs to stand on its principles.
A four-year deal on New Start with the LNP won't cut it, nor will vacillating on the Adani mine. Save the country and don't fall at the last hurdle.
Jeff Bradley, Isaacs
TAUNTING KIDS
Members of the Coalition government have now taken to taunting schoolchildren. The Labor Party appears marginally better in their approach to women and children.
P. Crossing, Glengowrie, SA
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