My records show that on September 29, 2011, people were complaining a litre of unleaded in Canberra cost about $1.50 – about 14c a litre more than in Goulburn, with the difference blamed on Floriade.

Now, people complain they pay from $1.40 to $1.50 a litre in Canberra. Allowing for inflation, this would seem to be pretty good value. This does not justify the marked difference between Canberra's fuel prices and those in other more remote places. But compared to other energy sources, particularly electricity and gas, motorists would seem to be doing pretty well.

The suggestion by Roger Clement, (Letters, February 15) of Queanbeyan, that the ACT government build three new petrol stations, could come only from someone who lives over the border and is not subject to our rapacious government's punitive rates and other charges. If the cost of petrol had increased in line with ACT rates, a litre would now cost about $3.

Encouraging this government to get its hands on another income stream, especially something as universal as petrol, simply invites higher prices and further mismanagement. Anyway, previous involvement by governments in petrol retailing in Canberra was short-lived and produced little if any benefit.

Graham Downie, O'Connor

We are witnessing the death of Canberra as a "Garden City" ("2000 apartments slated for the lake", February 9, p1 and 4).

While professor Ken Maher is correct in saying the review of the West Basin masterplan "was a chance to refine" it, the extraordinary proposal both he and Malcolm Snow then put forward is quite irrational.

He refers to a broad public park along the waterfront, but the plan shows a very narrow 'green' lakefront; no doubt like the non-existent waterfront park at Kingston. Certainly not a "generous public realm" as suggested.

One has only to look at the Kingston foreshore to see what the ACT government does when they get the Commonwealth to land swap in order to "free up the lakefront for development".

Yes Professor Maher, the review "is a wonderful opportunity" – to turn West Basin into a magnificent lakefront park that all Canberrans can enjoy, but not into a high-density residential enclave for the wealthy.

There is no way you will ever "convince people" that extending the narrow, toilet-less, Henry Rolland Park further around the foreshore will provide a "broad public park" that will "respect the experience of the lake" and "the intent of Griffin".

To me as a resident of Canberra for some 60 years, I am saddened to see the continuing lack of any sign of a true overarching masterplan for what had the makings of a beautiful garden city.

These 'thought-bubble' plans that are slowly destroying the very nature of the city are no way to treat the nation's capital.

Murray Upton, Belconnen

The article 'Gentleman stymied on brumbies threat to environment' (canberratimes.com.au, February 12) claims that 'the Kosciuszko brumbies were given protection by the NSW Parliament'.

In fact, the 'Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018' does absolutely nothing to protect brumbies. The only thing this act does is enable development of a 'wild-horse heritage management plan'.

It does not require this plan to prevent the shooting of 5400 brumbies. It does nothing to protect the welfare of the horses, or to prohibit particular cruelties such as aerial shooting, or orphaning foals.

This act seems to have been nothing but a ploy to delay the horse massacre until after the NSW election.

Leaving aside welfare, heritage and political issues, the horse massacre is a bad idea on purely environmental grounds.

It has been demonstrated that removing large numbers of mature brumbies from the population actually increases, rather than decreases, their population in the long run. In fact, this is the norm with introduced wild animals, either because they are fast-breeders (eg cats, pigs, rabbits) or because there are few predators large enough to take them (eg horses).

Removing established adults leaves more resources available for young, fertile animals to reach adulthood. You always end up with a larger population than you had before you started killing.

If the wild horse population needs to be reduced (on my reading of the science, this has yet to be demonstrated), it will be achieved by fertility control, or not at all.

Frankie Seymour, Queanbeyan, NSW

Further to recent comments about parking at the hospital (Letters, February 13), after going all round the parking building several times looking for a park the other day, I, and lots of others, deemed the car park full.

At around 10am this is not an uncommon occurrence.

Near the exit is a notice suggesting that additional parking is available across Yamba Drive.

Problem is, how to get to it. Leaving the hospital grounds at the traffic lights on Yamba Drive, there is no way to enter the other car park without going around the block quite a long way to Hindmarsh Drive then north into Yamba Drive.

The only entrance is on the northbound carriageway off Yamba Drive south of the traffic lights.

It would make a lot of sense to have a straight ahead lane at the lights to enter the car park. The lights already exist and no resequencing would be required.

Wal Pywell, Wanniassa

There used to be a very effective Commonwealth Experimental Building Station (CEBS) that tested all new building materials, systems, and processes (especially emerging "smart" ones, and those with private or foreign "certification").

In the wake of an increasing number of dangerous and costly failures in buildings, the CEBS clearly needs to be reopened. And, re your editorial "Tower fire wake-up call" (February 6, p15), suppliers of non-compliant or unapproved external wall panels used where certain official building-coded fireproofing is required, need to be prosecuted, and made to pay for the immediate removal and replacement of the panels with independently tested and verified-compliant ones.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

To the cyclists out during the Gift Of Life walk, your actions make me ashamed to admit I'm a cyclist. If you see a big group participating in a well-advertised activity, and there's no room, go another way. And if there is room, slow down. Show a bit of consideration and people will be less inclined to hate us as a group.

Jason Herrmann, Braddon

In early April 1999, the undetected arrival of a boat-load of illegal immigrants on the NSW mid-north coast triggered the Prime Minister's Coastal Surveillance Task Force, which examined the failure of the (then) Coastwatch arm of Customs to detect and intercept the vessel before it made landfall.

Surveillance and response assets available to Coastwatch at the time comprised a number of contracted aircraft — only four of which were capable of wide-area electronic surveillance — and Customs' fleet of eight ocean-going patrol boats plus some supplementary support by the ADF.

Contrast this modest capability to that currently deployed to the north of Australia under Operation Sovereign Borders, characterised by some as a "ring of steel" under an "aluminium overcast".

Since the government's loss in the House of Reps on Tuesday it is clear that certain of its members fervently hope for the arrival of another boat to give them an opportunity to unleash their particular brand of "wedge" politics in the lead-up to the next election.

Given the vast expenditure of taxpayers' funds on the venture, any successful evasion of the protective barrier put up under Operation Sovereign Border resulting in a subsequent penetration of the border would surely be grounds for a royal commission.

Maybe the Prime Minister should be careful about what he wishes for.

Rod Stone, Kambah

The Morrison government is showing increasing signs of desperation and disarray as it attempts to maintain its hold on power.

In the case of medical transfers, the government is resorting to fearmongering, ridiculous exaggeration and even lies in a bid to save face and protect its cruel policy of indefinite offshore detention of asylum seekers (e.g. "No 'flood' of transfers, say doctors" February 15, p6).

The government also persists in referring to asylum seekers as "illegal immigrants", or "rapists" and "murderers", when in fact all of the people in detention on Nauru and Manus Island have been found to be genuine refugees.

The Morrison government has shelved one of its pet pieces of legislation – forcing energy companies to divest some of their assets, allegedly to keep energy prices down. This was reportedly done because it appeared likely that a Greens amendment preventing the government from underwriting new coal-fired power stations would succeed ("Nats vent anger ...", February 15, p7).

Although it seems to me very odd that a government which supports business and free enterprise would interfere in this way, the latter episode shows that the Morrison government is prepared to compromise its own beliefs and policies in its struggle to retain its grip on power.

The government is increasingly resembling a drowning man clutching at straws.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

The Australian government's lack of logic when it comes to refugees seems to know no bounds.

The government has boasted that several hundred refugees on Manus Island and Nauru have been permanently resettled in the United States but we have not been overcome by boatloads of new asylum seekers.

Yet the government would have us believe that allowing sick refugees on Manus Island and Nauru to receive medical treatment in Australia will result in Australia being swamped by new asylum seekers.

The government is now wasting large amounts of taxpayers' money reopening detention centres in Australia for the expected hordes.

The government's lack of basic human decency towards people in desperate need goes back to the lie by John Howard that asylum seekers will even throw their children overboard just so that the parents can get to Australia.

I would not be surprised if the government allows a few boats to reach Australia over the next three months so that they can justify the cost of reopening Australian detention centres and stir up fear and panic before the election.

Charles Body, Kaleen

The government will try to blame Labor if just one refugee boat gets through following the medivac legislation.

There's another side to the argument, namely, if any boats start coming, it's surely that Border Force will have shown it's not up to the job, despite the billions poured into it and the praise heaped on it by the government.

Besides, Scott Morrison showed his true colours by refusing, when asked at a media conference, to confirm publicly the bill only applies to current detainees and not to any new arrivals. I wonder why?

It surely wasn't because he really hopes the boats will start up again, and for one sole reason, that is, base political advantage.

Eric Hunter, Cook

What has this country come to that showing some compassion to poor souls rotting in hell holes in the Pacific has caused such panic and vitriolic spin in government ranks, most obviously from Mr Dutton.

The checks included in Tuesday's medivac bill have been deliberately ignored in order to push their isolationist policies and drum up fear in the Australian public.

If the "experts" know so much, why did it take years to remove the kids off Manus and Nauru?

Why are there still people on Manus and Nauru at all? Trusting "experts" resulted in Hakeem al-Araibi being locked up in a Thai jail facing return to Bahrain.

We can be forgiven for being sceptical about "expert" advice – especially when it is being pushed by this government.

Many of us would prefer to live by conscience, courage, compassion and just doing the right thing.

Sue Gerrard, Dunlop

The Morrison government has surely crossed the credibility Rubicon with its extraordinary response to the passing of the medical transfers bill.

The only surprise was that the Prime Minister did not wear a flak jacket and surround himself with a bunch of dutifully nodding admirals and generals as he announced the reopening of the Christmas Island facility.

Look, some of this stuff might work on some swinging voters in marginal electorates. It might even win an election in an affirmation of the means justifies the end logic, but what a sad, desperate way to conduct our politics.

Stewart Sweeney, Adelaide, SA

I find it absolutely hypocritical how the left is complaining about the government's policies on Nauru when Labor in its six years of power had to open up the detention centres because of the 50,000 illegal immigrants it let in.

The current government has all but settled most of the illegal immigrants, yet the left is making out that it is all the fault of the Liberal government.

There are something like 60 medical professionals on Nauru for the illegal immigrants, with half of them mental health specialists. Asylum seekers are free to walk around the island, free to go back to where they came from, have airconditioned homes, are fed, and generally well looked after.

Many of these "refugees" have come from countries not at war or under threat. They see Australia's generous welfare system as an easier way of life. This, unfortunately, makes it harder for genuine refugees to come.

Ian Pilsner, Weston

Given medical facilities are better on Nauru than in many Australian country towns can we reverse-medivac Kerryn Phelps and helpers over there.

Mark Sproat, Lyons