The report of Mr. Barilaro's announcement on postponing any brumby cull in Kosciuszko National Park ("NSW puts "immediate" brumby cull on hold", April 8, p.7) exposes his approach to facts. Mr. Barilaro: "before we can determine how many brumbies are to remain ..."
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Fact: an exhaustive process in 2015-16 determined how many brumbies should remain. The answer was 600 to 750.
![The brumby cull should not be delayed any longer. Photo: Karleen Minney The brumby cull should not be delayed any longer. Photo: Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc70d0r1x4yig1fhsxtv3.jpg/r0_88_1889_1150_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr. Barilaro: 'a draft management plan needs to be drawn up'.
Fact: a draft management plan exists and is available on the web - the Kosciuszko Draft Wild Horse Management Plan of 2016.
Mr. Barilaro seems determined to keep asking until he gets the answers he wants, even if this involves spending the tax-payers money on yet another committee, another report, and another survey.
The broad-toothed mice and other species whose existence is threatened by feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park are running out of time.
Linda Groom, Deakin
![Send your opinions to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au Send your opinions to letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/dc5syd-6qutu9twf1k11smukojh.jpg/r0_0_620_348_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Bill Shortens's electric dreams
Bill Shorten's fanciful assessment of eight to 10 minutes recharging time for an electric car has started a long overdue debate on the costs and benefits of carbon dioxide abatement. This is very healthy and the fact that carbon dioxide abatement is a very, very costly business should eventually emerge and sink Labor's 50 per cent electric cars and renewables policy along with their bid for power.
Then, with ScoMo and Co back in power we can have the debate we should have had years ago. That is do we really have an impending climate crisis from rising carbon dioxide and, if so, are renewable energy and electric cars the best way to prevent it?
I am confident a paper debate would tell us the answers are No and No. Our politicians could then wipe the egg from their faces, take the big budget savings on offer and welcome carbon dioxide what it is - plant food essential to our very existence, not a pollutant.
Doug Hurst, Chapman
It's rubbish at first sight
There are reports that some of the participants in the latest fake reality, trash television, Married at First Sight are getting abuse and even death threats via social media. If this is the way our world is going then I want to get off.
The misuse of social media for abusing people is too broad a topic for a short letter and too serious to briefly reflect on. Let others examine that issue.
The participants are shown as lacking morality or intellect or both in most cases although that may just be the result of careful editing and prompting. The real problem is why they want to be on the show at all given that there has only been one successful marriage so far and not that many media careers either.
Finding a true love seems easier in real life than on fake reality so it must be questioned as to why apparently attractive, pleasant people have missed out so far.
There isn't a real demand for vacuous pretty people on television. Sorry I forgot morning television as I watch the ABC! This is not the most secure career path for ex-reality stars. Since we have television shows about people watching television shows it might be time to have a fake documentary about making real reality shows. I'm not sure if that is a tautology or an oxymoron. It's time to put a bullet into the TV and face real life. It's more interesting and more fun.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic
Cultural hurdles mounting
We all value and enjoy Canberra's national cultural institutions. Transport Canberra is about to make it harder to visit them.
In less than three weeks residents of Garran, Hughes, Curtin, Deakin, Yarralumla and Forrest will no longer be able to travel by bus directly to the National Gallery, the Portrait Gallery, the High Court, Questacon and the National Library. The disappearance of bus route two and the re-routing of bus route three away from King Edward Terrace will require them to take a substantial walk from the closest bus stops (on the western side of the Treasury) on Langton Crescent.
These stops have no shelters offering protection from the elements. Walking very briskly to the National Gallery takes at least thirteen minutes. Those with pushchairs, wheelchairs or less agile limbs will take longer. The path from Questacon to the Portrait Gallery is completely devoid of lighting.
The other option is to change buses on Melbourne Avenue: cross the four lanes of the Avenue and wait at another bus stop without shelter. Finally, alighting at Kings Avenue, the galleries are a further seven minute walk away. There will also be no direct access from these suburbs to the National Press Club and the Wesley Music Centre in Barton.
The new routes and lack of bus shelters place significant hurdles in the path of people wishing to enjoy this city's cultural treasures.
This is the opposite of what Transport Canberra should be doing.
Jill Adams, Deakin
"Look at me" budget plan
The Coalition government seems to be highlighting maintenance and remedial work on basic national capital infrastructure as a 'look at me' budget investment initiative for Canberrans (''Capital fix - millions in the pipeline for Commonwealth Avenue Bridge , Scrivener Dam'', April 4 ). It is a pity that this election-charged budget did not address the need for new federal investment that ensures some high quality, noteworthy and creative non-residential inclusions for broad public use in the much touted 'nationally significant' Gateway corridor , so that it is not perceived,both domestically or internationally, as a mere ACT commuter belt, dormitory precinct or Air b'n'b stronghold over the coming decades.
Perhaps this opportunity can be addressed by both major parties in the spending that comes out during the 2019 election campaign. Given the planning processes in train at the moment, it may be too late by the time the 2022 election rolls around to nominate and support significant and lasting public use facilities as integral parts of the Gateway's design and function.
Sue Dyer, Downer
Federal Coalition plays dirty
Surely the Federal Coalition's duplicity in delaying the election announcement for as long as possible to allow them to make the maximum use of tax-payer funded election advertising that masquerades as public service announcements isn't fooling anybody.
Myrna Moore, Bonython
Our koalas are under threat
The reported enormous decline in wild koala numbers - from about 10 million when white settlement began to about 48,000 today - is a very sad indictment of our attitude to this beloved and symbolic marsupial (''Wild koalas dwindle as Labor's environment law backed'', April 5, 11).
For this and many other reasons, I fully support moves to revise the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and to create an independent Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
It is shameful that Prime Minister Morrison, when asked by Kerryn Phelps if he would establish an EPA, paid lip service to the proposal but did nothing of consequence.
The April 5 report states that two of the main causes of declining koala numbers are land clearing and climate change.
The right of landholders to clear their land as they see fit appears to be sacrosanct for non-Labor governments,but clearly has a highly adverse effect on koala numbers.
The same applies to clearing to accommodate the relentless spread of suburbia, notably in the south-east of greater Brisbane.
As for climate change, the Morrison and other non-Labor governments tend to ignore it and hope that it will go away.
Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Shorten's plans for your money
If you listened to Mr Shorten's budget reply you will now know two important things.
Now you know what Mr Shorten says he will do with the $200 billion in additional taxes he plans to take from Peter to pay Paul (the Government plans to do a lot with no increase in taxes).
Like last time, Labor promises the world, based only on politics of envy, populism and magic pudding economics, but, when reality strikes, will not be able to deliver - like the last time.
And, anyone who might have been tempted to give the ABC the benefit of the doubt on leftist bias, think again.
Compare: on Tuesday night, Frydenberg had 10 minutes and Bowen with right of reply.
Thursday night, 30 minutes for Shorten to repeat his budget reply speech and no right of reply for the government.
M. Silex, Erindale
Federal budget a bribe fest
The treasurer is finding a lot of money to make a one-off payment to help with power bills. It is nothing but an election sweetener.
The government should look into the fees of specialist doctors, which is creating havoc with the health budget.
It will help pensioners and the low income earners save billions of dollars and they will be able to pay their energy bills.
Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt
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