Many years ago my family paid for my family name to be inscribed on the now shelved Immigration Bridge project. A new project was considered when the bridge was deemed unviable.
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I believe that this project has also been shelved and all monies have been spent. Many migrant families paid hundreds of dollars in order to have their names placed on the bridge as a monument to their contribution to Australia. In my case the family name has died when my mother passed away, leaving only my sister and myself.
Having our family name immortalised on the bridge was extremely important to us and it is a disgrace that all the monies have been spent with no memorial in sight. I have written to my local member to resurrect this project and I urge all other migrants to do the same. One suggestion I have is for all names to be engraved on the wall of the underpass of Kings Avenue Bridge.
This project would not need construction but use what is already there, only the engraving of names needs to be added. I sincerely hope that the government sees fit for a project which our migrant families have already contributed to.
Elly Smith, Ngunnawal
Stadium has life left to give
The Bruce Stadium replacement chatter is again gaining traction on these pages. However, the Civic pool site is clearly too small for a sensible outcome for a new build. The current Bruce pitch is a superior playing surface and of the preferred rectangular form. The current seating capacity is more than adequate for this city, with lots of parking available. The existing structure is far from its end of life and contains enough embodied energy that should make replacement, for an emission aware society, the last option.
Covered seating is a possible, but costly, option just to placate inadequately attired spectators, and may impact on grass quality as well. A rapid connection from the city could be provided by a tram, which could service UC, the hospitals and Belconnen town centre.
So forget the Woden light rail stage 2, save $300m on another bridge and another $300m on a new stadium. Let's save the planet and use the $600m to fix Bruce Stadium and fund a new 21st century tram, with rubber tyres and no rails or overhead wires. As a bonus lots of exploitable real estate lines the route and Civic Pool could be saved for the city.
Ken Murtagh, Turner
NSW could lend stadium a hand
The ACT government can't find the money in its budgets for the foreseeable future to build a new international standard oval. Why don't we ask our next door neighbours in Queanbeyan, and the NSW government, to take pity on us and spend some of its handsome budget surplus on supporting its sporting neighbours?
Better still, why not lend us enough to rebuild the dilapidated grandstands around what is a quality playing surface at Bruce Stadium?
Geoff Murray, Ngunnawal
Morrison needs a miracle
The new Morrison cabinet needs to find a quick "miracle" to show us they can govern for us all.
There's a perfect opportunity in Stanthorpe, Queensland, where drought has halted primary production. The locals need a new small dam, and ScoMo's team can deliver a brilliant solution.But building just the dam won't save Stanthorpe if drought persists.
One solution can combine science from BHMAR aquifer work at Menindee, delight from pump-store hydro ANU scientists, thanks from the green-energy putsch, real hope for Stanthorpe, and grudging respect from the "Not One Drop" activists of the north coast.
What fits this is a small pump-store hydro system, linked by small high pressure pipe to the new Stanthorpe dam, and a small weir at the junction between upper and lower aquifers of the Richmond river. Added to these should be a start on a water distribution grid, similar to the Wimmera-Mallee and the Darling Anabranch ones.
Small, federal-local projects, would be a good learning-curve for Mr Morrison's new cabinet.
Such projects have short lead times, create local jobs, restore production, replace despair with hope, and provide quick economic stimuli, with early return on investment.
Dr Peter Main, Higgins
No longer a tidy town
I completely agree with B.M. Cook (Letters, June 18) regarding the scruffy state of our once tidy city. It is time for both the Barr government and residents of Canberra to once again take pride in this our city. It is not only the Tuggeranong Parkway that is in a sorry state of untidiness it is also the route out of Tuggeranong via Erindale and Yamba Drive. All residents of Canberra as well as our many visitors have a right to enjoy everything that Canberra has to offer. In the recent budget, rates were hiked. Surely some of this revenue could be used to keep our city neat and tidy in every respect. And yes, it used to be a neat and clean city before self government.
Neredah Crane, Monash
Double glaze the Garema hotel
I have read with interest the various items in The Canberra Times in the last week concerning possible noise complaints should a 215 room hotel be built in Garema Place ("Let sleepy guests and clubs live in peace", June 18, p14). There is a simple solution: soundproof the building.
I have read with interest the various items ... last week concerning possible noise complaints should a 215 room hotel be built in Garema Place. There is a simple solution: soundproof the building.
- Peter Bungay, Wagga Wagga
In Wagga Wagga, the International Hotel was built right next to the road on the corner of Edward Street (Sturt Highway) and Lake Albert Road. The Farmers Home Hotel is also across the road. Edward Street is the main road through Wagga and carries a number of large semi-trailers 24/7. Also the main railway line - Sydney to Melbourne - runs behind the hotel. When the hotel was built all the windows were double (or triple glazed); this has resulted in no outside noise heard in any of the rooms.
Peter Bungay, Wagga Wagga
Think before following war path
I don't know whether Iran was behind recent attacks on oil tankers in the Middle East. But I do know two things.
First, that nobody in their right mind would now accept "intelligence" from USA agencies claiming this or anything else about Iran without thorough third-party verification from trusted independent sources. Or have we forgotten the USA's cast iron claims about Saddam Hussein's possession of "weapons of mass destruction"? Claims long since shown to be entirely false.
Second, the USA's appeal to "allies" to support it in its cold war against Iran is breathtaking in its presumption. Under President Donald Trump, the USA has spent the past two years insulting its traditional allies, cosying up to dictators and other despots, commenced the wrecking of international trading relationships and walked away from international efforts to deal with international emissions contributing to global climate change.
The US has, in other words become entirely isolationist. "Make America great again" is nothing more than empty shorthand for "stuff the rest of the world".
Now the USA feels a need to appeal to "allies" to support its agenda, whatever that might be, in its crusade against Iran. I sincerely hope that the USA's "traditional allies", routinely insulted over the past two years, will resist the siren's call and subject that call to far greater independent scrutiny, debate and the rule of international law than was the case in 2003. I wish I were confident that Australia will do this.
John Mellors, Coombs
Watch out for drug border checks
As Messrs Barr and Rattenbury prepare to legalise the cultivation of cannabis in Canberra, one wonders whether they have fully considered the ramifications of such a proposal. If the NSW police establish vehicle checking stations at each border crossing to ensure that no illegal drugs are being imported into NSW one can only imagine the horrific traffic jams extending many kilometres. I would predict that after a week of utter turmoil, and delays of many hours, most Canberra residents would demand that this legislation be rescinded.
Jim Coats, Fadden
The inevitable prime minister
There is a problem that has baffled us all when we start philosophising. When something will happen in the future, will it happen inevitably?
In 1957, this problem about predictions was discussed in an article published in Mind in 1959, the leading philosophy journal. The article was written by Ray Bradley, a fine philosopher, who got his Ph.D. at the ANU the following year. At that time, a friend of his was none other than Bob Hawke, also a student at the ANU, living in one of the flats reserved for postgraduate students in Masson Street, Turner. In abstract philosophical discussions, examples help. Bradley's choice of an example is quite intriguing.
To make a point about logical determinism, Bradley used this example: "Robert Hawke of Masson St, Canberra is Prime Minister of Australia in 1977". Bradley was only six years off.
Thomas Mautner, Griffith
TO THE POINT
SCHEME TO OVERLOOK BRUMBIES
Joe Roff calls on the Wallaby selectors to favour Brumbies players for the Rugby World Cup, on the basis that they are the form team ("ACT finals charge to boost World Cup Dreams", June 19, p39). I have no doubt they will, at least for the first inconsequential game. Then there will be a "rotation policy". Once most of the Brumbies have been rotated out in favour of Waratahs players, there will be a "selection stability policy". I've seen this move before.
Ian Douglas, Jerrambomberra
TOP CAMPUS NEEDS BUS ROUTE
This city is home to the university that ranks above four other Australian universities in the top 50 universities under the QS World University Rankings ("ANU among world's top institutions", June 19, p5). However, as of this year we can't be bothered ensuring that our public bus services support ANU's students, employees, public event and sessional attendees and other visitors so that they can move more efficiently to their destinations in a large campus.
Sue Dyer, Downer
NEXT TRAM TO PEASANTRY
Jack Palmer (Letters, June 12) referred to those of us opposed to the tram as peasants. So I offer him a way in which we can all become peasants. The tram, according to the Auditor General, has a benefit cost ratio of 0.47. That means for every dollar we have spent on it so far, we will get 47 cents back. The $1 billion we've spent will shrink to 47 per cent of that in 20 years. All we have to do for us to run out of money is to spend a few more billion on trams to the south and we can rapidly end up with not much money at all. Then we would all be peasants
Stan Marks, Hawker
FOCUS TAXES ON WEALTHY
Kathryn Kelly (Letters, 19 June) hopes Labor will stand firm in opposing the proposal for a 30 cent tax rate for earners up to $200,000. Even more importantly, Labor should stick to its guns on its two policies that do most to address wealth inequality: winding back negative gearing and reducing the capital gains tax discount. These policies hugely benefit the wealthiest 20 per cent at the expense of other households.
Paul Feldman, Macquarie
FREE SPEECH A RIGHT
Is Pamela Collett from Narrabundah joking or is she deadly serious (Letters, June 19)? Whether we believe in global warming, climate change (when the globe did not warm) or climate emergency is immaterial. We live in a democracy, and it is the right of all citizens to be able to express their opinion.
Lesley Beckhouse, Queanbeyan
NOR ANY DROP TO DRINK
The involvement with militant trade unions that Anthony Albanese has inherited as Labor leader makes a poisoned chalice seem like a glass of lemonade
M. F. Horton, Adelaide
PUT 'EM IN A TREE MUSEUM
How dare the conservator of flora and fauna preserve a tree. The silly man should allow us to "paint paradise and put up an ugly edifice". Apologies to Joni Mitchell.
Maria Greene, Curtin
TRUMP'S ELECTION WORRIES
President Donald Trump is worried he won't win the 2020 election. I'm worried he will.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Victoria
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