Six years on, thousands of singles and families resident there have (until recently) had no effective supermarket or coffee shop. The new IGA at Denman Prospect has opened, failed and closed (and is now reportedly) reopening within its first six months. It is geographically isolated.

Years after its completion Coombs's stand-alone shopping centre sits empty. Residents drive to Coolamon Court to shop. Where is the ACT Government? Paralysed.

It is time for a rethink in Molonglo. It is no doubt legally impossible for the ACT Government to force the recalcitrant landlord/owner at Coombs to fairly rent and fill his premises (in line with his lease purpose). It is time to pay hard ball with Mr Cervo.

Legislation should be enacted promptly to cancel his lease, compulsorily resume his property, pay him market valuation (a la the Mr Fluffy process). The ACT Government should then change the lease purpose and permit the majority of the building to be used by a major supermarket chain.

I believe a large supermarket on the Coombs site is the future solution. Woolies at Coolo, and preferably Coles at Coombs. Population growth is guaranteed and the location is very suitable. The shop size available to a new supermarket operator should be enlarged. The Koko development, diagonally opposite, should be restricted to a small style supermarket/convenience store.

A large supermarket, supplemented by a coffee shop, bakery, grog shop and a fast food outlet/restaurant I believe would boom there, enliven the current zombie site, add to community feeling and take the pressure off an already overstressed Coolamon Court.

I write this with tears in my eyes at the words of the Chief Justice of the Victorian Court Appeal confirming that the principal witness [in the Pell trial] was a "witness of truth".

Victims are so often dismissed or doubted, and therefore these words move me so much. I know there are still many of Pell's supporters who will deride this decision and many who will blame and dismiss the victim. Please consider the effort it takes to bring these cases to trial; especially against a high profile offender. We do not do it for money or fame. But we are criticised and blamed and verbally abused as liars or worse.

Our long-term suffering does not end with the verdicts. Please don't add to it by lashing out at victims who survive to make it to court.

I saw Ningali perform her one women show Ningali in 1988 in the downstairs Canberra Theatre (now the Courtyard Studio). I've never forgotten that performance. As a then-new Australian, I left the theatre that night convinced that if Indigenous culture would survive here, it would be through the theatre, the arts.

Ningali had a story to tell, and she told it with conviction, strength, and passion. Ningali and many of her people are story tellers. And what a story they have to tell. Their story.

I've seen Ningali Lawford-Wolf several times since. Thank you, Ningali, for touching me. I will remember you. And your stories.

I agree with Graham Downie (Letters, August 12) that fines should be issued immediately a breach of the rules governing vegetation on nature strips is noticed.

There are a lot of suburbs with no footpaths on several streets. Some residents have taken to using the whole of this unleased land for their own private use even to the extent of vegetation overhanging the road. People of all ages and levels of ability/ disability are forced to use the road instead of the public land.

With the advent of quiet electric and hybrid cars it is time the government started to put footpaths down all streets. This could be financed from the fines imposed.

About 30 years ago, developers, builders, banks, realtors, and even lawyers, accountants, and governments, thought they had come to know it all about apartment blocks.

So they relegated planners, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, building inspectors, and clerks of works; and watered down the full range of design, safety, accommodation, environmental, and construction controls.

All would be left to the market and marketing. Dumbing down, dodgy contracts, and selling off the plan, were the go; and there'd be no such thing as a latent defect.

Now, all through our cities and towns, stand hundreds if not thousands of apartment wrecks, with owners and residents left to fend for themselves. Well done you ignorant, neo-liberal, pirate bastards.

A CFMMEU commissioned report has highlighted the scale of the problems with building defects in Canberra.

ACT Labor has been in power since 2001, for some 18 years. This was well before the boom in apartment construction began.

Did the government, in all that time, try to put in place a warranty for buildings over three stories; or increase the defects period, or improve the independence of certifiers? No is the short answer.

I really feel for the owners of the Elara apartments. A nightmare. But the tip of the iceberg. Anyone in the strata management industry knows just how common costly defects are. And all this is due to the deliberate policy of the Labor/Greens government of favouring developers at the expense of Canberra home buyers.

Alexander Downer added his two bobs worth to that of Alan Jones on the hypocrisy of the NZ Prime Minister criticising Australia over its contribution to green house gases while she rules over a nation replete with flatulent Friesian cows.

No mention from Mr Downer of the justifiable concerns of our island neighbours. We should not be surprised given his involvement in 2004 with spying on Timor Leste.

The legal ramifications of this bit of authorised skulduggery are still playing out with Bernard Collaery and Witness K to face further court hearings later this month.

Steve Blume (Letters, August 14) should reconsider his claim that "the sole effective congestion busting infrastructure is called public transport and charging correct economic values for (so called) free parking".

At the 2011 census 8.6 per cent of Canberra commuters busted congestion by travelling to work as car passengers, 7.8 per cent travelled as public transport passengers, and 7.7 per cent walked or cycled.

In the following five years the government did nothing to encourage people to travel as car passengers. By the 2016 census the proportion of car-as-passenger commuters had fallen to 7.3 per cent.

The government spent tens of millions of dollars to encourage walking and cycling. That encouraged car passengers to walk and cycle. The proportion of walking and cycling commuters increased to 8.2 per cent.

The government spent a half a billion dollars to encourage people to use public transport. That encouraged car passengers to become bus passengers. The proportion of public transport commuters increased to 8.3 per cent.

Projects like the $288 million Majura Parkway encouraged people to drive. They encouraged car passengers to become car drivers. By the 2016 census the proportion of car-driving commuters had increased to its highest-ever level of 74.9 per cent.

The coalition Prime Minister seems to have taken leave of his senses. The "fools on the hill" should be considered no more than the policy arm of the government. Practically, they would have trouble running a hot dog stand at the football.

The Australian Public Service is the delivery arm of the government, in that they deliver (a steadily shrinking) array of services to the Australian public. For example, they provide for the defence of the nation via the Army, Navy and Air Force, they maintain contacts with other nations via Foreign Affairs and Trade, they care for the place via Environment, try to keep people healthy via Health and Social Services, and they ensure that it is paid for through the Tax Office.

Ignore Home Affairs (or as its own staff call it, the Department of Inhuman Suffering), as it is due to be broken up by the next incoming Labour government.

So the government wants to put a cap on how much you spend using cash. ("Questions raised over limit on cash payment", August 21, p11). If this law gets up then the coin of the realm, once always acceptable as legal tender, will no longer be so.

Linus Cole (Letters, August 20) asks "Who takes Alan seriously". Unfortunately too many people do take him seriously. He deliberately aids and abets antisocial elements and divides conservatives and progressives people for his own personal gain. We don't need this troublemaker.

The words of The Mills Brothers' 1953 hit spring to mind... "The whole town's talking about the Jones Boy, he acts mighty peculiar now... the buzz is over the fences, that he's going out of his senses" ("Alan Jones team threatens Media Watch with complaint after airing of 2GB audio", canberratimes.com.au, August 21).

Linus Cole (Letters, August 20) says surely nobody takes Alan Jones seriously. Apparently a lot do. If Jones gets paid (say) $4 million his employers must be making more than that sum through advertising. A huge number of people must be listening to Jones to generate sales for advertisers.

Trump's bid to buy Greenland from Denmark because it's "like a large real estate deal" according to him" is a classic display of American ethnocentrism; the quality responsible for diminishing America's standing in the international community. This is another perverse way Trump seeks to make America great again.

Scott Morrison will never act on global warming. He is a dedicated coal lobbyist. He smuggled in a piece of coal and proudly exhibited that in the House.

When the French people complained that they had no bread, Marie Antoinette responded, "Let them eat cake". Our deputy Prime Minister, Mr McCormack, appears to be equally out of touch when he says about the Pacific Islanders: "Let them pick fruit".

People who need medical attention are not afforded the luxury to "shop around". In true markets buyers and sellers are equally informed. Health is an atypical market. Consumers are hostage to service providers.

Our government's behaviour at the Pacific Islands Forum showed the depravity of its climate change stance, condemning our neighbours to rising sea levels and other disruption. We are not protecting our economy. Australia is the most climate change vulnerable of all developed nations.

The economic outlook is really grim if the smart safe haven for funds changes from gold to mattresses.

Research published by the American Psychological Association demonstrates that children who are psychologically abused face similar and sometimes worse mental health problems as children who are physically or sexually abused.

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