I agree with emeritus professor Ray Cas, a well-known volcanologist, that Whakaari volcano (White Island) "has been a disaster waiting to happen", and too dangerous for tourists to visit ("Tough questions after deadly eruption", December 11, p7).
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Whakaari is known to have be active for about about 150,000 years, and is New Zealand's largest and most active volcano. Eruptions occur at irregular intervals every few years and are difficult to predict accurately, despite its being monitored by a number of sophisticated instruments that provide indications of when eruptions are most likely.
Whakaari is composed mainly of porous rock and rock debris, and because it is 70 per cent submerged is mostly saturated with water; as was Krakatoa before its enormous 1883 eruption.This makes explosive eruptions very likely.
Apart from the obvious danger, I can see little attraction in Whakaari, despite my being a geologist with a special interest in volcanoes. It has no roiling lava lakes, lava fountains or seething lava flows. It is just a smelly, rocky and dusty barren landscape with a putrid toxic lake.
Despite this the tour operators persist in selling this "attraction" to tourists regardless of the danger. They should hang their heads in shame.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
The reason why
Gina Pinkas (Letters, December 10) questions Jon Stanhope's attribution of Canberra's lack of rental affordability to the ACT government's drip-feed land release strategy which deliberately inflates land values by manufacturing competition for a scarce resource.
A case could have been made 20 years ago for rates and land taxes being higher in Canberra than other metropolitan areas because lower property values meant that Canberrans still paid less for much better services, but 20 years is a long time under one-party rule.
There are few modern cities where you can experience the same existential trepidation that our long-distant ancestors on the plains of Africa would have faced daily as you peer through long grass wondering what surprises might be waiting for you on the other side of the approach to a roundabout.
Few Canberrans would have to walk more than 200 metres to reach a poker machine venue where the only problem for gamblers is deciding how much of their life savings to withdraw over the bar.
- James Allan, Narrabundah
Although the government is very coy about publicising this number, few Canberrans would have to walk more than 200 metres to reach a poker machine venue where the only problem for gamblers is deciding how much of their life savings to withdraw over the bar.
Considering the sell-off of public spaces to cowboy developers, the reduction in public housing stock, the gutting of bus services, the continued targeting of community- and charity-based events by feckless parking clowns, the deterioration in the quality of care at Canberra Hospital, and attitudes to scrutiny, transparency and accountability best described as "Trumpian", it appears the Barr gang are involved in the greatest highway robbery in the history of our territory.
James Allan, Narrabundah
Good news from Queanbeyan
Our daughter, with her two-week-old infant, was making her first supermarket shop in Queanbeyan on Saturday.
Her credit card failed and she had no cash. Flustered, she tried to ring her bank. "Longer than normal delays" was the auto-answer. But not longer than normal delays at the supermarket.
A wonderful woman, with her older child, had paid the bill. "We've all been there" she told my daughter. "You will do the same when you have the chance". And she will.
This is a reminder that each of us knows what is right and that actions are more valuable when few words are attached to them.
Dr Susan Boden, Narrabundah
Go the whole hog
What an excellent idea to "Make Canberra a cultural destination" (Editorial, canberratimes.com.au, December 9). But why stop at the arts aspects you identified?
How about a permanent acknowledgement of Canberra's architects? Let's create a Griffin Institute to honour Walter and Marion Griffin.
It would be the last proposal of the "Griffin Legacy" by the National Capital Authority in 2004. The Griffin Institute would draw together Griffin documents, be a library of published material, provide facilities for scholarly research and be a gallery space for public exhibition of planning material, starting with the Griffins' plans.
It would also highlight their later work in Melbourne, Leeton, Griffith and their houses at Castlecrag in Sydney.
Walter and Marion Griffin were more than Canberra and more can be done, in recognising their cultural contributions to Australia through a Griffin Institute.
Peter Graves, chair, Canberra chapter
Walter Burley Griffin Society
Not good enough
No charges will be laid against an off-duty South Australian senior community Indigenous police constable who stoned to death a wombat.
All the Police Commissioner, Grant Stevens can say, after an internal investigation, was "the constable's actions were not inconsistent with traditional hunting practices".
Whilst one can respect the desire for indigenous people, where necessary, to maintain a connection with ancient ways of hunting animals, perhaps in the 21st century there is a need to move to have one rule for everyone.
Our laws need to be updated to stamp out what was obviously a cruel and unnecessary act of violence against a defenceless animal.
The RSPCA has every right to be indignant at the lack of accountability. Every state and territory has an Animal Welfare Act to protect our domestic and native animals. If a non-Indigenous person had committed this act of cruelty, a fine in the order of $50,000, or four years imprisonment, could have been imposed.
Perhaps Commissioner Stevens should be advising the government the law needs to change rather than just seeming to condone the actions of one of his own.
Philip Machin, Wamboin, NSW
Lost gateway
How do Canberrans feel about the way part of the Federal Highway and all along Northbourne Ave corridor looks of late?
The parched (bad choice?) plantings look dreadful; nothing like what we were led to believe would be planted in reports published in March, 2017.
Why does this ACT government appear to not give a damn? It's a disgrace compared to how the entrance to Canberra looked "once upon a time".
Angela Walker, Lyneham
War no more
I've read letters to the editor and articles discussing who should make the decision to commit Australia to overseas wars.
Given the lamentable record of various Australian leaders and governments since World War II in committing Australian troops to illegal, ill advised and unwinnable "wars", very few of which I supported, I suggest any political leader or group of Parliamentarians who take these decisions should in future be required to enlist in non commissioned ranks and be sent there forthwith.
Repeat deployments preferred.
John Mungoven, Stirling
G-G not head of state
David Smith ("Job done John", Letters, December 11) reiterates the discredited monarchist claim the High Court "held" the Governor-General to be the constitutional head of state.
In 1907 the court actually observed, but did not "hold" or "decide", that the Governor-General was the "officiating" head of state.
That is an important qualification.
The constitution provides that governors-general do so "officiate"; but only as representative of the queen, the ultimate head of state.
Indeed, that case includes the court's observation of possible recourse to the Sovereign against a Governor's decisions.
Hardly a judicial endorsement of state "headship".
One might think that Smith owes more loyalty to a queen whose effigy appears on our coinage and who firmly believes that she is Australia's ultimate head of state; albeit an undemocratic unmerited time-share absentee.
Mike Hutchinson, Reid
Come clean Shane
Much like the Soviet Union claiming credit for its role in ending World War II without acknowledging the role its non-aggression pact with Germany played in starting it, it takes a certain level of chutzpah for Shane Rattenbury to claim a report that more solar and wind is driving wholesale electricity prices down is good news for consumers.
("Wind, solar help drive power bills down", December 10, p9).
After all, retail prices are still higher than they would be if it were not for the market distortions created by policies such as the renewable energy target that allow solar and wind generators to undercut coal in the wholesale market knowing that consumers are forced to pay for the higher cost of renewable generation in the retail market.
Stephen Jones, Bonython
TO THE POINT
SORE LOSERS
I am disgusted at the bile expressed against the Prime Minister in letters to the editor by the cosseted denizens of the The Truman Show world that is Canberra. Neither Australia nor the PM caused any global warming. The PM did not cause the drought or the bushfires. You lost in May. Get used to it you nasty individuals.
M. Silex, Erindale
IT'S HRH OBVIOUSLY
David Smith (Letters, December 11) if, as you assert, the Governor-General is the "constitutional head of state of the Commonwealth" why does my passport say "The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, being the representative in Australia of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second"?
Roger Terry, Kingston
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT
The royal.gov.uk website says that Queen Elizabeth II is Australia's Head of State along with 15 other of her realms. Does David Smith (Letters, December 11) believe her lawyers and constitutional advisers are mistaken?
Sarah Brasch, Women for
an Australian Republic, Weston
PAGING THE PM
Scomo "where the bloody hell are you?" Missing? Deserted? AWOL? This country needs a leader.
Murray Upton, Belconnen
TO THE BARRICADES
If, as rumoured, the Morrison government intends to curtail or even shut down the National Capital Authority then let us know now. At least we can then fight to save the national capital from crap development, and its number one supporter, the ACT government's flim-flam City Renewal Authority.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
POPE BE THANKED
Thursday's editorial cartoon (December 12, p19) of Scomo channelling Nero is a winner. I especially loved the depiction of the ever valiant firies. Thank you Pope for the comic relief. You have lifted my spirits.
Gina Pinkas, Aranda
THINK AGAIN
G Mack (Letters, December 11) would like a device to switch off his ears. I can inform him there is such a device. It's called a hearing aid. I can also assure him that he would not like to have the involuntary silence when it is turned off. Be careful what you wish for. Deafness is no joke.
Steve Thomas, Yarralumla
SECRET SANTA?
I've heard via a song in the supermarket that Santa knows if I've been good, naughty or nice. What is this? Some sort of big data social credit system? Are there privacy settings on my social media that will count me out?
Richard Manderson, Narrabundah
BURIED TREASURES
Sue Dyer wonders if the Coalition's interest in the arts is buried under tonnes of concrete (Letters, December 9). Has she discovered the secret to the buried arts? The Barr government's endeavours to fill an ever diminishing number of green space land and car parking lots with multi-storeyed tonnes of concrete.
Len Goodman, Belconnen
GODSPEED BORIS
God won't save Jeremy Corbyn. I hope the voters of Britain don't either.
N Ellis, Belconnen
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