The Blake Corney family tragedy and coroner's recommendations ("Coroner urges authorities to incentivise autonomous emergency braking", November 16) asking for heavy vehicle fleet autonomous emergency braking (AEB) tech incentives is a long-term solution that may take up to 30 years, according to the Trucking Industry Council.
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The truck driver, Akis Livas, is reported as ignoring the possibility he had sleep apnoea for years and was likely aware he had the condition some five years prior to the crash. While we wait for the AEB tech solution to be addressed, there is scope for an immediate and a quick parallel solution by requiring all licensed heavy vehicle drivers to undertake and pass an official home sleep study.
Where sleep disturbances are discovered such as obstructive sleep apnoea, further regular testing and possible continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment can be implemented. It is likely that Mr Livas put off his sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment because of the time and costs involved in undertaking a sleep study and then buying the necessary and often expensive CPAP equipment to treat his condition.
If the sleep study and treatment costs were provided free or subsidised then perhaps this tragedy and any similar future tragedies could be avoided. This cost to government would not be insurmountable as the cost to the community would be more than offset by the implementation of a heavy vehicle owners sleep study and equipment subsidy scheme. The ACT has a Road Safety Contribution registration fee that could be utilised here.
Angelo Barich, Secretary/Treasurer
Sleep Apnoea Association Inc
Pay respect to an important statue
Last week Australians respectfully remembered those who served our nation. Sadly such respect is not on display at the site of the demolished Canberra Services Club at Manuka.
Since the club was destroyed by fire in April 2011, the Kokoda Memorial statue, which depicts 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel' Rhaphael Oimbari OBE escorting wounded Australian Private George Whittington, has stood against the background of the club's dilapidated site and a shabby broken sign, surrounded by overgrown and dead vegetation, and menaced by the muzzle of an unfortunately located Leopard tank.
Despite the elapse of more than 10 years since fire consumed the club building, and despite countless letters to this paper and elsewhere, the statue, erected to honour the bravery of our soldiers and our closest geographical neighbours, instead, through its neglect, disrespects their memory.
Irrespective of whether the current circumstances of the statue arise from the Canberra Services Club's ongoing dispute with the ACT government over the deconcessioning of its property, or for some other reason, this disgraceful situation has gone on for too long.
The Memorial must be removed from its current site and installed in more appropriate circumstances, perhaps chosen by a group that includes the RSL, noting that it was the Kingston Narrabundah RSL sub-branch that donated the statue.
Ian Pearson, Barton
Family responsibilities
"Nothing we do will make any difference" says Doug Hurst (Letters, November 16) referring to Australia's relatively small CO2 emissions compared to that of other countries.
The world is like a big family. If a large group of adults decides to smoke in the family room, do we join them because our individual contribution won't make a difference?
The children and Greta Thunberg are watching.
Jorge Gapella, Kaleen
It's our money, not theirs
The public will have three weeks from November 20 to write submissions concerning the proposed tram extension Civic to Woden. If you agree that the route proposed will be environmentally and fiscally unsound, and cause traffic chaos for four years, for no possible gain, please tell the NCA.
Bear in mind that the large majority of negative letters submitted, when they were sought, were ignored concerning the Australian War Memorial. This time, we must make a difference. Please write. This could save the damage plus billions of wasted taxpayer and ratepayer money. This must not be allowed to go ahead.
Even the Witless Wonders on the Hill agreed to support this narcissistic notion with Commonwealth money. Our money, not theirs.
Renée Goossens, Turner
Transparency in this case please
A federal Parliamentary committee, the BCA and the Grattan Institute feel that large infrastructure projects should have a transparent business case and be objective. ("Shortsighted political gains", November 17). In the ACT we have a secretive silly tram project going ahead regardless of cost or of the harm caused to commuters and the environment; purely to keep a tired government in power by pandering to one with the balance of power.
Maria Greene, Curtin
Kyrgios comments clarified
Media is very quick to report on whatever comes out of a celebrity's mouth without looking into the context or intent. One would hope that you would also report on Kyrgios' clarification on his comment regarding cancelling the Australian Open. You can find it on his Instagram post.
Sadia Kamran, Casey
Money wisely spent could go so far
For about $70 million, by the middle of next year, Transport Minister Chris Steel and Chief Minister Andrew Barr can provide quieter, cleaner, faster bus travel between Woden and Civic. Buses currently do that trip in seventeen minutes at peak times, and as little as fourteen minutes at other times.
For about $20 million they could extend Adelaide Avenue's transit lanes and cut peak travel times to about 15 minutes. For about $50 million they could replace the noisy, polluting fossil-fuelled buses on the route with quieter, zero-emissions electric buses.
They plan to eventually replace buses on that route with light rail that will cost $1.5 billion and take 25 to 30 minutes for the same trip.
When that happens, it will make sense to re-allocate the new buses to provide more zero-emissions buses, on more routes, for the benefit of the broader community.
Leon Arundell, Downer
Why should they worry?
Ah, Doug Hurst (Letters, November 16) maybe you could consider how it appears from developing countries. I think it might go like this. India and China are developing countries, wanting to improve their lower standards of living, being asked to shoulder major emissions cuts. Yet they see developed Australia, with one of the highest emissions per capita, more highly exposed to the downsides of climate change than most yet only lukewarm in mitigation actions. Why should they worry about peak climate stupidity?
James Walcott, Mawson
Boot shifting to other foot
Jevon Kinder (Letters, November 16) appears to have overlooked the important distinction between investment and subsidy when comparing the current 90 per cent of energy investment in renewables (his figure) with the $10 billion per year subsidy to the fossil fuel industry (the figure he compares it to). As I recall, not many years ago critics of renewables were saying no one would be 'investing' in renewables if it wasn't for subsidies. Could the boot now be on the other foot, perhaps?
Mark Westcott, Farrer
Dodgy new slogans
Perhaps the reason Scott Morrison has come up with new slogans like "The Australian way" and "Can-do capitalism" is because the oldies are getting a bit tired.
"Technology, not taxes" is looking a bit dodgy as the technologies are not yet working or even invented. And the modelling released last week includes a voluntary price on carbon previously labelled by the Coalition as a "carbon tax" ("PM again raises the tax that never was", November 16).
It's the "meet and beat" slogan that's dodgiest because it uses a land-use accounting trick that infuriated the world in Kyoto.
It's a trick because it obscures a lack of progress in reducing fossil fuel emissions. Using the government's own emissions data, when land use is excluded, the reduction in emissions from March 2005 to March 2021 falls from the claimed 20 per cent to only 2 per cent. Tonnes away from the 26-28 per cent 2030 target.
Hardly meeting and beating and apparently the Australian way.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic
That's how we got here
I have listened with interest how our PM has argued "Can-do capitalism" will solve how to reduce carbon emissions. I had to shake my head when I considered what he had actually said. Does he not realise that kind of capitalism has got us to this precise position?
During the pandemic he did say numerous times, "We have to listen to the scientists".
Scotty, time to listen to your own mantras.
D. Perry, Amaroo
RISKS IN SPACE
Apparently, some countries are testing anti-satellite weapons by blowing up various satellites. Are none of the decision-makers in those countries aware of the Kessler syndrome, in which space debris can have a catastrophic effect (as demonstrated in the film Gravity)? My understanding is that there's a big enough potential problem with existing space junk, without creating extra debris that could knock out important satellites.
Gordon Fyfe, Kambah
MR SQUIGGLE MEMORIES
Oh, Miss Jane or was that Gina, Pat, Roxanne or Rebecca (David Pope editorial cartoon, November 17)?
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook NSW
A WORD BETTER UNUSED
Yes James Mahoney, I did need to look "banausic" up in the dictionary (Letters November 17). I can well see why I had never encountered it before, given its inherently snobby, un-Australian, un-Christian denotation. Its only legitimate usage would surely be in satirising the kind of people who would use a word like that.
Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra, NSW
DON'T PROMOTE PUGILISM
I was disappointed to see your two-page promotion of an upcoming professional boxing fight (CT 17 November). A time a time when most sports are trying to minimise brain injuries to contestants, it is absurd that professional boxing is tolerated, let alone encouraged.
Murray Williamson, Weetangera
FIRST NATIONS
James Blackwell ("First Nations missing at COP26", November 26) claims there was a conspicuous absence of First Nations people in Glasgow. As 100 world leaders and 30,000 delegates from 180 nations attended, and there have been umpteen pictures of native people in traditional dress manning various stalls, I should imagine their concerns would have been aired with some sort of equanimity with others.
Bill Deane, Chapman
SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT
Australian cricket teams have regularly come across as a bunch of disrespectful, arrogant, 'win at all cost' school children. The current T20 side under Justin Langer have started to show signs of the grace and humility that was a hallmark of his stellar career. I'd recommend keeping him at the helm forever, win, lose or draw.
Mal Wilson, Campbell
DON'T BANK ON IT
As one would not accept a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank, the electorate wouldn't accept PM Scott Morrison's prediction that technology will tackle the climate change problem because he hasn't detailed them what they are.
Sankar Kumar Chatterjee, Evatt
KINGSTON DESERVES RESPECT
What a pity so many years, decades in fact, of community input and master planning for the Kingston Arts Precinct appear to have been ignored. Let's hope all that work can be given the acknowledgement and respect it deserves.
Nick Swain, Barton
JUST GET ON WITH IT
The PM is now more active in being re-elected than doing his job now. Why doesn't he just get on with it and let nature take its course as he believes it won't change anything in his time.