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Canberra Today 13°/16° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Letters / This government is testing the true believers

THE residents of Canberra can always rest easy in the knowledge that this ACT government will deliver them certainty.

Without doubt they can bank on a number of welcome pieces of good news each year.

Firstly, a disgraceful increase in rates and charges each Budget is guaranteed, no correspondence entered into.

Secondly, ratepayers can watch the MLAs from the government nod dutifully each year as the arrogant Chief Minister delivers the Budget.

Thirdly, no amount of overwhelming financial evidence discrediting the tram has any traction with this out-of-step administration and fourthly, despite widespread opposition from resident action groups to the government’s development agenda (genuine planning is notably absent), we have been guaranteed more of the same by the Chief Minister and the Planning Minister who has little, if any, concept of good urban design or town planning.

Surely even the government’s most rusted-on supporters cannot vote for this tired, complacent and high-taxing regime to be given another term!

Colin Lyons, Weetangera

Jeez, Mick, it’s just graffiti

IT was pleasing to read on citynews.com.au that the Healthy Waterways projects being carried out across the ACT over the last few years have been completed. I frequently observed several of the projects in my region of Tuggeranong with great interest.

It was inspiring that proper long-term planning was undertaken based on competent research with adequate funding provided for such vital water pollution reduction efforts in Canberra and its surrounding waterways. This type of accomplishment contrasts with so much “knee-jerk” hysteria we are bombarded with every day about environmental doom and gloom issues.

However, it was a laugh to read the reference made by ACT Environment Minister Mick Gentlemen that more than 1000 stencils will be painted across the ACT on footpaths to remind us that stormwater flows into our lakes and waterways. Jeez, Mick, I and the vast majority would never have figured that out without such signage. Let’s face it, that is just graffiti – shame.

The ACT stopped painting gutter curbs near intersections and so forth (in red) back in the 1980s to indicate no parking. I have recently observed painted stencils on pit lids at shops stating “Restricted Access – No Entry Without Permit”. These were legible for a few months before washing off – guess where all that paint goes?

Who came up with this ludicrous idea for painted stencils on footpaths and how much tax/rates money will be wasted on it? Next we will be painting footpaths with lines to indicate which side you should be on – oh, wait, we already did that, too!

Bjorn Moore, Gowrie

Are they serious?

I DON’T understand the point being made by a series of commentators and letter writers in your pages over the past few weeks. John Smith (CN, May 16), Martin Gordon and Denzil Bourne (CN, May 30) seem to be suggesting that engineering “problems” arising in changing energy sources to address climate disruption are such that no action should be taken.

What are they proposing we do? Are they seriously suggesting that we just let greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere continue to rise?

Peter Tait, O’Connor

Help for the strugglers

THE excessive financial burden currently placed upon taxpayers could be lessened by raising the tax threshold from $18,200 per annum ($350 a week) to $26,000 ($500 a week); as well as eliminating the requirement to pay additional tax on the lesser of two incomes earned by industrious people with two jobs. These measures alone would save millions of dollars in government administration and greatly help the average struggling employee.

How about it?

Peter Gately, via email

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

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