“The ACT government is oblivious of the need to maximise the benefits from limited infrastructure funds, as its cavalier expenditure on the light rail money-pit is a prime example,” says letter writer MIKE QUIRK, of Garran.

I share the concerns of John Quinn (Letters, CN February 15) about the performance of the Barr government. The arrogant, tired government is living in la-la land having deceived itself into believing its overall performance is meritorious.

Its ongoing failures – the insufficient supply of social housing and greenfields land, the tram fiasco, the reduction in bus services, poor procurement (think HR upgrades, buses, CIT contracts), stadium paralysis, poorly managed redevelopment, the sick health system, ballooning debt, inadequate city maintenance and a failure to justify it actions – would be terminal for governments in most jurisdictions. It is having a deleterious impact on the quality of life of Canberrans, especially those of limited means.

The government is oblivious of the need to maximise the benefits from limited infrastructure funds, as its cavalier expenditure on the light rail money-pit is a prime example. Its poor priority setting is a result of ideology and inadequate analysis.

After serving Labor/Green governments since 2001, is the public service capable of providing frank, honest and timely advice based on the best available evidence; or does it simply implement government policy, no matter how half-baked?

The community deserves better. Can alternative voices, including emerging independents, convince a largely disengaged community it is time for a change or will the community continue to consume the government’s baloney and suffer the consequences of living in Barr-Barr land?

Mike Quirk, Garran

Is the chief minister our Wizard of Aus?

Am I becoming delusional when I see a colourful, artist impression of tram stops near Parliament House, without any mention of cost? 

And reportage of the ACT budget blow out ($340 million) that apparently, was not Treasurer Barr’s fault. It was the lower-than-expected tax revenue, stupid!

Is our Wizard of Aus now conjuring up another illusion for Canberrans to dream of what’s to come on the road to the emerald city of Woden? 

Canberrans will enjoy a slow, relaxing tourist ride, in a gold-plated tram, gliding smoothly on gold-plated tracks, around the “Big House” and around the picturesque streets of Barton. 

Workers to/from Woden, wishing to get to work quickly, can just relax and be enthralled with that scenery, every morning and afternoon, enjoying their slow and expensive tram. 

But I may be mistaken, he may be our “Dorothy” and Minister Steel, our “Tin Man”, metaphorically speaking, embarking on the “Yellow Brick Road” to enlightenment and a deeper understanding of such mundane things as fiscal responsibility, budgetary constraints, accountability, transparency and compassion for Canberrans, struggling with cost-of-living issues, unaffordable housing, high rental costs and the like.

Who knows? I might be dreaming or am I being “derailed” by a recurring nightmare?

Anthony Senti, via email

Woke runs amok on community noticeboards

It appears that prevalence of “woke” is now starting to affect even Community Noticeboards such as the Weston Creek Community Noticeboard (WCCN).

Recently, I reported to the WCCN that a very large branch from a eucalyptus tree had fallen next to the Duffy shops, where I was walking at the time, and also within the grounds of the new children’s playground which was established there.

I commented that parents should be aware of such a problem and that maybe the government should not allow plantings of large gums in playgrounds or at least have them checked regularly. 

I also noted that I was aware that there were people in the community who felt that gumtrees were no more dangerous than many other trees. The existence of such people is a matter of fact as can be seen by their correspondence from time to time, but the WCC Noticeboard decided not to publish my notification, presumably because it contravened its “woke” standards. 

They finally published it when I removed any reference to alternate positions held by others on the dangers of gumtrees in particular. 

However, they now appear to have put a ban on me because a letter complimenting the government on removing the offending branch within 24 hours was also not published when first tendered, along with another mentioning that there as another McCarthy in upper Duffy who could possibly be the owner of a missing parcel forwarded to the wrong address. 

I thought that there was a right to freedom of speech in Australia and am now wondering whether bodies such as Community Noticboards are breaching that.

I now intend to resign my membership of the local noticeboard and will inform its membership of that if, in fact, the noticeboard actually deigns to publish my notice.

Ric Hingee, Duffy 

Housing crisis: building outside the box

Thank you to Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed for the insightful analysis of the housing crisis in Canberra (“What a mess Barr’s made of housing”, CN February 8). 

This crisis is of the ACT government’s own making. Undersupply is the main problem with an ever-widening gap between supply and demand. This lack of supply puts a floor under the price of existing houses and ensures that prices grow rapidly when housing finance is cheaper (interest rates). 

The current construction slowdown reflects the high cost and unaffordability of housing. Homeowners cannot afford the massive mortgage burden and the construction industry can’t build efficiently with the high cost of land and limited supply of sites.

The chief minister continues to claim that supply of land has been adequate but feels the need for an additional $50 million of taxpayer’s money be given to the monopoly land provider, Suburban Land Agency in the next budget to release more land. 

The CM says he’s going to err on the side of land oversupply. The analysis published in CityNews shows the increasing undersupply compared with population growth for the last decade.

The two other important factors that need to be considered are the cost of land and the type of house being produced. 

The ACT has the second most expensive residential land in Australia (per square metre) and is producing the highest proportion of units to detached houses in Australia, demonstrated by the current five-year program of 16935 dwelling sites aiming to produce 13620 multi-unit sites and 3315 sites for single dwellings. Too few and the wrong type. 

The demand for houses over a million dollars is being met, but not the market for affordable housing.

There is a lot of focus on price gouging. Land in the ACT provides an example. The solution is not to release more land for unit developments. 

The recent land ballots highlight an undersupply of affordable detached three-bedroom house blocks. This is the housing type that Canberrans want. 

Hopefully, the $50 million will go to releasing 500sqm blocks at $250,000. This is done in other jurisdictions. A house-and-land package at around $550,000. 

I suggest starting with an additional 1000 blocks annually pitched at this price will go a long way to addressing Canberra’s housing crisis. 

ACT Treasury has the talent to do a market analysis to find the price point for housing that’s affordable for the average household. Hint: it’s not close to $1 million.

Unfortunately, the current government is good at telling you what you want and not listening to what you need.

Ian Hubbard, via email

Beware the Liberal ‘progressive’ claims

Canberrans have been wary of the Canberra Liberals, in view of the party’s right-wing stance on many issues. 

Clare Carnell, daughter of former Liberal Chief Minister Kate Carnell, is a disaffected former Liberal in response to the party’s attitude to the Yes vote last year (“Powerful start to election-year Assembly race”, CN February 8).

Yet another example of the LIberals’ retrograde policies is their commitment to wind back the phasing out of wood heaters in the ACT. This is despite the conclusive evidence of the damaging health impacts of wood heaters and wood smoke. 

I recently contacted two independents planning to run in 2024, namely Peter Strong and Ann Bray. They are both supportive of the ACT government’s decision to phase out wood heaters. Voters need to examine carefully any “progressive” claims coming from the Canberra Liberals.

Murray May, Cook 

Government drags its heels on active travel

A year ago the CityNews published my article, “Let’s build bus rapid transit to Woden”.

The president of the government-funded Conservation Council responded by expelling me from the council’s transport working group.

The 2004 ACT Sustainable Transport Plan set a target for walking to increase, from 4 per cent of journeys to work in 2001 to 7 per cent in 2026. In 2021 it reached 5 per cent. Cycling was to increase from 2 per cent to 7 per cent. In 2021 it reached 3 per cent.

The government’s new Active Travel Plan abandons those targets. Pedal Power, which is a member of the Conservation Council, says that the plan lacks budgets. 

Active travel is healthier and less polluting than public transport. We make five active travel trips for each trip we make by public transport. We travel two thirds as far by active travel as we travel by public transport.

The government is serious about funding public transport. It subsidises public transport operating costs by $10 a trip. It has committed more than $800 million to light rail Stage 2A, even though it expects it to produce only $150 million worth of benefits.

If the government is equally serious about funding active travel, its 2024 budget will include well over $500 million of active travel funding over the next four years.

Leon Arundell, Downer

No to Mates’ Day, July 9 for me!

I agree with almost everything Richard Johnston says (“Australia Day date will have to wait”, Letters, CN February 8).

But his preferred Australia Day on May 8 (Mates’ Day) is not appropriate at all.

May 8 is the date of the UK Bank Holiday last year for the Coronation of King Charles III.

It’s also the date in 1660 when the English Parliament asked Charles Stuart II “please come back from Holland and be king again – sorry about your dad losing his head like that”.

However, July 9 is good. It’s the date in 1900 when Queen Victoria cut the apron-strings by signing the Australian Constitution into effect from the following New Year’s Day.

It solves the argy about 26 January.

Too many holidays? Drop the foreign King’s Birthday in June and make July 9 Australia Day.

Move WA Day from June to their present King’s Birthday in September.

If a January beach holiday is still needed, NSW (including fellow colonies Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania) could re-establish Foundation Day. Call it Barbie Day and invite WA and SA as late starters.

Tady Carroll, Dickson

Those complaining will never be satisfied

If columnist Robert Macklin believes the British stole the land from the people who occupied it for 60,000 years, then is he not complicit in living here on stolen land? (“We are not yest a nation that embraces its past”, CN February 1)

He makes the comment: “They and the thousands of unique creatures of the land and waterways with whom they interacted fell to the guns of the pale strangers in their fancy dress” (a bit dramatic don’t you think?). 

The creatures of the land and waterways were getting killed long before the white man arrived. What do you think the Aboriginals lived on?

The two thirds vote against the Voice was not against the Aboriginals, it was against the lies being told by the PM and the true consequences of The Voice. 

I do not agree that Australians do not embrace their past. Until recently Australians that I know were very proud, now we are being told we are bad people. 

If we need to become a republic to mature it does not say much for us. When does the monarchy interfere with the running of Australia? Changing the date of Australia Day will do nothing, it will still be Australia Day. Also, changing the date won’t solve anything – the words of the complaints will evolve, but they will not cease because those complaining will never be satisfied.

Vi Evans, via email

But wait, another date suggestion…

Ian Pilsner (Letters, CN February 15) criticises my historical research (and I thought Wikipedia was so reliable!) but does not refute my statement that January 26 was only selected to be Australia Day in 1935, and it has been contentious ever since. 

But never fear, I have another suggestion! Apparently Indonesia has declared their national polling day to be a public holiday, celebrating their nation. 

Why don’t we take a leaf out of their book and declare federal polling day to be a public holiday and Australia Day, whenever it might occur?

Richard Johnston, Kingston 

Peer reviewing must come with care

Columnist Robert Macklin (“Peering into the science of Australian reality”, CN February 8) praises the peer review system, which is used by the publishers of all scientific research papers. 

Having spent many years having my published work reviewed by fellow scientists, I feel I can write this with some authority.

When a paper is submitted to a selected suitable journal (“Nature” being the pinnacle), the journal selects the reviewers from a list of experts in the subject of the paper. 

The identity of the reviewers is unknown to the author, which helps to ensure impartiality and objectivity. It is also an important reason why the public can trust the opinions and advice of published scientists in fields such as medical research and climate change.

However, it is not always smooth sailing. My own PhD thesis, which, unknown to me at the time, was never read by my supervisor (the late Prof John Lovering), was rejected by one of the examiners, forcing me to revise and resubmit. I was subsequently informed that the rejection was by an elderly (and possibly a little “out of touch”) geologist who simply disagreed with the basic premise of my thesis.

Reviewers, including of theses, must be chosen with care.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin