In their autocratic style, the Labor/Greens government and the Conservator of Flora and Fauna refuse to listen or believe information provided by concerned constituents who spend far more time and observation in the nature reserves than these misinformed politicians and bureaucrats, says letter writer JULIE LINDNER, of Farrer.

WHILE browsing at a book fair I came across a slim book titled “Bush Capital, the Natural History of the ACT” published in association with an exhibition at the Canberra Museum and Gallery in 2016.

Flicking through the 40 odd pages of photos and artwork of numerous species, both rare and common, that inhabit our bush capital I was surprised that there was no mention or depiction of swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor); red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus); eastern wallaroo (Macropus robustus) or eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus).

These four species are common to the bush capital and are the essential eco engineers of the grasslands, grassy woodlands and forests. 

Between them they consume a variety of available vegetation including seedling shrubs and trees both native and exotic, grasses both native and exotic, ferns, herbs, underground fruiting fungi, bushes and tree bark.

They provide essential nutrients to sustain plants and trees. They assist in keeping tall grasses low in the fire season. They allow renewal of life by stimulating plant growth thus increasing biodiversity and their soft feet do not compact the shallow soils our region is known for. 

Why were they ignored in this publication?

I can only assume, with the misguided annual culls of these essential mammals the Conservator of Flora and Fauna along with the Labor/Greens government insists on each year, they didn’t want to highlight in the book that they are a natural part of the bush capital and excluded them. 

Both the Labor/Greens government and the Conservator of Flora and Fauna show no respect and seem to have little scientific understanding of these essential keystone species. Without their presence the surrounding ecology collapses and there are very strong indications this has been consistently occurring over a number of years.

In their autocratic style they refuse to listen or believe information provided by concerned constituents who spend far more time and observation in the nature reserves than these misinformed politicians and bureaucrats. 

Julie Lindner, Farrer

Planning decisions benefit the wealthy

THANKS to former chief minister Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed (“Poverty blight that government policies make worse”, CN April 6) for highlighting how the ACT has neglected its obligations on redistributive policies that should at least have a neutral economic impact on those on low incomes, if not a positive one. 

The signs of increased inequality in the ACT, including homelessness, shows the Labor/Greens in the ACT have lost their way. 

The “euphemistically titled public housing renewal program clearly and bizarrely designed to finance light rail” is an apt description of the misappropriation of public funds. 

These days, planning decisions seem to disproportionately benefit the wealthy and connected few, while harming the environment and heritage characteristics of the ACT and ignoring the needs of the vulnerable. 

Thank you, for reminding us what public policy and economics is meant to be about.

G Nielsen, via email

The waste that is light rail

IT is so heartening to see so many other writers now showing an interest in the waste that is light rail, such as Colin Lyons and Douglas Mackenzie (Letters, CN April20) as well as so valuable contributions from Dr Khalid Ahmed and Beatrice Bodart-Bailey. 

Then there is the recent decision of the Liberal Party to officially oppose Stage 2B to Woden. 

As one of two principals of CanTheTram Inc (with Dr John Smith) and as the co-ordinator of its successor, Smart Canberra Transport, as the only formally organised opposition to light rail since 2014, I very much welcome this interest and the import of the Liberal Party decision. 

In early 2021, I submitted a history of the light rail saga to the National Library electronic depository (NED) and a hard copy of the complete history to the ACT Heritage Library, for those interested in some detailed research. These histories are accessible through my website alogstudycentre.com.au/light rail 

Max Flint, Canberra 

Pitiful response to tobacco question

IT was most disappointing to hear on “Q&A” former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack try to justify donations to the National Party from the tobacco industry. 

When pressed by Stan Grant about the Nationals’ policy on tobacco smoking and vaping, his response was pitiful. There is no safe level of tobacco smoking or vaping and no such thing as a free lunch.

Dr Alan Shroot, president, Canberra ASH

In the hot seat over column correction 

THANKS to Ian Wallis for correcting my “Whimsy” column error (Letters, CN April 19). 

Humidity does not affect the composition of the air or the amount of oxygen available for us to breathe. The air we breathe is mainly composed of nitrogen (about 78 per cent) and oxygen (about 21 per cent). The remaining 1 per cent is made up of other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, and hydrogen, as well as small amounts of other gases and trace elements. 

High humidity levels (the amount of water vapour in the air) can make it more difficult for sweat to evaporate from our skin, which leads to discomfort and increases the perception of heat – and makes physical activity more taxing.  

Clive Williams, columnist

When will the ACT government show some pride?

COLUMNIST Paul Costigan writes of the weeds that have taken over much of the now-disused Canberra City Bowling Club in Braddon (“Greens go to weeds as bowlo awaits its fate”, CN April 20). 

The bowling greens are not alone in their surrender to feral plants. Almost everywhere I go in this city, save for the new suburban developments, where the trees, grass, soil, and even some of the bedrock (to make way for basements) have been removed, there are weeds growing everywhere, even out of gutters, joints in concrete, and in some places saplings growing close to footpaths, kerbs, and even roadside drains.

The most disgraceful example I have seen of this unchecked feral plant invasion is within plain sight of Parliament House, its occupants, and its many visitors. When will the ACT government show some pride and exercise some care for the capital city of Australia?

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Government needs to show more courage

COLUMNIST Robert Macklin is right. The federal government has several major problems to solve and needs to show more courage (“Riding on the horns of one, two, three dilemmas”, CN April 13). 

I disagree, however, that “the only way to pay for them is through the bonanza of coal and gas exports”. Morally and ethically, we should be weaning ourselves off our addiction to fossil fuels. 

The Grattan Institute in its April report “Back in black? A menu of measures to repair the budget” lists several ways to reduce expenditure and increase revenue that also have social and environmental benefits. Rated according to their social and budgetary contributions, the institute’s approach aligns well with Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ aspirations to prioritise wellbeing in the budget. 

The institute’s proposals with the highest ratings are to reduce the super tax concessions and improve infrastructure and defence procurement, together saving over $20 billion.

Macklin is also right to highlight the cost of climate change, especially in regional Australia. However, the Grattan Institute argues that “in the context of climate change, and in the absence of a carbon tax, discouraging marginal oil and gas projects would have broader environmental and social benefits.” 

While this has been partly achieved by the government’s recently strengthened safeguard mechanism, more can be done. Let’s hope the government is indeed still “open to suggestions.”

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria

Get the ball rolling on nuclear energy

DOUGLAS Mackenzie (Letters, CN March 23) makes the statement that solar farms and wind turbines take up little space therefore must be good for us. 

What he doesn’t say is that these unreliable fuel sources only supply power to us intermittently, especially the giant bird killers. They are also made using fossil fuels, so are hardly green and have a life expectancy of 10-20 years. They are not recyclable and have to be buried in landfill. 

Turbines need oil to lubricate the chain that propels the giant carbon-fibre blades and have to be greased regularly. 

In places like Tasmania, they are only used for half the year because of danger to the rare Orange Bellied Parrot species. Also, in Tassie the Wedge Tail Eagle is endangered because of the giant fans. 

With Labor’s pie-in-the-sky fantasy of 100 per cent unreliables it will cost $20 billion for new poles and wires and the clearing of 10,000 kilometres of land, not environmentally friendly at all or economical.

Of course nuclear will cost a lot of money to start, but it lasts for a lifetime and is instant and reliable power – just ask all the countries overseas that have been using this fuel source for decades. 

Thanks to decades of inaction by both sides of government as far as nuclear power is concerned, if we don’t start soon, we will keep delaying the inevitable because it has been shown that 100 per cent renewables is not possible to provide reliable and instant power, especially for a large country like Australia. 

We owe it to our future generations to get the ball rolling now so they will have instant electricity to keep them warm or cool, not suffer blackouts because the grid cannot keep up with demand that places such as California experience because of their obsession with renewables. 

Ian Pilsner, Weston

Queenslanders’ spines tend to tingle these days

AS a Queensland visitor to sunny Canberra, I was struck by Max Flint’s reference to an industry group in his letter (“Sadly mistaken, the Voice is not benign”, CN April 6).

I presume he is president of Max Flint industry. We had an industry in Queensland that gave voice to the same kind of views that President Max espouses. 

Over several decades we were encouraged to have “shivered” spines. But then the justice industry intervened and the Bjelke Petersen industrial gerrymander went into liquidation. And strangely enough indigenous people (who had no voice in that particular industry, and who had cause to shiver in their spines) celebrated that industry’s decline.

Nowadays, Queenslanders’ spines tend to tingle and not shiver, even with talk of treaty, and especially when they have a winning stake in the State of Origin industry.

Dr Ray Barraclough, via email