Suspension bridge
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I THINK that it would be useful to have an extra suspension bridge over the South Esk river near Dead Mans Knob with walking tracks to connect Blackstone Heights and Summerhill to the reserve.
This would allow for a few new walks of longer duration.
Some exercise equipment similar to those in Heritage Forest and some more picnic tables or platforms in Trevallyn Reserve would also be a plus.
— LES ROLLINS, Trevallyn.
Video games
RECENTLY, Target has taken the video game, Grand Theft Auto V, off the shelves after a petition from a Woman's Rights group demanding the store chain to do so, claiming that the game promotes violence against women.
Personally, I believe it was a rather stupid thing to do.
GTA V is entirely fiction.
Something made as entertainment for players over 18 years old of both genders.
This is why we have a classification system, to tell us what the game contains and if it’s appropriate for children.
Rather than being oversensitive about something that was depicted in a work of fiction, just don't play it.
One group shouldn't have to miss out on something, because another group doesn't like it.
— DANIEL DRYDEN, Mayfield.
Freight
BARRY Prismall is spot-on in his summary of the problems Tasmania faces with the costs of Bass Strait transport (December 6).
Tasmania is constantly criticised for putting out its hand for grants and subsidies but all we are asking for is a level playing field.
A precondition of Federation was that no state would suffer a financial disadvantage, but this is exactly what Tasmania is subjected to because of Commonwealth inaction and neglect.
The main priority for the ferries should be cost-effective transport of people, vehicles and freight, with the cost to consumers being equivalent to road and rail transport.
The Commonwealth, in keeping with its federal obligations, should pay the difference.
All Tasmanian MPs must put party politics aside and come together on this issue.
— ROBERT HARRISON, Longford.
Metro
METRO Tas just doesn’t seem to understand that the more they cut bus services, the less people will be able to use them, and therefore, the more money they will lose.
Earlier in the year, Metro reduced the number of bus stops and re-arranged a large number of the remaining ones.
This has caused a great deal of inconvenience, and has made it much more difficult to catch a bus where it’s wanted.
Since the changeover, I have noticed that passenger numbers have dropped significantly on the buses that I use.
The only reason for Metro’s existence is to provide a bus service.
If the service is not there, then how can people use it?
— A. MYERS, Mayfield.
Shipping
ROD Bender (Letters, December 8) is well off the mark in his comments about Labor’s Coastal Shipping Regulations.
Mr Bender, as general manager of Norske Skog, is understandably focussed on outbound freight and shipping his products across Bass Strait.
His company is the largest user and biggest beneficiary of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme.
But other businesses like Bell Bay Aluminium rely on a great deal of inbound freight and then shipping their products to other Australian ports and international destinations.
While there is overlap between these issues, they are not the same.
The impacts of Labor’s Coastal Shipping regulations on manufacturers like Bell Bay Aluminium have been severe, notwithstanding Mr Bender’s trivialisation of this issue as a “small piece” of the puzzle.
Bell Bay Aluminium has stated publicly it was hit by freight cost increases of up to 63 per cent after Labor introduced the Regulations.
This is hardly “small” or trivial.
In terms of the broader issues raised by Mr Bender, the government has received the Productivity Commission report into the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme, and is considering its response.
The Tasmanian Government has entered into an arrangement with International shipping line Swire to link the state to international markets
Meanwhile, my colleague the Member for Lyons has moved a motion in Parliament to urgently reform Labor’s Coastal Trade regulations, which is strongly supported by the Member for Braddon and I.
I support Mr Bender’s call for greater cooperation on these issues.
But Mr Bender should also consider the needs of other Tasmanian businesses like Bell Bay Aluminium, not just Norske Skog.
— ANDREW NIKOLIC, Bass Liberal MHR.
Spirit ferries
IT REMAINS a mystery how Bryan Green and Labor can criticise plans to refurbish the Spirit of Tasmania ferries, increase sailings and reduce fares.
The Liberals went to the election with a plan to boost tourism, making sailing on the Spirits more affordable and to increase our tourist numbers to 1.5 million by 2020.
We are doing that by reducing fares on average by 14.8 per cent and increasing sailings to get more tourists, especially those with motorhomes and caravans, into the state.
This is what the tourism operators have been screaming out for, and yet as soon as the government delivers on yet another promise.
Bryan Green and his negative Labor colleagues knock the initiatives and block the jobs.
Please get out of the way Mr Green while this Liberal Government gets Tasmania sailing in the right direction.
— SARAH COURTNEY, Bass Liberal MHR.
Education
THANK you for the attention given my remarks at the Aspirations Matter Forum (Editorial, December 8).
I must, however, correct one thing.
As I understand it, about 60 per cent of state school year 10s stay at school until year 12.
However, as best as I can estimate, only about 33 per cent go on to gain their Tasmanian Certificate of Education, and for the state as a whole the figure is less than 45 per cent.
The percentage of young people gaining their senior secondary certificates in other states is about 70 per cent, even if we just look at states with NAPLAN scores very close to Tasmania's.
That is why I remarked that our kids and schools are doing comparatively well until year 10, then we fall off a cliff.
— MICHAEL ROWAN, Kettering.
Parks
I HOPE Opposition Leader Bryan Green has had second thoughts about the future of the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service since his proposal last year for a Parks and Reserves Authority Bill, which was intended to do away with the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.
The prime effect of the Bill was to give the powers of the PWS Director to the Minister. Almost all the powers of the agency would go to the minister.
Imagine the wholesale invasion of developers if this transfer of power ever takes place.
— BILL CARNEY, Riverside.
Advertising
IS IT any wonder I am baffled.
We have a budget crisis with debt "stretching out as far as the eye can see”.
Yet the government can afford to spend who knows how much money on advertising for a bill which has not yet passed the Senate.
If that is not bad enough, the ad is aimed at dividing our community so that some in our community will resent funding higher education.
Compound this with the "newspeak" language being used in the advertisement.
The truth is they cut funding to universities forcing them into accepting deregulation and increase fees to make up the shortfall.
All the while telling us how generous they are.
I have now seen and heard everything.
— ELLA MILLER, Exeter.