Old Growth Forests
I am shocked and appalled by the recent reports that the Liberal government in this state is now prepared to backtrack on commitments made over the last few years to protect our precious old growth forests from destruction.
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After 40 years of living in this once beautiful area and watching it decimated by Forestry Tasmania, I suppose I should not be surprised. But for some reason I believed the government when they accepted many millions of dollars from the federal government to pay people to leave the logging industry, so that the remainder of our forests would be preserved.
Like many people who believed that the planting of plantations would spare the native forests I have been devastated to watch Forestry Tasmania buy up old farms and blocks of superb native forest and then clear fell to put those plantations in.
Robin Duncan, Nietta.
Political lessons
I RECENTLY had the pleasure of attending a concert by the Launceston Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Albert Hall. What a delight it was. All those talented musicians each playing their part for the good of the whole outstanding performance. No one trying to upstage the other.
As I lay my head on the pillow that night I thought what a shame our politicians didn't have that same selfless sense of teamwork for the overall good of our country. Before I knew it, there I was in dreamland in Parliament House amazed at what I was beholding. Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten playing in unison on violin, Penny Wong and Scott Morrison in perfect harmony in the cello section, and up the back Derryn Hinch, Pauline Hanson and other senators on wind instruments.
Every member of the parliament harmoniously contributing to produce a memorable performance. Unfortunately it was back to reality in the morning. But thanks again to the Launceston Philharmonic Orchestra for a delightful evening. Any chance some of you might stand for parliament next election?
Ian Macpherson, Launceston.
Sewerage
LET ME clarify matters for the benefit of D. Wilkinson (The Examiner, October 15) who objects to suggested improvements to the Tamar estuary and Launceston’s sewerage system.
Presently effluent from Norwood, Hoblers Bridge, Blackstone, Newnham, Ti-tree Bend, Legana and Riverside plus the raw sewage discharged by the combined stormwater-sewage system, flows past Exeter and all places downstream of Legana.
The $280,000,000 solution offered by TasWater is to pump all sewage from existing plants, including the two West Tamar plants to Ti-tree Bend for secondary treatment and release, reducing raw sewage discharge by 18 per cent.
In that scenario, the concentration of effluent at Launceston and Exeter is marginally improved (less raw, more treated), which in my opinion is unacceptable. Ideally all raw sewage is treated to tertiary standard as Mr Wilkinson suggests, and no effluent need be discharged to the Tamar.
We don’t live in an ideal world with a bottomless pit of money but as an absolute minimum I call for all sewage to be at least secondarily treated in a new plant away from the city centre with a discharge point a minimum of 12 kilometres downstream of Ti-tree Bend; a win/win for the whole Tamar. The design of a new plant should allow for future upgrades, but much can be achieved now at minimal cost.
The present system, TasWater’s proposal, my minimum and the ideal scenarios are widely separated on a scale of acceptability and I encourage all Tamar residents to participate in a respectful and informed debate to find an affordable and acceptable solution, preferably without shooting the messenger.