These were built worldwide hundreds of years ago following the industrial revolution, the development of the steam train and the need to be able to easily transport newly manufactured goods. Come the second world war and a very imaginative Englishman, Mr Bailey, re-assessed and pre-fabricated that triangulated steel structure and the Bailey Bridge was born.

They were extremely practical, could be put up anywhere at a moments notice for troop movement, and the amazing thing was they were dirt cheap. And they are still available, now also used for civilian purposes, and amazingly can be bought off the shelf.

We live in an heritage city. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to buy and put up our very own brand new Bailey Bridge to span the North Esk. It would look pretty good, have historic significance and as a bonus, save our city  millions of dollars.

IN REPLY to Gloria Edwards (The Examiner, May 13) and others. When the old showgrounds (at Newstead) were sold off to developers to build a mostly upmarket housing estate were they not aware that it was in hearing distance of a semi industrial estate? This area includes Tasrail, Toll, a crane company, a sawmill, small manufacturing warehouses and retail and wholesale businesses. Newstead College is also thrown into the mix.

Unless we are all prepared to contribute to the huge cost of a ring road to take the essential services that trucks provide away from the city then the only logical decision is to allow Toll to expand their existing premises. If people wish for peace and quiet at all times maybe they should build or purchase in a rural area?

I AM certain there are many in the community who share the same sentiments as Susan Goebel (The Examiner, May 7). Regrettably, I would suggest the situation will only get more dire. It would be fair to say, at times, the federal government's treatment of any individual receiving any form of social security payment seems to be dubious lacking any genuine empathy.

The Liberal Party seem to delight in insulting slogans like lifters and leaners, welfare-cheats, and  dole-bludgers that can only serve to denigrate recipients and incite contempt for all social security recipients. The Labor Party seem to attack by a stealthier manner.

Remember how single parents were affected under the Welfare To Work Act, first introduced by the Howard government in 2006 and accelerated under the Gillard government, whilst showing the same low level of empathy. I doubt that Malcolm Turnbull suffers from ableism. I suggest he suffers from the same condition many politicians invariably contract - lack of empathy.

THE BIG banks are squealing loudly, but not getting much sympathy from the Australian population who hold long memories of banks being hard-hearted in times of difficulty. It is not much of an impost the federal government is claiming, just one and a half billion of that $30 billion annual profit and that profit benefiting from federal guarantees which have allowed cheap borrowings from overseas. Something of a pay-back it could be claimed. And we should be immune from increased bank charges when there are almost one hundred other lending institutions out there.