That's all well and good but where will these lucky new home owners park?

It's OK at night when it's as dead as a dodo but what about during the day when we suckers have to feed insatiable meters?

Mind you, with the way shops are fast disappearing there soon won't be any shoppers in the city centre.

The Quadrant Mall, done up with great expense and looking rather grey and mundane, is a case in point.

Telstra is moving across the way to the old pharmacy, the doggy treat shop has vapourised, the shop on the corner with St John Street is empty and another shop will be leaving in a few weeks.

So much for making the mall, which had a bit of character before, inviting.

Then we have Brisbane Street Mall which did need tarting up, but why not do it in two stages so that people don't have to read that the traders are still open?

Looking at the impression of what it will look like it must have the same designer as Civic Square. Whoever supplies all the concrete should be able to enjoy a very happy retirement.

Talk to anyone you meet and there isn't one positive comment about what these improvements look like.

Glennis Sleurink, Launceston.

ALTHOUGH welcome, the federal government's $20 million boost to the state’s fight against the fruit fly incursion is a case of the horse (make that fly) has bolted.

The damage to our reputation for specific overseas markets that demand fruit-fly-free status,  may never recover.

Some may blame the lack of adequate border biosecurity by the Tasmanian Government, but let's face it, it's a two-way street.

Tasmania revels in increasing tourist numbers to our state and unless each and everyone of us, (tourist and local alike) who travel to and from the mainland do the right thing and declare all items of fruit, then biosecurity even in its most stringent checks is basically, a lame duck.     

Robert Lee, Summerhill.

FOR all the hype about aged care being a centrepiece of the 2018-19 federal budget, Mr Turnbull’s aged care package is an insult to older Tasmanians and Australians.

It does nothing to address the home care crisis created under his watch.

Mr Turnbull you cheered yourself silly over your so-called extra 14,000 home care packages (over four years) but we’re still trying to find out where you found the money.

From what I can tell it looks like you’ve pinched the money from within existing budgets which means you’re taking money off aged care to give back to aged care.

You’re robbing Peter to pay Paul – it’s a money go round which does nothing to help older Tasmanians and Australians.

Mr Turnbull your promise of 14,000 new home care packages over four years (3500 per year) is a cruel hoax and doesn’t come even close to keeping up with demand.

In the last six months of 2017 the home care package waitlist grew by 20,000 and right now there are more than 105,000 vulnerable older Australians waiting in limbo for home care- most are living with dementia.

Mr Turnbull has broken every single promise he ever made to older Tasmanians and Australians.

There is no new funding in the budget for aged care and he needs to apologise for overpromising, under delivering and failing older Tasmanian and Australians yet again.

Senator Helen Polley, Shadow Minister for Ageing, Launceston.

THE Anglicans are in a dilemma over the proposed sale of their properties. Sad though this is, surely the congregations can be just as devotional and enjoy fellowship in local community halls, or school assembly facilities. Remember the “church”  is the people, not the bricks and mortar. Some of the largest and most successful churches in Australia meet in halls or functional buildings, putting their funds to use in outreach to the needy. The only church which meets every Sunday in our little village at Ross, uses an anteroom of the town hall, while three  church buildings in the village are rarely used at all. All is not lost. After all, Christ taught and preached out in the open air.

Patsy Bewg, Ross.

CLOSING St Leonards, Patersonia and Evandale churches effectively dispenses with the entire parish. It is ingenious of the bishop to claim that the church as an institution doesn't need buildings. A particular example was dispensing with St Paul’s parish, relocated to the Launceston General Hospital chapel after the decommissioning of the original church. Once Father Johnson left, the parishioners were "encouraged" to go elsewhere. Some of us did, but most just disappeared. Regardless of the reasons, it's still all about the money.

Timothy Haas, Binalong Bay.

I AM sad about the Anglican Church at Evandale going to be sold.

No matter what it will be ultimately used for I hope that the stained glass window that depicts the two Dean Brothers, who gave their lives as airmen in the World War II, as angels, will be respected.

Malcolm Scott, Newstead.

THE sale of some churches has caused much angst among many people in Tasmania. I note that some parishioners  have been saying, " I didn't commit the crime so why should I have to suffer?". How thankful I am that Jesus doesn't say that about me.

Patricia Anderson, George Town.