Tamar Funds
LAUNCESTON mayor Albert van Zetten sees the allocation of $47.5 million in funding emanating from the recent budget for the Tamar River clean up as a ’top win’.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
I wholeheartedly agree with him, providing the funding is not wasted on yet even more committees and reports; we have seen enough of those over many, many decades and now the community looks forward to seeing actual positive action and not just words (The Examiner, May 10).
Although this funding sounds enormous compared to what it will actually take to fully resolve the Tamar’s environmental dilemma it really is just a drop in the ocean, or river, but at least it is a good start and congratulations to all concerned in successfully lobbying for fund allocation.
Jim Collier, Legana.
Preserve what makes us special
TASMANIA’S tourism future is a unique pristine, premium destination – but we can’t just open the floodgates.
That’s the view of tourism chief Luke Martin, who said the state was in a perfect position to define its future and formulate plans to manage tourist inflows, unlike some popular European destinations that have been consumed and destroyed by mass tourism.
Noted former executive public servant and North East Rail Public Relations spokeswoman Wendy McLennan expressed these sentiments in reply to a question at last week’s tourist conference in Launceston.
It is rewarding that Luke has followed up the sentiments raised, and in conclusion as he states: “No one owns the brand. You can’t just change the brand. The community has to change the brand and must be behind it.”
Brian P. Khan, Bridport.
Leaves
THE City of Launceston council wants to take a good long logical think about the trees it plants around the city and the new concrete monolith it has put up outside the LINC building.
Every tree they plant is deciduous and before the concrete monster is even finished, council staff are already out sucking up tonnes of leaves with what look like brand-new vacuums bought just for that job.
Geoff Smedley (The Examiner, May 14), if you want a birds eye view of the scope of the monolith go up to the first floor of the library and look down from the window.
At least evergreen trees could have been planted to at least keep the area looking neat and tidy, free from dirty leaves blowing all over the place.
David Parker, West Launceston.
Full employment
WE CAN have a healthier society by introducing full employment. There is no need to spend so much money on unemployment benefits and job active providers.
Giving everybody three days work each week will lead to a happier, more equal society and give people enough money to be innovative so that they can start up a business.
Tertiary studies can be used only if necessary instead of TAFE and universities being a commercial venture that helps desperate people gain employment.
Leon Cooper, St Leonards.
ReachTEL Poll on gun laws
'TRICKY, shameful and deceitful, designed to scare people' says Police Minister Michael Ferguson about the ReachTEL Poll (The Examiner, May 14).
I tell you what's tricky, shameful and deceitful.
Whispering a policy in a dark alley-way on the eve of an election.
As for scaring people, I'm more scared of an increasing amount of semi-automatic weapons in our community than a ReachTEL Poll.
Ingrid O’Sullivan, George Town.
New Prison Unit
THERE’S a terrible irony in the fact that the new Risdon prison unit for mothers and babies is being named after the late Vanessa Goodwin, former Attorney General, given her “passion for helping people get their lives back on track”.
Surely it would have been far more honourable to Vanessa’s memory, and her contribution to Tasmania, to build a rehabilitation centre in a nice environment, which young mothers, caught in a cycle of criminal, dysfunctional behaviour, are taught life skills, motherhood skills and social norms, so they can break free from the generational path to Risdon prison, and raise children who become the new generation success stories.
The same old glasses are obviously being worn by policy makers, with short sighted decision making that does nothing to address the underlying causes of the need for expanding Risdon prison every few years.
The fact that the latest expansion is for young mothers and their babies must sound alarm bells for all concerned Tasmanians, and particularly for our politicians and educators.
No baby, or child, should start life in a jail. And no young mother should be subjected to incarceration with her baby, because her life is in such a mess.
Society has failed these Tasmanians shamefully, and not least of all the policy makers.
Sue Carlyon, Kingston.
Health costs
IN THE absence of any other advice in my twilight years, I write this.
I thought it time for new glasses and my optometrist told me that I would in the future need my cataracts seen to, so I decided to have them done straight away which has resulted in debilitating double vision causing headaches and nausea shortly after having received my new glasses and then returning to the eye doctor was informed it was not of their doing and despite having private health cover was charged $90 for the visit.
Now some weeks later on returning I am given a patch to wear and told it may settle in six weeks or so, and duly charged a further $140. Has anyone else experienced this problem with associated behavior expense?