You can’t hope to fix a problem by creating another larger one and causing so much heartache to so many loyal members of the church.

I am speaking on behalf of my siblings and family members and in particular the little church at Pyengana of of St Michaels and All Angels where my parents raised nine children, all of whom were staunch members of this church from christenings to marriages and burials.

We never lost our love for this church, even after leaving he district we always come back if possible to attend events.

Only recently we were instrumental in helping volunteers and past residents restore this church by recladding, as it was in danger of falling over and if it had not been done then there would not be a church at all.

Would you have wanted it then? I think not. It is also the only church in this area and is an active burial ground where people have bought plots so they can come back to be laid by relatives.

To the powers that be, you have got it very wrong and cannot be justified. We weren’t asked and had to see it on TV or read it in the papers.

You have gone too far and it won’t be tolerated. It belongs to the people and we will fight for it.

Ismae Quin, St Helens.

ONE ponders why populist governments seem to be obsessed with the need for mandatory sentencing.

Evidence-based research states very lucidly that there is no reduction in crime with the introduction of this form of sentencing, but an increase in the number of not guilty pleas, thus placing respective courts under increasing pressure.

Mandatory sentencing is a “one-size-fits-all” form of sentencing, where individualised sentencing recognises the inevitable differences of each case, including mercy.

Mandatory sentencing may be considered an intrusion upon the separation of powers, that is, separation of the judiciary, executive, and parliament.

Populist governments often resort to this form of vacuous law and order mantra, where societal/legal complexity is confronted with ill- informed, and simplistic solutions.

One very well credentialed person within the parliamentary process is the current Tasmanian Governor, whose learned advice, if requested, would be an invaluable and salient contribution to this discussion.

Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.

I HAVE just returned from three weeks holiday cruising round Europe, Scandinavia and Russia, where I witnessed wind farms in almost every place we visited.   

In the port of Copenhagen I counted at least 80 wind vanes in the sea.  Denmark is very flat so this was obviously the best place to get the maximum amount of wind.

The country aims to produce 50 per cent of its electricity needs with wind power by 2020 and be 100 per cent renewable by 2035.  

This made me realise that Australia with many hours of sunshine per day to produce solar power and plenty of places to erect wind farms is way back in the dark ages still considering coal mines.

I am of course talking about the Adani coal mine proposed for Queensland, which will probably be a death sentence to the already stressed Australian icon, the Great Barrier Reef.  

What is the Queensland Premier thinking of, and Malcolm Turnbull, how about you, surely you are not supporting this impending disaster?  

Come on Australia wake up and speak out against the destruction of one of our greatest environmental assets.

Jill Clark, Riverside.

WE HAVE just been out for a birthday dinner to a very nice restaurant where there was a group of young females. 

I'm getting used to the ragged, unkempt look of the so-called fashion jeans, but my eyes popped out of my head when a young person walked past. 

Why she thought that the sight of her buttock sticking out of her trousers was appealing heaven knows. 

Surely they have a mirror and can see how dire they look or don't they care. 

To pay a fortune to have a pale, unappealing amount of buttock on show beggars belief. 

The phrase, more money than sense, comes to mind.

Glennis Sleurink, Launceston.

IF ANYONE is in doubt about Liberal Party priorities, consider the following: Budget 2018 dedicates $50 million to a memorial to Captain James Cook. 

It allocates $54 million to sexual assault, domestic violence, cyber safety and elder abuse. 

I guess it’s more important to honour one of 50 18th century mariners who made landfall in Australia than it is to support Australian citizens who are living with various degrees of misery.

 Of course James Cook did claim the entirety of the east coast of Australia for Britain. Is that important?

Ed Tuleja, Meander.

A COAT in the Harris Scarfe catalogue is a called a Stradivarious.

Maybe you have to fiddle with the zip.

Ron Baines, Kings Meadows.

NEVER mind the ridiculous boards in Civic Square, where on earth were the occupation safety experts? 

How long will it be before a child is seriously injured by a fall off the fountain area? 

That area will be packed with children come summer and a child only needs to slip or be pushed over the sides and it will be a real problem for all concerned.

Sheryll Dafnis, Newnham.