Launceston Parking
HAD to visit Hobart last week and spent about an hour in the CBD, using the Argyle Street car park. Cost? Nothing, as in Hobart the first one and a half hours of parking is free. What a godsend such a policy would be in Launceston as many of our visitors don’t require more time than that to transact their business or shopping. This, I am sure, would lead to a big shopping boost in the CBD.
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Dick James, Launceston.
Climate Change
INTERESTING letter from Dave Robinson (The Examiner, August 28) supporting the theory of anthroprogenic climate change, which is claimed to be leading to global warming. The “proof” is that there are bushfires in California, NSW is drought stricken, earthquakes, icecaps melting, and so on. Reading Mr Robinson’s letter, one would conclude that droughts in both California and Australia are unprecedented.
Dorothea McKellar would disagree, having written in 1908 of a country familiar with “droughts and flooding rains”.
How climate change could contribute to earthquakes is not explained, nor can it be. Likewise, the disappearing islands in the Pacific ,which are not identified for obvious reasons – we heard that story in the 1990 prediction that the Maldives would be under water by 2000? They are still there, and so is Tuvalu.
As for the polar icecaps, satellite pictures which appear daily on the internet indicate that they are actually growing.
Finally, anthroprogenic means human induced, but there is a problem. Because the polar icecaps on Mars are also shrinking, the obvious question is how human activity on Earth could affect the climate on Mars?
M. Chugg, Prospect.
Refugee Camps
I APPLAUD Brenda Luies letter (The Examiner, August 26) she is spot on and factual. It was an area of brutal invading conquering of most countries throughout the whole world.
It was a shameful cruel part of our history, which one could be proud of. But today we should not be made feel guilty and we should never ever be held responsible or accountable.
And those who constantly refer to it, bring ill feeling and division, with no possibility of healing. Dwell in the present and not the past and embrace together our magnificent future of this wonderful country.
Let us pray that sanity and values will never let it happen again.
Peter Doddy, Trevallyn.
Royal Commission
WITH financial regulators, Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, seemingly “asleep at the wheel”, with a background resonance of “hear no evil, see no evil”, a proliferation of criminal activity has eventually been exposed by the Financial Services Royal Commission.
While initial recalcitrance for the establishment of the commission was experienced, particularly with strong opposition from the banks, lobbyists, and various media and politicians, a mantra for the potential undermining of the financial sector was exclaimed. The Royal Commission’s effect will ultimately strengthen the financial system, hopefully with an infinite, universal benefit?
Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.
Chinese Visitors
IN response to David Parker’s letter (The Examiner, August 22). What David has mentioned in his letter is so true.
In the 1980s I lived in Potts Point, Sydney and there was a Japanese owned hotel in the suburb, whose occupancy was mostly for Japanese tourist.
From the time they stepped of the plane to the time they left they were transported by Japanese buses, taken to outlets which would have been owned by or had connections to Japanese business.
Most of their costs were paid in Japan, therefore very little yens spent in Australia.
I am sure it will be the same for Launceston’s planned hotel and the dreadful proposal on the East Coast.
Governments, wake up.
Donald McGinty, Sandhill.
Leave it Alone
The letter (The Examiner, August 23) gave a fair report of what occurred at the council meeting. However the decision by Treasurer Peter Gutwein to compromise on the North-East Railway by leaving 21km of railway in place from Turners Marsh to Lilydale has proven that the Launceston and North East Railway (LNER) group is viable and can run a heritage train on the railway.
Why is it necessary to rip up the rest of the railway for a bike track? Leave the railway from Scottsdale to Launceston in place for passenger rail and extend the bike track from Scottsdale to Derby.
Don’t put all the tourist eggs in one bike riding basket. Once the railway is gone it will never be replaced. Leave the North-East Line where it is.
Wendy McLennan, Bridport.
Wilderness
SURVEYS show that among visitors to Tasmania, their top priorities we see are wilderness, heritage and nature. Regrettably, some of these are threatened by excessive tourism development and a lack of political will from the federal government.
So-called tourism developments should really take place outside park boundaries, where they will have less impact, and not be given free rein within park areas.
Governments, both state and federal, should be concentrating on protecting wild places. We don’t want extensive road networks such as have been placed in areas like Kruger National Park, and at Victoria Falls ringed by a high fence, through which visitors pay a large entrance fee to view it.
The Tasmanian Government should stop the push to open up our wild areas to business.