Orange-bellied Parrot
There may be as few as 15 orange-bellied parrots left in the wild and only 400 bred in captivity which tells all of us that they are on the brink of extinction. The two main reasons for their dramatic decline are habitat loss and the deadly beak and feather disease (psittacine circoviral disease). We can only hope that the recently developed vaccine from the New South Wales, Charles Sturt University, will eliminate one half of the cause for the parrots' demise. As for the other half, that being habitat loss, trying to change human behaviour in our native forests may prove much harder.
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Robert Lee, Summerhill.
Road Safety
Today we were nearly involved in a traffic accident at the intersection of Bartley Street, Hadspen and the highway.
Within moments of our turning into Bartley Street, three little school children ran, one by one, from behind a school bus, across Bartley Street and in the path of our oncoming car.
Luckily we were not going fast and were able to stop but it could have had a far worse outcome.
I am hoping that the bus company may be able to drop their school children further down Bartley Street, from the intersection or better still on the other side of the highway and all parents please spend these coming holidays instilling in your littlies the correct way to cross a road.
Sharon Langerak, Hadspen.
Alcohol In School Grounds
How disappointed I was to read a letter to the editor (The Examiner, June 26) claiming it to be hypocrisy that a school fundraiser was allowed to sell alcohol yet didn't allow smoking on school grounds.
I am not sure where the hypocrisy is as the Public Health Act of 1997 bans smoking within 10 metres of a children's playground and within 10 metres of a schools playgrounds, playing fields, sports grounds and around all Tasmanian government buildings.
You cannot smoke within the grounds of a Tasmanian school and nor should you be allowed.
We didn't choose to ban it, it's the law and not some moral high ground as you would wish to see it.
The state government does permit the sale of alcohol at school fundraisers with a long list of requirements which must be met and we went well above and beyond in our duty of care, we even included the use of security guards to ensure we held a family friendly event for the entire Norwood community to enjoy.
Your choice to smoke is yours and yours alone.
The community doesn't wish to participate in your habit passively and passed laws 20 years ago to prevent that from happening.
Hope you now understand why we couldn't allow you to smoke in our school, but alas I won't pass my judgements upon you and your smoking event good luck with that.
Ben Cunningham, Norwood.
Frontbench Reshuffle
Following the recent changes of ministerial responsibility Michael Ferguson announced that he was happy to be relieved of the health portfolio a sentiment echoed by many Tasmanians.
It will be interesting to see how the Rockliff placebo works.
Having made such a success of the Royal Hobart Hospital extensions Michael is now free to oversee the building of the roads to nowhere.
A. Carter, Mowbray.
Lake Malbena
On July 1, it was 36 years since the High Court ruled in favour of the government's legislation to block construction of Tasmania's Gordon, below Franklin Dam, a historic decision at the time. One would think that 36 years later, such debates and court cases would not be occurring.
One would think that by now Tassie's World Heritage Areas, wilderness, native and old growth forests would be protected forever and a helicopter tourism proposal for Lake Malbena would never be suggested in the first place, let alone proposed.
The proposer, Mr Hackett, in a 2014 submission to the draft revised management plan for the Wilderness World Heritage Area, argued against the possible presence of helicopters because they would harm the wilderness experience of his Lake Ina business. So, what, who changed your mind, Mr Hackett? And why?
Kathleen Green, Beauty Point.
Moral imperative on climate
It is interesting to compare the letter from John Tucker, Liberal MHA (The Examiner, July 1) and the opinion piece by Thea Omerod in the same edition.
Tucker takes a parochial stand against The Greens, and shoots the messenger, ignoring calls by non-green groups for governments at all levels to declare a climate emergency. Tucker does not appreciate the dire situation that the planet is in.
Thea Omerod is insightful and tackles the issue, not the messenger. She pleads for sanity, compassion and morally correct action. Respect for and preservation of the environment is essential for human survival.
We can have a future that is healthy, in stewardship with nature and with jobs and security.
We morally must choose that course and enact it with the utmost urgency.
Steve Saunders, West Launceston.
