Satire rebuttal
Mark Baker's column (The Examiner, July 6) was a skewered article to belittle the meaning and purpose of the protest.
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The improvements mentioned and referred to as development, for example, the hydroelectric scheme at Duck Reach (incidentally not in the Gorge) access pathways, gardens, pool, children's playgrounds are all the positive infrastructure that were built to benefit all with no cost to people using them. The proposed gondolas are a massive development that will benefit the owners and maybe some tourists, not the majority of people who use the Gorge.
This is inappropriate high-scale development and is not wanted in our beautiful Gorge. The Gorge belongs to everyone and the proponents of this project need to understand respect this.
Lynette Cameron, Newstead.
Cable Car Rivalry
HOBART'S controversial cable car project appears to have stirred up the ever-present North-South rivalry, resulting in an equally controversial Skyway proposal in Launceston's Cataract Gorge.
The proposal for kunanyi/Mt Wellington, although equally contestable, has a certain twisted logic; looked at objectively Skyway is a joke.
The First Basin in Cataract Gorge is a feature unique in Australia. A small pocket of rugged bush, readily accessible only a few minutes walk from the CBD.
Hidden away amongst the bush and rocks are relict species of plants, classified as endangered and found only in the area.
The amenities provided are much appreciated by local residents and visitors alike and yet the overall ambience is probably much as it was when the first Tasmanians valued it as a very special place.
It is a therapeutic landscape and contributes much to the wellbeing of our community. So it seems that a group of individuals decide to imagine a proposal that would completely destroy these values; their masterstroke is the skyway.
With one all-embracing project, every vista in the basin will be dominated by cables, cabins and towers; they will be inescapable.
It must be a joke - the great fear is that it may become a reality.
Peter Booth, East Launceston.
Tidal Power Opportunity
FOR many years now I have been pushing for the use of tidal movements to produce electricity. There are lots of sites throughout the Furneaux Group of Islands where dynamos of some sort could be built either by using huge water wheels or with modern technology other types.
The tides will be running forever. When talking of tidal power before, slack water was mentioned.
Slack water is the change between ingoing and outgoing tides, however, there are many tidal zones in the islands where dynamos correctly positioned would run forever.
R. Greeno, Riverside.
Barking, howling mad
CONGRATULATIONS to Errol Stewart for his continuing, forward-looking plans and visions, construction wise in this beautiful, historic city we are lucky enough to call home. He never stops pulling up Launceston by its boot-straps. However, one small complaint.
With the near completion of the fabulous looking Riverbend Park drawing closer, one small omission has been made.
An off-leash, fenced off dog run and park could have been included in the expansive park grounds, built at one end of it, away from children and their parents who will make great use of all the other facilities the park will provide.
Why do our doggie mates always have to miss out, because if this area had been included, Riverbend Park would have been the only centrally-located doggie exercise area within easy reach of the CBD, as all the others are located in the suburbs?
I'd like to remind Mr Stewart and the Launceston City Council that dog owners are ratepayers as well.
I'm barking, howling mad about this.
Carmen Frelek, Launceston.
Tasmanian Housing
WHAT a bonus Jacqui Lambie will be to the tenants of Housing Tasmania now that the Tasmanian Government won't have to pay the $158 million debt to the federal government.
It can be spent on all the houses that are in unlivable conditions, thereby saving another enormous medical bill for Medicare and the disadvantaged who live in, and are ignored by Housing Tasmania, as I read in (The Examiner, July 8).
Bring it on Jacqui, it's about time the federal government were dragged into the next century and stopped treating Tasmanians like second-class citizens.
Doreen Baker, West Launceston.
Frontbench Reshuffle
FOLLOWING the 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 Mr Ferguson is now free to oversee the building of the roads to nowhere.
A Carter, Mowbray.
A Party of Principle
SO finally Labor has shown it is Marxist after all. If you don't like my principles I have others etc. What a fantastic shadow cabinet Labor has assembled: Albo, Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo and Zeppo.