The most formal part of the visit was the opening of Macquarie House redevelopment where Mr Morrison was well received by community leaders and stakeholders.

As a contrast to this planned event, however, the Prime Minister was just as comfortable walking into a busy pub on Friday night, going to Harvest Market and walking among thousands at the NTFA grand final.

We have a Prime Minister who doesn't hide away in major city boardrooms and instead understands one of his primary responsibilities is engaging with regional Australians.

My approach to representing Northern Tasmanians is also a grassroots one and I am proud to have the regular opportunity to introduce the Prime Minister and indeed other ministers to our community.

Additionally, the more we promote Northern Tasmania's social, business and tourism opportunities, the better it is for employment and our regional economy.

TASMANIA'S history goes back thousands of years. To a time when Tasmanian Aborigines traversed this land, interacting with each other in their language. A language that is being revived today. The Place Names Bill 2019 will empower Minister Guy Barnett to eliminate any semblance of use of Aboriginal language in this state.

A 200-year-old strategy is being revisited.

WELL, it's finally all over and we retained the Ashes - just - and it was good to see Matthew Wade get another ton regardless of losing the final Test.

Now I can look forward to the real entertainment - purists feel free to cringe here - the excitement of the Big Bash.

You know, the version of our great game where you can take the kids for a fun night out and be reasonably sure that they won't burn the grandstand down out of sheer boredom.

IN response to Sharon Langerak (The Examiner, September 13) regarding the Coles parking issue. Parking at the Meadow Mews car park is reserved for shoppers who visit and shop at any of the businesses in this shopping complex.

If you use this car park to frequent businesses elsewhere, you are not entitled to park here. Businesses at Meadow Mews rely on parking availability for their shoppers to secure the viability of their business.

LET'S put the train back on the railway line from Launceston to Scottsdale, then we can see how many will ride bikes in comparison to how many take the train? This would then be a fair comparison.

AFTER viewing the Queensland and NSW fires on TV I'm impressed by the wholehearted response by land-based brigades.

I am very unimpressed by the airborne firefighting effort. To see small helicopters and adapted crop sprayers as the main contingent is, frankly, pitiful.

Even more so when they're grounded by high wind. Land-based firefighting, reliant on trucks, is restricted by road access.

Airborne fire fighting is limitless. For over 30 years now, other fire-prone nations have incorporated serious, purpose-built aircraft in services specifically equipped and trained and aimed at firefighting.

These aircraft still exist, notably, the upgraded Canadair CL 415 and the new Russian Be 200, both with the ability to scoop from bodies of water in quantities that make crop dusters seem pitiful. And they avoid the ground-based replenishment to which other aircraft have to conform.

In the 1990s, a Canadair was tested in service conditions in Australia and passed with flying colours. And that was it.

As often urged, what is needed is a nationally based aerial firefighting organisation, on-call by land-based units.

The present RAAF would be a good starting point as other nations have special fire fighting squadrons in their air forces.

I suspect that many RAAF pilots would certainly prefer to serve in these.

Despite deniers, often given space in this newspaper, it's self-evident that climate change will alter our ways of life.

High time that governments became serious and planned to combat the disasters that are on their way. And aerial firefighting is a good way to start.

Why are the criers for action on climate change so shy about the likely immediate consequences?

These include higher costs for electricity, food and transport together with a weaker economy.

Let's call on the criers to nominate the sacrifices they're already making to inspire us to do the same. Remember action speaks louder than words.