Apart from peak hour, Geelong to Melbourne is about the same as say, ohh, Bridport to Launceston or Devonport to Launceston.

Sure the views are not as nice but we are talking about the timeline.

From experience, getting in or out of South Melbourne anywhere near peak hour is a nightmare as is just about any travel into or out of inner city areas at such times.

You can have it.

If your solution is driving to Hobart, mine is just shifting the arrival and departure times and perhaps hanging out in Geelong for a bit because it beats the heck out of South Melbourne or St Kilda.

The spot schedule is flexible enough to handle double sailings so fine tuning should not be a problem.

As for target markets, only the dumb ones travel in peak hour when they have a choice and they are not the target market, are they so passengers fine tuning their schedule should not be a problem either.

M Seward, Port Fairy.

ON THE West Tamar there are many lovely beaches and walking tracks along the river. Many locals walk their dogs there.

These areas are also home to many pademelons that often come into contact with dogs. This problem is made worse at this time with many people who are not local bringing their dogs here and letting them off lead, with little supervision causing problems with the local wildlife.

Dogs have the strength and speed to corner an animal and these native animals have no defence and are at times subjected to unspeakable cruelty and fear.

It is against the law to let your dogs off lead in these areas but we all know it happens frequently. A small pademelon was found on the beach at Beach Road recently, exhausted, wet and bleeding. It had been in the water for some time trying to get away from a dog. It's one thing to have your dog walking by your side but it's quite another for the dog to be a long way ahead out of sight. The majority of people down here do the right thing but it only takes a few to spoil it. Maybe a few on the spot fines would work.

Julie Irvin, Swan Point.

AS DAWN slowly rises on the inevitable day of the electric car, Ron Baines (The Examiner,May 7) is concerned oil companies will try to suppress it.

Some years ago one of the big US car companies built a number of electric cars which they leased (not sold) to selected customers.

The vehicles were returned at the end of the lease. Nothing more was ever heard about these cars, and the cynic might well believe they were too successful.

John J Ball, Kings Meadows.

I WONDER if the Morrison Government acknowledges their mistake by now?

Doubling welfare payments to those whose situation has not changed was a silly move. They should be assisting those who have jobs, either casual or otherwise, as these are the people whose situation has changed. Instead we have a situation which has increased alcohol and drug consumption, and the attendant social problems.

This knee jerk reaction to the economic downturn has been quite poorly managed.

Rod Force, Sandy Bay.

NEIL Grose, Launceston Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, waxes lyrical about the proposed Fragrance Hotel but has he actually read, properly analysed and fully considered all the 36 documents and 936 pages of the development application?

Not to mention the missing report referred to in the application but for some unknown reason, which, despite numerous requests, is simply not available for community perusal reflecting on the credibility and integrity of the development application (The Examiner, May 6).

Mr Grose says "The developers have worked extensively, and at significant cost, to make sure that this bold project can be built within the planning scheme"; he should remember developers made similar comments about the proposed Gorge Hotel which was ultimately found wanting by the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal and there are many similarities with this project.

One even wonders if such a massive project is really necessary for Launceston with a 2017 accommodation survey indicating annual hotel occupancy at only 69 per cent and, while this does improve slightly during summer, since the survey the Silo Hotel has opened and the Verge Hotel is about to, seriously raising the question if such a mammoth hotel can be even justified or, if built, will it just become a 'white elephant' and a blot on the Launceston landscape?

Dr Eric Ratcliff, a well known Launceston identity and historian recently said, while delivering a lecture at the University of Tasmania, that "Launceston's future lies in its past" and he is so right.

Launceston would do much better preserving its unique status with its low rise historic skyline, which tourists and visitors find very attractive, rather than obliterating it with a monstrously excessively tall glass and concrete monoliths.

Jim Collier, Legana.

WELL isn't that nice of the Heritage Council to give the approval.

This is the headline of (The Examiner, May 8) for a multi-million dollar hotel development. I thought The Examiner would headline this development with "The Launceston City Council approves hotel development".

At least we now know who really holds the power here. The multi-storey car park at the gas works was stopped by the heritage councill. JAC group Cataract hotel was also objected to by heritage groups. Bunning's car park full. Launceston city car parks empty. Go figure.

Peter Douglas, Karoola.