Give us the water back
REGULAR visitors to the Gorge might have noticed a reduction in the amount of water flowing over the past couple of months.
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The level in the dam has been several metres lower during this time due to some works, and Hydro probably hasn't thought to open the valve a bit more to correct the environmental flow.
I suggest Hydro gives the water they've saved back to Launceston next summer. We could have higher environmental flows and maybe even a few days for the kayakers and rafters.
Jolien Goedhart, Trevallyn.
Profit makes strange bedfellows
THE last thing we need is another forest war. Were the spikes from the past or present? Deliberately targeting people with intent or machinery? A stunt or politically motivated threats?
Sawmills would be a target especially when they may be the lifeline for the state's economy in jobs. The building of affordable housing is also concerning. Wood chipping has damaged our social environment, our international reputation and has the potential to be a millstone around the necks of Tasmanian's again.
The difference now is the lack of CFMEU storm troopers dividing communities, supported by comrade Lennon's socialist government. It's the heavy handedness and misused political and economic influence on Tasmanians that I find offensive, along with a stifling lack of economic effort and vision. If managed respectfully by government and industry we should have a healthy asset, but profits make strange bedfellows.
David Brimble, Scottsdale.
Time for a new mindset
WHEN I heard that primary school children were going back to school I was worried that they wouldn't be able to understand the importance of social distancing, especially those in the infant classes kinder to grade two.
Walking through the mall yesterday, I witnessed several groups of matric student huddles. Now, these young people would be 17 and 18-year-olds and still have no concept about keeping apart. Shoulder to shoulder they walked in groups, laughing and catching up, after being apart for weeks. It appears that even young adults don't get the seriousness of the coronavirus.
We need to stress the importance of social distancing and a new mindset needs to be put in place, in the workforce in schools and when you're out walking with your friends, if we are to stop a second wave of coronavirus.
S Langerak, Hadspen.
Family determined to fight on
I AM writing to thank the people of Tasmania, and also many from interstate, for their overwhelming support and encouragement in the quest to gain a posthumous Victoria Cross for my uncle Teddy Sheean.
Teddy's family has been fighting for this recognition for nearly 30 years now, and I appreciate the support my friend Guy Barnett has given us over 17 of those years. Despite the recent unanimous verdict in favour of a VC by the Honours Tribunal, we continue to fight for Teddy to get the recognition he deserves.
However, we are heartened that the Prime Minister and the Tasmanian Premier are having positive conversations and we are requesting that the federal government reconsider and uphold the tribunal's decision.
The motto of the HMAS Sheean is "Fight On". This is exactly what we plan to do.
Garry Ivory, Longford
Privatising our energy sources
WE are constantly being told that Tasmania can become the powerhouse for Australia. With our state owned and run Hydro electric schemes and the capacity to reuse the water through pumped systems it seems that we are in an enviable situation.
However, with the ever increasing number of privately owned wind farms and cables under Bass Strait, governments are gradually privatising our energy sources. Other states privatised their energy systems years ago and look at the mess they are in now, all because profit comes first in private industry.
In the past, Tasmanian governments of both persuasions have tried to sell off our hydro schemes and were told in no uncertain terms by the public, that we should retain ownership. Now this is being eroded by a policy of encouraging private investment and ownership of new schemes.
If private industry wants to run these assets for personal profit, why can't the government do this and use the profits to support health education and other essential services? The reason often used to justify this privatisation is that it attracts investment to the state and the government doesn't have the capital to invest. In these times of incredibly low interest rates, the government should borrow money from our superannuation schemes and keep the assets and profits for the benefit of all.
I am not against private ownership but essential services such as health, energy, water and road transport infrastructure should be kept in government hands. Of course private investors see such services as an ideal source of profit since everyone needs to use them.
Jeff Jennings, Bridport.
Not a babysitting service
SO tired of hearing from parents who chose to have children and then can't cope with actually having them around for a couple of months. If you can't deal with your own child, how do you imagine teachers operate with 25 duplicates in the same room?
Time to appreciate the skills of teachers I think and realise they are not parents' baby-sitting devices.