The recently published research shows that diseases such as toxoplasmosis, cat roundworm and cat-scratch disease can be passed from cats to humans; sometimes with severe health consequences.

The report goes on to suggest more than 8500 Australians are hospitalised and about 550 die annually from causes linked to these diseases, frightening figures.

It also states some 2.7 million pet cats roam our towns and suburbs acting as reservoirs of these diseases.

All this on top of the recorded devastating effect roaming cats have on Australia's native wildlife.

Yet most Tasmanian parliamentarians, despite repeatedly being made well aware by community groups of possible public health issues brought about by cats, totally ignored the excellent opportunity to arrest this pestilence.

They failed to support moves in the Legislative Council, ably led by Councillors Meg Webb, Tania Rattray, Rob Valentine and Mike Gaffney, to have an amendment inserted into the recently introduced Cat Management Legislation requiring cat owners to confine their cats to their premises which would have gone a long way to restricting the spread of yet another killer disease.

Shame on them.

THE intersection between Brooker Avenue and the link road to the Hobart Bridge has three times the traffic of the Goderich-Lindsay streets intersection and has additional side streets to contend with.

Hobart engineers constructed a dual carriageway light-controlled roundabout which works brilliantly.

There is no question that people travelling south on Goderich Street will turn left into Lindsay Street and then attempt a U-Turn to get to Bunnings and Officeworks.

The only question is whether the resulting traffic accidents will be minor, major or fatal.

IT IS dizzying to tally up the novel coronavirus' economic fallout, even with all that stimulative spending retail economy is going to contract, and fast.

The Relax cover story on CBD stalwarts embracing new challenges (The Sunday Examiner, October 18) by Jackson Worthington is interesting reading and I congratulate the passion and diligent hard work of those interviewed.

Let's hope many more voices about the trials and tribulations of Launceston small businesses in 2020, a year we will remember, will not be published.

As a major retail player along the George Street Boulevard, during the height of the pandemic, we chose to remain open several hours each day.

Yes I agree my business took a risk, but with a rigid cleaning regime, customers obeying the social distancing rules, new shop livery, upselling delicious family-friendly merchandise, daily giveaways and a warm friendly face, customers began flocking in. Enticed by the humorous social media postings, our online presence began to boom.

Our beautifully displayed, colourful shop offered people escapism. Consequently many residents who discovered our shop and have now become regular shoppers.

Being savvier in the way I addressed our retail space, proving flawless service and engaging in proven visual merchandising skills, our new shopping environment had the cash registers ringing.

Online shopping should not be a core element of the total retail offering.

PETER Doddy, your letter in support of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (The Examiner, October 19) reveals your selective memory.

What about the Coalition's sustained attack of Julia Gillard and her alleged shady dealings with a long-departed partner?

A charge zealously pursued in a royal commission which amounted to nothing.

Nothing spared in pursuit of a political enemy. Just another example of the Coalition's double standards. Ms Berejiklian will not survive in the long term.

AFTER dozens of studies around the world finding vaping is 90 per cent safer than tobacco products and millions giving up smoking using this harm reduction product, including 520,000 Australians, it's concerning that these mostly bureaucrats would rather we go back to known cancer-causing tobacco products that are freely available for purchase, and governments making huge profits from their sale.

If we were ice addicts they supply a room to use these illegal drugs and then advocate they are doing this for health reasons.

Well, they will be failing miserably with this idea, and most will return to cigarettes.

So many countries have legalised and regulated e-cigarettes, why not us?

IT is not acceptable a container deposit scheme is no longer not in place in Tasmania. Many of people are out of work with not much to do. Give them an opportunity, save the planet and share the wealth.