However, when the expression of those rights involve engaging in alleged unlawful and dangerous activities, participants and the organisations that direct them should be made to pay the costs of our police and emergency services who are required to attend.

At the same time, police were expressing concerns about maintaining public safety because resources are being redeployed to quarantine hotels, Extinction Rebellion shut down major streets in Hobart requiring a large response.

The Bob Brown Foundation continues to conduct protests in logging coupes and has just this week.

Tying up police and emergency services for a self-indulgent media grab is not an excuse for this behaviour.

These protesters claim they are acting on behalf of others. How about they grow up and consider the impact they have on others in our own backyard, who are in genuine need of our front line heroes?

THE differences between the Gorge and the Fragrance hotels' design and community impact are the reasons why RMPAT upheld one appeal against approval and denied another. It has nothing to do with very small vocal minorities getting their way nor a triumph for common sense. It's just a process. City of Launceston, acting as a building approval authority (as outlined in the relevant section of the Local Government Act 1993) must apply the council's planning scheme. This is safeguarded by RMPAT who tests appellant objections against the same planning scheme. The council was assessed as not applying their scheme (in the case of the Gorge) but getting it right this year, with the Fragrance.

That is a fair and open process.

So, what is being implied about competent governance and the integrity of RMPAT and the Launceston council when it is suggested that RMPAT's decision is only right when you agree with it?

I AGREE with Robert Clifford (The Examiner, December 11) with his choice of ships.

My wife and I used to live in Queensland and when we needed to come home in a hurry we travelled on the Devil Cat.

We found that being able to be in Tasmania the same day a god send as my wife's parents were very ill.

Thanks Robert for having the means of getting into the state a lot quicker than the Spirit. Why not use Tasmanian resources?

THE government, while slow to act has finally recognised the gravity of the deer population explosion, with farmers now free to shoot every female deer on their land. While complaints about past practices are justified, this new system of unlimited doe culling should address the issue.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Tamar Yacht Club for presenting this proposal.

This idea has been around since 2011 when Professor Jenny Davis proposed such a fundamentally sensible baseline solution to the upper Tamar's mud problem.

The writer, from a maritime engineering background, has also supported the concept for some time as being the only realistic way to restore a virtual lake of clean, fresh water in the Yacht Basin and adjacent Seaport areas as well as the Gorge itself.

There is ample evidence that this natural phenomenon at the top end of Home Reach kept the muddy tidal inflow at bay thereby maintaining a waterfront clean and amenable from both a recreational and commercial vessel point of view.

Photographic evidence such as the one recently published in The Examiner showing children hanging out at a clean Royal Park foreshore, decades ago.

I have seen several other historical photographs showing similar activities in the same area and also vessels sitting on a firm bottom, not mud, in the now Seaport area.

The beauty of this proposal is that it effectively works with nature to restore the virtual lake's mechanism.

It is independent of other water and environmental quality programs but should invigorate the community's determination to reverse related historical damage.

Once established, the city and its people will be able to revive the vigour of its hitherto connection to the waterway and the benefits will accumulate overtime going forward.

WE appreciate those citizens that beautify street embankments with a variety of well looked after plants.

For example at the top of Balfour Street hill and also St John and Frankland streets area. Unfortunately, the City of Launceston council in some respects doesn't see it that way.

The council has removed over 80 succulent and iris plants that were planted by a young gentleman who lives in the area.

I hope in future with people willing to spend their own time and money to enhance the look of our city the council will get on board and help maintain them.

For what these folk are doing is in direct contrast to those that dump rubbish on our nature strips and by the way, I hope the large number of plants removed were at least returned to young planters, for we know, plants aren't cheap.