Given the fact that Glen Dhu is an outdoor pool, this has always been the case during the colder months, with stronger swimming schools, with less need for shallow water space, generally timetabled where possible during this period.

However, the problem with these other venues is the lack of available shallow water teaching space for less skilled students to build confidence and basic water skills before their transfer to deeper water.

For example, at Launceston Aquatic, schools are competing for shallow water space with the pool's own swimming classes, along with the general public. With the loss of Glen Dhu as a teaching venue, can the department guarantee equity in outcomes for all students?

My concern is that low socioeconomic students who do not have access to privately run swimming lessons and are therefore less comfortable in deep water, are the students who will be impacted most by this decision. School's Early Childhood swimming will also be impacted, due to lack of suitable venues to implement these programs.

Perhaps rather than spending millions on "repurposing" the site, this money could be redirected to upgrade and cover the Glen Dhu Pool, which would allow year round use by the Education Department during the day, and members of the community after hours.

A VISITING mainland friend pointed out to me that she had noticed Cripps Bakery, Tasmanian owned, was the only producer of bread that uses cardboard bread clips instead of plastic. I hadn't noticed, but will make sure from now on to purchase only Cripps bread. A great example Cripps.

WHAT is an old-growth forest? The Greens constantly tout this line, but what is it? Twenty years old, 50 years old, 100 years old -for instance, much of the forest around Weldborough.

If one ventures into the local hotel they will see pictures of the surrounding hills that date back to 1920 and earlier, when there was barely a tree standing due to them being cut down to drive the steam boilers for the tin mining. This was common practice, but now there is forest there that the greens call old growth. I can go through many other areas that were stripped and are now forest, but old growth, I think not.

THE press is full of the news that a travel bubble is to be established between Australia and New Zealand, with Tasmania to have flights between Hobart and Auckland. Why to Auckland? That is the longest way to get to Kiwi land.

What has happened to the Hobart to Queenstown leg? It's a short hop to the South Island that was being talked about. Looks like Sydney and Melbourne are going to keep that leg to themselves and plug it as the ski run.

The bubble is looking a little on the political side.

What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor: