Targa Tasmania has run this event for many years.

Has Motorsport Australia, or an appropriate nominee ever checked on the Targa race rules, regulations and conduct, particularly the safety aspect, in all the years of the race's existence?

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Given the claim that the event is one of the most dangerous in the world (I wonder where that gem came from and what the criteria were for arriving at that conclusion).

It seems inconceivable and bordering on incompetence that Australia's peak motorsport body appears not to have involved itself in such an important event.

Had there been routine or even sporadic involvement/oversight by regulators, any safety shortcomings should have been identified earlier and fixed and three people might not have died.

Before pinning the blame firmly on the Targa organisers, Motorsport Australia should be taking a hard look at themselves and asking what positive, proactive contribution they could/should have made to Targa over the years.

I THINK it's a great idea to allow Tasmanian residents stuck in regional NSW to return home and isolate themselves.

Unfortunately, all too often people violate that trust and go out into the public.

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To make monitoring their lockdown easier I think a brightly coloured corflute sign should be displayed on their front gate.

It should show the dates of isolation and the number of people in lockdown on the premises. This not only makes a neighbourhood watch more effective but it also gives warning to unsuspecting visitors such as delivery drivers.

THE horror stories about poor building practices, and lack of any response from an overseeing body, shows just how well the aim of getting rid of the green and red tape has worked. It would be no surprise if the industry advised the government on all this.

AS people continue to suffer the mental health effects of the pandemic Red Cross is reminding readers there are things they can do now to regain a sense of control, and prepare for the inevitable disasters ahead.

New research by Australian Red Cross has found that two in five Australians' mental health has been hit by CCOVID, and a similar number say they feel less hopeful about the future. Some 37 per cent feel less secure and safe. This week is our annual campaign to encourage people to prepare for disasters, as the better prepared people are, the better their experience when a disaster hits.

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Better preparation also leads to a better recovery. There are excellent resources on the Red Cross website www.redcross.org.au/prepare including steps to create your own emergency plan, to download the Red Cross Get Prepared App, a survival kit, emergency contacts list, keepsake list, information to help manage stress and more.

With disaster season almost upon us, we strongly encourage people to start thinking now about how they will manage.

Your mental health will be better for it.

PRESIDENT Macron is furious with Australia for abandoning the $55 billion contract with France to build a fleet of submarines. So much so that he has recalled his Ambassador.

Foreign Minister Le Drian, who described Morrison's decision as a "stab in the back'', said Macron's rare action was due to the seriousness of the breach.

But surely France should shoulder some of the responsibility.

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The French government made a deal with Australian politicians. Had its representatives done their homework, they would have realised what most Australians know.

Australian politicians, of all persuasions have little regard for the truth, are given to reversing decisions, have defective moral compasses, and represent themselves and their parties above all else.

France was nave in trusting Canberra to honour the deal. Obviously, Macron et al were not aware that the submarine agreement was based on a "non-core" promise because only "core" promises count as genuine commitments (Howard, 1996).

POTTY trained cows; who would believe it but yes it's possible and, given Tasmania has significant problems with a poorly regulated dairy industry and contaminated waterways, maybe it should be considered seriously (The Examiner, September 15).

Cows can produce up to 30 litres of urine a day which, when mixed with faeces becomes ammonia, and with reports alleging substantial effluent discharge into waterways from North-West dairy farms and reports of dead cattle in settlement ponds maybe it all should be taken very seriously (The Examiner, March 30). Animal behavioural scientists in New Zealand (where they also have serious problems with contaminated waterways) and Germany have proven that cows, especially calves, can be trained to use a MooLoo, a practice which, if introduced on a significant scale, could result in enormous benefits for the environment.

Tasmanian dairy farmers, and the state government, should not just smile and take such information on the nose and do nothing further but seriously and thoroughly investigate the potential of such a proposal.