POOR STATE ROAD BUILDING
THE construction standards of Tasmanian roads and highways appear not good enough. In two weeks of driving on the Sunshine Coast, we covered hundreds upon hundreds of kilometres of smooth roads and highways with no signs of surface breakup, potholes or patching.
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This is despite very heavy traffic volumes and weather that includes high temperatures and heavy rainfall.
Back in Tasmania some of the rebuilt sections of the Midland Highway are already breaking up, it is being patched and in places potholes have been crudely filled with dollops of bitumen. The Bass Highway out of Launceston is a bumpy, quilt-like series of patches and repairs on top of repairs.
Have we set lesser specifications for our road construction or are we building them on the cheap?
Rod Scott, Trevallyn.
FRONTLINE STAFF SHORTAGES
RECENT experiences in Israel and the UK have shown that vaccinated people are easily able to spread COVID.
Now a recent Harvard study has shown that in 62 countries, and in nearly 3000 American countries, it is in the lowest vaccinated areas that have the lowest COVID incidence, and conversely in the highest vaccinated areas, that have the highest incidence of COVID. Why are we perpetuating the myth that it is only the unvaccinated who are spreading the risk of COVID?
Peter Coxhead, Derby.
MULTI-STOREY DEVELOPMENT
HAVING groups and individuals passionate about preserving the past is good, but unfortunately it chokes the future.
I'm a builder, an old builder at the stage of retirement (thank God) and the changes I've seen in construction and in particular energy ratings, material sustainability and most of all how we live in our particular little and sometimes big spaces.
I've travelled through Europe and there are small towns and cities that are much older than Tassie and Australia overall, and they certainly have a passion for their heritage, but also allow modern 10-storey buildings alike in and amongst the old buildings, it works.
I understand the passion of some puritans with heritage and I would be the first to stop the demolition of a Queensland heritage building, but we're talking about the amalgamation of the new with the old, let it be, as the new is built it will make the old more preserved and loved in its place.
When I see the number of cars in that Bunnings, Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi car park I'm pretty sure there is not one person there thinking about the big concrete boxes they are shopping in.
Peter Douglas, Karoola.
CALVARY CO-LOCATED HOSPITAL
IT really is beyond a joke that it has taken over four years and still no decision has been taken to build a new private hospital.
It is the same with the Hobart light rail.
Enquiry after an inquiry.
An episode of Yes Minister.
We need a first-class facility with operating theatres and an emergency department and not an aged care and hospice etc.
Launceston is so far behind other regional cities in not having a modern private hospital. Please make a decision and start building now