Vision Zero is a principle that no one should be killed or seriously injured using the road networks. For Tasmania to reduce annual fatalities and serious injuries the state needs to look beyond its fatal five focus and address unsafe road infrastructure and speed limits. Poor driver behaviour (speeding, drugs/alcohol, distraction, seat belts and fatigue) and mistakes will never be eliminated, though they are minimised through enforcement. But according to Vision Zero, they should not result in trauma.

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While there are many measures to reduce road trauma within what is known as the safe system, there is one measure that will produce an immediate and significant reduction. However, the measure is both controversial and challenging.

Evidence from around the world demonstrates that a significant reduction in road injuries and deaths through speed limit reduction is achievable. For example, in Queensland the number of crashes on the Ipswich Motorway fell by about 25 per cent following a reduction in the speed limit from 100km/h to 90km/h in 2005.

In 2008 the Tasmania Legislative Council Select Committee on Road Safety recommended that "all Tasmanian highways that are not dual carriageway, with runoff road protection and, where necessary, central barriers should have a speed limit of 100km/h, unless a body such as the ARRB MUARC determines that a speed limit of 110km/h is appropriate".

In 2019, Western Australia launched a plan to reduce the speed limit by 10km/h on most roads with existing limits above 40km/h, which would result in nearly 50 per cent fewer fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. If Tasmania adopted the approach recommended by Austroads to align speed limits with infrastructure safety, 17 lives and 150 serious injuries could potentially be saved every year. Relying upon infrastructure improvements to safely sustain current speed limits will take decades to achieve and cost many lives.

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The Transport Services Group within State Growth has the mandate to reduce speed limits, but it needs encouragement and support from every other stakeholder in road safety, and direction by the minister responsible. In the meantime, if you are a driver, limit your speed to 10km/h below the posted speed limit where the infrastructure will not prevent trauma in the event of a crash, and save yourself and others.

THE proposed development for the Paterson Street Central Carpark is a real winner for the city.

It complements the streetscape. It is environmentally sensitive, thus setting a standard for the city. It promotes inner-city living, provides additional parking that will regenerate the town centre and the design provides a degree of flexibility.

Therefore, the council and state government should give their unqualified endorsement by showing humility and leadership.

FOR far too long we have had our mail delivery (letters, cards, bills and so on) restricted to five days a fortnight by Australia Post instead of what was 10 days a fortnight.

We are constantly receiving bills after the pay by date and consequently being charged a late fee payment in some cases, due to your appalling cut-backs, yet you consistently tell us you are unable to handle the huge influx of mail.

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May I suggest the obvious: to avoid such an unacceptable backlog please revert to the 10 days delivery a fortnight instead of the current five days a fortnight, particularly with Christmas almost upon us.

In January and February of this year, I and others were still receiving Christmas cards for Christmas 2020. It is way past time that you, Australia Post, need to get your act together. Enough is enough.

AFTER a Parks and Wildlife Service prescribed burn in 100 hectares of the Butlers Ridge Nature Reserve in the Eastern Tiers in March, I documented 100 habitat trees burnt to the ground. Habitat tree is the term for big old trees that have reached the stage where hollows and decaying branches provide homes for birds and bats, for pygmy possums and parrots.

Forest studies show that prescribed burns can result in 30 to 70 per cent loss of habitat trees and that it takes at least a hundred years to re-establish similar habitat.

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That is, if enough tree seedlings and the myriad species of the desiccated ecosystem survive the invasion of feral deer that follow the pickings of regeneration.

Humans need to rethink this headstrong rush to burn before it burns if we are to avoid the sterility of a planet home that is being managed for only us.

TWO strong women garnered many centimetres of letters and opinion pieces across Australia last week with lots of positive feedback, Jacqui Lambie and Bridget Archer, for all the good reasons. More power to them.

MY friend was forced into aged care by the hospital system and lost control of their finances to the Public Trustees.

Good to see the report of the review into the Public Trustees, but they can't be repaired and recommendations aren't enough to fix the damage they have done to vulnerable Tasmanians and their families for many years. It's time the Public Trustee victims are given their freedom and are compensated for the trauma and expense.