STATE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT
LIKE most, I was deeply saddened by the devastating reality of the ''poor'' and ''deteriorating'' state of Australia's environment.
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Further, it was disappointing to learn that the State of the Environment report had sat on the previous federal environment minister's desk since last December.
Now, I am dismayed to find there has not been a Tasmanian State of the Environment report published since 2009 "Environment report delay" (The Examiner, July 21).
The public has a right to know the truth about our natural world.
Despite Tasmania having achieved a net-zero emissions target, courtesy of extensive hydro power, there are plenty of reasons for environmental concern in Tasmania.
The federal report highlighted the declining kelp forests and land-clearing issues in Tasmania, salmon farming is becoming a toxic problem, and river systems are in ecological decline, just to mention a few.
The public needs access to robust data and information about the environment in order to hold governments to account.
We have a right to know the truth, no matter how bad it might be.
Amy Hiller, Kew, Victoria.
A BETTER TAILINGS SOLUTION
THE statement by Robert Flanagan "Rosebery mine plan for nature" (The Examiner, July 27), that "tailings dams are there to protect nature" is disingenuous.
That is true Robert, but MMG doesn't deserve any credit for having tailings dams, MMG is legally required to have them.
The King and Queen rivers near Queenstown are regarded as ''the most polluted in Australia due to earlier substandard mine waste management'' (ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub). It was only when regulation enforced stricter waste control that miners improved waste management.
Numerous failed and leaking tailings dams around the world show they are not adequate either.
We know to the dollar exactly how much MMG values the 285 hectares of wilderness it is trying to clear, and that it is less than the cost of the ''paste and fill'' waste management system, which would avoid the need for a tailings dam altogether.
MMG, if it was serious about caring for our unique Tasmanian wilderness, would adopt paste and fill.
Steve Saunders, West Launceston.
HELP THE REST OF TASMANIA
NORTH Melbourne sneaking into Tasmania via Spirit of Tasmania was the beginning of the end of AFL football in Launceston, The opening that Hobart needed.
I don't support spending upwards of $1 billion on a stadium in Hobart, I would rather see a portion of that money spent on upgrading UTAS Launceston and the balance spent on improving our health system, (you only need to visit A&E to see how that's going).
Hobart is thriving, try driving to work at 8.30am and the CBD is bustling with people, 150 cruise ships in the next 12 months, Jackjumpers and the cricket.
How about helping the rest of Tasmania? Launceston needs help getting people back into the city. I reckon the North-West would like to drive to the football as well.
I would prefer to see something similar to Hawthorn and the huge amount of money that's left spent on health.
Brian Oliver, Longford.
POKER MACHINE SCOURGE
RECENT articles on possible extended hours for the Claremont Hotel, with poker machines to operate until 4am to join the ever-increasing "Golden Mile" in the Glenorchy municipality, and the effects of poker machine addiction on society, with its inherent misery on associated family members and employers as victims of theft, made very familiar but disturbing reading.
With this insidious poker machine contagion of gambling and the ill effects on society, a royal commission into the 2018 Tasmanian lower house elections would be a very cogent first step to address this very harmful, societal problem.
Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.
QUEEN'S CONGRATULATIONS
IF it were not for the supplied photograph of centenarian Ninki Wynne in (The Sunday Examiner, July 24), I would have possibly gone to my grave wondering if Queen Elizabeth still followed the time-honoured practice of personally congratulating subjects on reaching 100 years of age.
Ninki was holding a card containing a message from the Queen sending her "sincere congratulations and best wishes" on celebrating her 100th.
May I also add mine with the hope of lasting another 23 years so I may match Ninki's doubtless treasured keepsake.
Noel Christensen, Punchbowl.
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