Before planting more trees we need to stop clearing them

Given the scale of both new housing and redevelopment the government needs to specify a proportion of each residential block for tree planting. In redevelopments, developers basically clear-fell the block and cram in the largest building in they can.

We end up with the ridiculous situation where ratepayers are paying to plant trees elsewhere to replace those that developers take out. The National Capital Authority has set a requirement for parts of Deakin and Forrest that 40 per cent of the block has to be reserved for 'deep planting'- for trees. If it's serious about climate change, rather than pandering to developers, the government should now extend this requirement to the rest of Canberra.

I read with interest the ACT government's car free day proposal as part of their climate change strategy. Perhaps if they'd done a better job with the recent bus scheduling mess they would find the community more prepared to use public transport on a regular basis. The recent changes have more than doubled the commute of many of those south of the lake which hardly encourages a change in behaviour. Also what about primary carer's, those with children and shift workers who again cannot rely on our public transport system - while I support more public transport I have my doubts on the public embracing this policy.

I read that as part of the ACT Government's climate change strategy 2019-2025 it is planned that gas be phased out. Apparently one of the options being considered is that no household in the ACT would be connected to gas by 2045, with the majority of Canberrans having to foot the bill to switch from gas to electrical appliances.

I've owned my home for nearly 20 years and plan on living in it for many a year yet. It came with ducted gas heating, gas hot water and gas cooking (oven and cooktop). While the price of gas has significantly increased over the years, I'm happy to have a gas home, with electricity essentially used only for power and lighting.

To convert my home to electricity only will be very, very expensive, not only in respect of the appliances themselves, but also - and perhaps especially - in respect of the conversion/installation costs. All in the name of what the ACT Government calls a "just transition" to zero emissions. Where am I supposed to find the money to make this forced conversion? Maybe if my rates were reduced to compensate, but then again, pigs might fly!

I hate to disappoint Rolfe Hartley, (letters, September 15) but what is a trackless tram other than a vehicle running on the road using rubber tyres and no overhead wires?

Don't we already have such a vehicle, otherwise known as a bus?

If we need a service as described in Rolfe's letter then may I suggest a far cheaper alternative, the existing bus service using articulated bendy buses, on dedicated bus lanes, all the way to Tuggeranong via Woden, at 10-minute intervals during rush hours? No bridge work, no road levelling needed. Don't we have something like this already?

If the ACT government persists in expanding light rail, then why not to Queanbeyan, via Russel, Kingston Railway, Pialligo, (IKEA, Costco), Airport and Canberra Business Park?

Let's see a business case comparing that route with the one to Woden.

Scott Hannaford, in his excellent article (Farmers and conservative voters adding to calls for federal government to declare climate emergency, September 16), quotes the new mayor of Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Peter Beer. In explaining why his Council had rejected the motion to declare a climate emergency, Cr Beer said such a declaration would be dabbling in state and federal issues rather than concentrating on local issues.

Yet one of the guiding principles under the Local Government Act [8A(2)(c)] states that, when making decisions, Councils should "consider the long-term and cumulative effects of actions on future generations." Other principles include taking care to avoid irreversible damage to the environment, protecting the health of future generations, and making conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity a "fundamental consideration".

Climate change, unless mitigated, will impact severely on the health of future generations. It will cause irreparable damage to the environment, not least biological diversity and ecological integrity.

There is much that can be done at local level. A local Council may not be able to stop coal mining or export, but it can do much to mitigate climate change. It can move its vehicle fleet to electric vehicles; it can put solar panels on all its buildings; encourage solar and wind farms and pumped hydro; encourage the planting of trees and regenerative farming; and it can put its support behind the school-strike-for-climate events.

At least the ACT Government understands the urgency. It is to be congratulated for not only passing a climate emergency declaration several weeks ago but also for supporting this week's Global Climate Strike.

Martin Devine (Letters, September 17) has given permission for the ACT government to install an old style 'silent cop' at the intersection near his house to stop cars cutting the corner. Cars will still cut the corner, they'll just drive over them, so they're ineffective, and a hazard to cyclists.

I remember in the early 1970's during summer (so wearing shorts and a t-shirt), as a 12-year-old, sailing down Davidson St, Higgins on my bicycle one evening to turn right into Fullager Cr. looking left and right for cars and then running right over the top of one. Next moment I'm sprawled on the road covered in grazes and blood.

Will Mr Devine pay the the medical bills of all the cyclists who come-a-cropper on his silent cop?

I have just been notified of the ACT government's plans to push ahead with locating social housing in Section 72 Dickson.

I attended all the consultations by the ACT government with residents concerning the future of Section 72. It was clear that those attending were very much against having housing of any kind built, with the possible exception of a modest amount of accommodation for aged care and homeless women. Section 72 should continue as a site for community activities and needs. There were people at these meetings promoting housing - the ACT government, its bureaucrats, the consultants and social housing representatives.

The government plan ignores the views of most of those invited to these meetings, as well as its own views. In The Canberra Times of August 2, 2019 ("Minister scuttles clubs $100 million plans") a government spokesman stated "the land available for community purposes by community organisations is diminishing and it is important that we preserve what is left", and the Greens are concerned that community spaces should not be turned into more housing ("Greens fear infill push impact on community land" p9 The Canberra Times December 12, 2018).

I do resent the cost to the taxpayer and the hours I spent attending these sham consultations.

The obvious area for social housing is in the redeveloped Northbourne Ave precinct. Section 72 is needed for the use of the Canberra community now and into the future.

My advice to residents tempted to attend these ACT government sham "consultations" is to stay home, as your opinions will most likely be ignored.

Ill-informed or politically-motivated opinions like those from Mokhles K Sidden (Letters, September 16) make my blood boil! The original NBN promoted by Kevin Rudd was Fibre-to-the-Premises and budgeted at $47 billion. Delays caused by Telstra refusing to cede control of its ducts and pits meant that the implementation of the FTTP (1Gigabit per second) NBN was delayed so that it couldn't be completed before Tony Abbott came along and instructed his telecommunications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, to implement the much slower Fibre-to-the-Node (maximum 100 Megabits per second).

This was presumably under the guidance of certain business interests who could see that a really fast NBN would cause the existing cable TV network and Free-to-Air networks to lose value to the potential video streaming services which would be enabled by the FTTP version of the NBN. If the FTTP version had been allowed to continue, we would have been 1st or 2nd in the world instead of 60th.

So no, the bill for the present fiasco should go to the Liberal party, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.

What a crying shame and an insult to the inner south that we are given the so called Kingston Library - more like a pop-up. The new table is the size of a domestic dining table where we are supposed to be able to spread out the newspaper (4 people max I guarantee). Hardly any serial titles to borrow unless you want a gossip column rag or a craft mag and then to add insult to injury flash new sign-out machines. Why, when the collection is so poor? Come on ACT Government give the inner south a decent sized library and comprehensive collection for our very fast growing inner south population.

Hear, hear, Rolfe Hartley (Letters 15 September "Are We the Clever Capital"). This is an eloquent description of the Trackless Tram as part of the future for transport for Canberra. The vision, shared with so many others on these pages, is so compelling that it raises questions as to the motives of those in government still pushing for light rail and its crippling costs.

In a city where it is getting harder for people to afford to live in, the ACT government, headed by the Greens, now wants to abolish the only form of energy that hard pressed people can afford. How is this a Labor government that based its roots on looking after the working people? Where is the opposition?

The proposed phase out of gas conflicts with the recent incentives being offerred by the ACTs own gas retailer. Only last year I was given a Government rebate to switch to gas water heating. Can the Government please make up their minds.

James Mahoney (Letters, September 16) wants to ditch the Union Jack on our national flag suggesting it does not represent our history. Does James think that the colonisation and modernisation of this land by the arrival of the British has nothing to do with the last 230 years of our history? Prior to the arrival of the British and subsequent Europeans and others Australia was just a land mass, it was not even a country. It would be a very bland flag without the Union Jack and Australia wouldn't be the great country it is today without the arrival of our first boat people. What next? Changing the names of our states such as Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria because they have British connotations?

I loved the story about a falcon, hawk and owl being used to clear Parliament House of pesky magpies and ducks. But surely there is enough talent within the halls that will do the job equally well i.e. cut-outs of Joyce, McCormack, Katter and Hanson in full, blustery flight, placed in the gardens and ponds will make the place bird free.

Having just spent two weeks in Copenhagen I think Shane Rattenbury is underestimating the task ahead.

Copenhagen is completely flat and the majority of the population live within 20 minutes bike ride of work. Bike theft is extremely rare and there are ample shared bikes and electric scooters available.

Maybe start with the inner north - Dickson wetlands as a canal system with water taxis?

Andrew Barr with a halo? (p2, September 16.) I nearly choked on my soluble fibre!

I know all too well that refereeing is a tough gig, but the the sideline official is a touch judge not a tough judge as reported in today's Canberra Times (p 38, September 17).

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