Barr's proposed tram tunnel will be a disaster for Canberrans

But among those seemingly designed for a "wow" factor is the announcement of a tunnel for the tram stage 2B. A tunnel from Commonwealth Avenue to State Circle.

What has so far escaped discussion is the fact that such a tunnel will involve a deep and wide trench across the Commonwealth Avenue accesses to Parliament House and State Circle - and likely Coronation Drive.

These vital access routes would be severed for months even before factoring in the construction time and cost over-runs that typify public works construction in Canberra.

The resultant traffic disruption, delay and diversion would impose material inconvenience and real costs on the community. Costs that, typically, the official tram cost-benefit analysis may omit from the costs side of the ledger, much like the pretence that removal and replanting of the mature heritage trees on Commonwealth Avenue - and Northbourne Avenue previously - would be cost-free to the community beyond felling and replanting costs.

Is there no cure for this delusional tram folly?

Who said history never repeats? Two and a half thousand years ago, the Greek superpower, Athens, instigated the Delian league - a confederacy consisting of Athens and various weaker Greek states.

Its mission was to counter the common enemy, Persia. Members were required to supply Athens with either cash or warships as tribute.

Athens soon turned the League into a platform to advance its own interests and ambitions. Members were reduced to the status of either cash cows or cogs in the Athenian war machine.

Today we have AUKUS. So far the Americans have milked us for over four billion dollars without even a life buoy in sight for many years to come (if at all).

Wake up Australia.

I share Ian Morison's concerns (Letters, June 18) regarding Labor and the Greens getting into bed together again.

Unfortunately their offspring (policies) will continue marauding through our suburbs, neighbourhoods, streets, homes and our bank accounts with impunity.

The voting public will have to take strong action this year to ensure that these partners are divorced and their offspring is taken off the streets.

This is the only way that the community can be safeguarded and rewarded with caring and nurturing policies providing comfort to all residents of Canberra.

At last, the $14 million Ouroboros sculpture created by Lindy Lee at a Queensland foundry has reached the National Gallery of Australia.

The 13-tonne sculpture is magnificent and is going to make a great impression out the front of the Gallery.

But why did the Ouroboros sculpture have to be made in Brisbane?

Surely there is a Canberra foundry which would be able to manufacture such large sculptures.

The expenditure and resultant skill base around the sculpture has been lost to Canberra and the surrounding region.

As you report, the teal independents were elected in Liberal seats in 2019 and 2022 because voters had "grown frustrated with the Coalition's climate policies" ("Holmes à Court backs push to steal ACT federal seat", June 14).

Senator David Pocock's outstanding example of the strong role independents can play will encourage other independents to stand and voters to vote for them.

While Climate 200 will provide support for independents in Bean and the Division of Canberra, given the Coalition's backflip on emissions targets and net zero, together with Labor's continued support for new gas projects, and stalling on environmental laws, that support may not even be needed.

New First Nation cultural elements will now supplement the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and the expanding National Museum of Australia, on Acton Peninsula ("Bold design scrapped over site", June 14).

The peninsula was reportedly the place of healing for First Nation people, and Griffin sited the capital's main hospital there, with a curving carriageway, crossing the lake to Parkes. His architectural massing designs were realised in the 1960s with the substantial former Royal Canberra Hospital complex.

The museum was originally proposed for Yarramundi Reach, in a unique "tract" style development, with room to grow. Apparently, AIATSIS preferred to also be at Yarramundi. A fine initial museum building was installed there, currently occupied by local First Nation groups.

However, the then Liberal government thought Yarramundi lacked "commercial visibility".

Acton Peninsula was quietly chosen as the site for the museum. AIATSIS, temporarily housed in the former Acton Hotel, was required to be co-sited with the museum.

The Central National Area includes Acton Peninsula. The ANU's fine International Sculpture Park is nearby.

Given the evolution and attractions of Acton Peninsula, it clearly needs better connectivity, and ACT light rail 2 should include it, involving a form of Griffin's lake crossing - saving the heritage, form, and cultural landscape of Commonwealth Avenue and its bridges in the process.

For many years now it has been nigh impossible for Barton residents to find on-street parking for themselves or visitors.

Two-hour time limited parking was installed many years ago, however, it is habitually used as all-day parking by workers from nearby offices.

Residents of inner city suburbs in Melbourne and Sydney are able to have local parking permits, and such a system should be in place for inner suburban residents of Canberra.

Having written to all five Kurrajong electorate MLAs looking for a permanent solution to this problem, the four government MLAs, Barr, Stephen-Smith, Vassarotti, and Rattenbury have completely ignored my representations. Ms Lee has written to Minister Cheyne on the matter.

To seek a permanent solution to a problem years in the making is one thing; the thumbing of collective government MLA noses at constituents is quite another. Roll on the 2024 election.

To quote him verbatim, in his official speech to the Chinese delegation at Parliament House on Monday, our PM pontificated: "Whatever the issue, it is always better if we deal direct with each other".

You mean without all the routine, nefarious Punch and Judy directives from Uncle Sam on how to treat other nations according to its geopolitical prejudices?

Chinese Premier Li Qiang wasted no time upon arriving in Australia on the weekend to begin his charm offensive by calling for Canberra and Beijing to "shelve differences", even though these differences were imposed by communist China in the first place. The side that has persevered in trying to bring down the barriers was in fact Australia.

The Vietnamese Community in Australia, the community organisation established in 1977 as the voice of Vietnamese Australians, numbers more than 300,000 people. It has endorsed and supports the Australian position which has been well expressed by Prime Minister Antony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. That is that in the pursuit of our national interests Australia "cooperates where we can, disagrees where we must".

Australia should continue to oppose China's military aggression in the Indo-Pacific including the construction of artificial islands and naval bases on geographical features it controls within the Spratly and Paracel archipelagos which historically belong to Vietnam.

Australia is a trading nation and the East Sea of Vietnam (aka Bien Dong or South China sea) remains our strategically essential route for trade and defence purposes.

Beijing's illegal and unilateral claims of sovereignty there must be opposed, on the basis of Australia's national interests, and the security and peace of our allied such as The Philippines, Japan, South Korea and other countries in the region, such as Vietnam.