Main events want to point out ethical braveness

Your correspondent (Letters, October 7) prioritises the return of “the stranded Afghans” and Julian Assange over “ISIS girls and kids”. These poor children had been by no means ISIS. Our nationwide anthem reckons “we’ve boundless plains to share”, not “bonds to share”. So convey ’em all residence, I say. Kent Mayo, Uralla

Damaged residence

Sorry to say that like Humpty Dumpty who sat on a wall, Willow Grove won’t ever be put again collectively once more (Letters, October 7). Garry Horvai, Pennant Hills

Ready to listen to when Willow Grove shall be rebuilt will in all probability take so long as ready for the Nationwide Parks and Wildlife Service to take away the momentary COVID charges charged to camp within the overwhelming majority of parks. Michael McFadyen, Kareela

Individuals individual

“Individuals earlier than crops”? Has younger Scotty Morrison, advertising and marketing wunderkind and famend slogan slave, discovered himself a brand new job? Invoice Younger, Killcare Heights

High of the rainbow

Dialogue of rainbows (Letters, October 7) made me take into consideration Rainbow Road, which connects Kingsford and Randwick. As a child, it was onerous work driving a motorbike from Rainbow Road College to the summit, from the place one walked the bike down the steep descent into Kingsford. Bob Phillips, Cabarita

My kitchen guidelines

Your picture of a grim rental kitchen seems so much like my perpetually morning kitchen (‴⁣⁣Actually, actually horrible’: Grim pickings for renters as vacancies dry up”, smh.com.au, October 7). Possibly individuals of their seventies see the world in another way? Keith Russell, Mayfield West

Flood resolution: why not unplug Sackville Gorge?

I applaud Susan Templeman’s name for some lateral considering on the Warragamba Dam’s wall elevating (“For a secure Warragamba, decrease the dam water stage”, October 7). She could have opened the floodgates to a extra nuanced resolution to the Hawkesbury/Nepean flooding. Elevating the wall by 14 metres is clearly on the nostril politically and environmentally, and decreasing the utmost water top by 12 metres is dangerous for provide safety. So why not analysis the consequences of (say) elevating the wall by three metres, decreasing the utmost stage by three metres and, importantly, revisiting the choice of unplugging the Sackville Gorge’s major reason for the flooding? Peter Russell, Coogee

I’m shocked the Perrottet authorities hasn’t engaged somebody to dredge the dam to make it 14 metres deeper. Maybe the premier may assign this job to Matt Kean, who’s an progressive thinker and by no means places politics earlier than the surroundings. Philip Bell, Bronte

What’s the Labor plan regarding Warragamba Dam – as we all know Perrottet shall be main the opposition come the subsequent election? Zuzu Burford, Heathcote

Earlier than the final state election, Gladys Berejiklian made positive the destruction of a stadium started. Presumably, this was in order that, if the election had been misplaced, the work must proceed. Perrottet’s “quick monitoring” of the Warragamba fiasco appears to be in the identical mould of considering. Get it began earlier than the election so it has to proceed. Peter Thompson, Grenfell

Elevating the wall by 14 metres will add monumental strain to the dam. Has anybody competent calculated if the present construction is able to this improve? If not, then a future dam collapse will flood greater than any previous catastrophe. Richard Kirby, Campbelltown

I bear in mind, within the mid-noughties, Sydney skilled dry years and Warragamba sank to unprecedented low ranges. This provoked a knee-jerk response to hunt various provides of water, and so the desalination plant was constructed as a back-up. It has hardly ever been used. We now have the other with an overabundance of water, so this time the knee-jerk response is to lift the dam wall. I’ll guess that within the subsequent few years Sydney will once more run into dry intervals and we’ll all be gazing on the water stage 20 metres or so decrease than the costly new wall. David Hellstrom, Wahroonga

Trolled on tolls

I learn with some curiosity this week Margot Saville’s opinion piece on tolls (“For whom the tolls will ballot in NSW”, October 6). Saville parroted numerous the mis-truths being unfold by the NSW Labor opposition and the NSW Greens. She stated households are paying “as much as $6000 a yr in tolls”. The supply of this determine is analysis commissioned by the NSW Labor Get together to help its scare marketing campaign on tolls. Who did the analysis? Alpha Beta. The analyst? Andrew Charlton, who subsequently turned the federal Labor MP for Parramatta. Here’s what Saville missed. The NSW Liberal authorities has a toll rebate scheme in place. From January, eligible motorists will rise up to 40 per cent again on their toll payments since July 1, saving them as much as $750 a yr and benefiting about half 1,000,000 individuals. Earlier this yr, the federal government introduced a toll evaluation to take a look at the entire community and the way we are able to make the pricing system fairer. Saville additionally complained concerning the lack of public transport and infrastructure throughout our metropolis, whereas taking concern with the quantity of labor occurring within the internal west close to the place she lives, together with on the brand new Sydney Metro line connecting Parramatta to the town. Given she admitted she hardly ever leaves her residence through the week, Saville might be excused for holding this quite slender (and contradictory) view. Each the brand new Metro line and the Rozelle Interchange will slash journey occasions for households a lot additional afield than the internal west, together with these residing in western, southern and north-western Sydney. Final week, I used to be on the Western Sydney Management Dialogue. Western and south-western Sydney have undergone wonderful transformation over the previous 15 years, and it’s essential we proceed to make it engaging for individuals to reside, work and play in our outer suburbs. These are the individuals we’re eager about each day. Natalie Ward, Metropolitan Roads Minister

Surgical procedure required

What’s the one resolution to crowded emergency departments, unaffordable major care, pharmacy prescribing, insufficient regional well being and even aged care failings (“Well being minister hits again at medical doctors’ inquiry claims”, October 7)? An skilled, well-funded, well-serviced and valued normal follow. It’s the one medical arm that has been in decline for over a decade and that’s largely attributable to authorities coverage or mismanagement. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle

Let’s get some stability within the NSW well being debate. I’m not saying there aren’t unacceptable delays in state hospitals. However once I introduced on the emergency division at Hornsby hospital with a smashed knee cap final Thursday night, I used to be X-rayed inside half an hour, and operated on lower than 36 hours later. Whether or not I used to be admitted as a public or non-public affected person made no distinction to the timing. The workers in any respect ranges had been distinctive. I’d hardly name that “third world”. Tony Gapes, Pymble

Who’ll need second class?

Further pay for high-performing lecturers (Letters, October 7) will trigger consternation for fogeys. They are going to demand their kids be taught by a “tremendous instructor”. Who shall be ready to take second finest? Extra acceptable pay for all certified lecturers is the one sensible resolution. Ian Roberts, Warriewood

Horse has bolted

The Archbishop of Canterbury is anxious {that a} cut up within the native Anglican church “says that we don’t maintain onto the instructing of Christ … that his followers shall be one” (“Anglican schism ’identical as politics‴⁣⁣ , October 7). A second’s thought would have reminded him that that horse bolted centuries in the past. Jan Macindoe, Forest Lodge

The Archbishop of Canterbury is true: a cut up within the Anglican Church shall be dangerous for the church but it surely may also be wonderful. Presently in Anglican historical past, the dear message of affection, peace and hope is commonly hidden behind arguments over irreconcilable variations. Absolutely our objective is to not protect the establishment however to obviously preach Jesus. Rev Nigel Fortescue, Senior Minister, Christ Church, St Ives

Attention-grabbing resolution

All these politicians attempting to get youthful individuals into residence shopping for. The Labor authorities can actually assist that by altering the detrimental gearing preparations, which benefit buyers. The most effective factor to do is to forestall buyers from claiming curiosity on the mortgage as a tax deduction. Owners can’t. Set a date from which any new purchases shall be unclaimable as tax deductions. Anything is tinkering John Rome, Mt Lawley (WA)

Postscript

This week, the republic, star of the letters pages for the previous month or so, took a again seat as writers acquired caught up in different topics. The largest one, the proposed elevating of Warragamba Dam’s wall, began in the midst of the week and has been climbing steadily since. There was no trickle: it began as a full-on flood that quickly turned an inundation of the Letters inbox. There have been too many letters to publish; suffice to say that not one author was in favour.
Taxation continues to rumble alongside and writers are getting much less and fewer blissful concerning the concept of maintaining the stage three tax cuts. They will’t see the purpose of giving more cash to wealthy individuals and Labor’s discuss of not breaking guarantees is reducing no ice.
Lecturers, as regular, as they need to, acquired a lot help this week towards the federal government’s concepts about paying the highest 10 per cent of them extra, apparently to encourage the others. The concept was picked to items instantly. Who can be the choose of who was the higher instructor? Why would this cease individuals leaving the occupation? The questions had been many and the solutions had been few.
There was vigorous dialogue additionally about bringing residence Australian girls and kids trapped in Islamic State camps in Syria. Largely, writers are in favour, on humanitarian grounds and the sensible grounds that the returnees may extra simply be watched right here than abroad. Just a few writers preserve that it’s simply an excessive amount of threat to Australia.
Information that the brand new airport in western Sydney could open with out correct public transport due to funds troubles was handled with the same old exasperated mockery of hardened Sydney commuters.
Harriet Veitch, appearing letters editor

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