Major parties need to show moral courage

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

Damaged dwelling

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 most likely take so long as ready for the Nationwide Parks and Wildlife Service to take away the non permanent COVID charges charged to camp within the overwhelming majority of parks. Michael McFadyen, Kareela

Individuals individual

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

Prime 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 using a motorcycle 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 photograph of a grim rental kitchen appears quite a bit like my perpetually morning kitchen (‴⁣⁣Actually, actually horrible’: Grim pickings for renters as vacancies dry up”, smh.com.au, October 7). Possibly folks 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 pondering on the Warragamba Dam’s wall elevating (“For a protected Warragamba, decrease the dam water degree”, October 7). She might 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 results of (say) elevating the wall by three metres, decreasing the utmost degree by three metres and, importantly, revisiting the choice of unplugging the Sackville Gorge’s main reason for the flooding? Peter Russell, Coogee

I’m stunned 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 revolutionary thinker and by no means places politics earlier than the setting. Philip Bell, Bronte

What’s the Labor plan regarding Warragamba Dam – as we all know Perrottet shall be main the opposition come the following 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 have been misplaced, the work must proceed. Perrottet’s “quick monitoring” of the Warragamba fiasco appears to be in the identical mould of pondering. 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 enhance? If not, then a future dam collapse will flood greater than any previous catastrophe. Richard Kirby, Campbelltown

I keep 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 different provides of water, and so the desalination plant was constructed as a back-up. It has hardly ever been used. We now have the alternative with an overabundance of water, so this time the knee-jerk response is to boost the dam wall. I’ll wager that within the subsequent few years Sydney will once more run into dry durations and we’ll all be gazing on the water degree 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 quite a few 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 Social gathering to help its scare marketing campaign on tolls. Who did the analysis? Alpha Beta. The analyst? Andrew Charlton, who subsequently grew to become 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 folks. 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 in regards to the lack of public transport and infrastructure throughout our metropolis, whereas taking concern with the quantity of labor occurring within the inside west close to the place she lives, together with on the brand new Sydney Metro line connecting Parramatta to town. Given she admitted she hardly ever leaves her dwelling throughout the week, Saville could possibly be excused for holding this reasonably 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 inside west, together with these dwelling 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 folks to reside, work and play in our outer suburbs. These are the folks we’re fascinated by daily. Natalie Ward, Metropolitan Roads Minister

Surgical procedure required

What’s the one resolution to crowded emergency departments, unaffordable main care, pharmacy prescribing, insufficient regional well being and even aged care failings (“Well being minister hits again at docs’ inquiry claims”, October 7)? An skilled, well-funded, well-serviced and valued common apply. 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 personal affected person made no distinction to the timing. The employees in any respect ranges have 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 folks. They may demand their kids be taught by a “tremendous trainer”. Who shall be ready to take second greatest? Extra applicable 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 correct: a cut up within the Anglican Church shall be unhealthy for the church however it may additionally be wonderful. Presently in Anglican historical past, the valuable message of affection, peace and hope is usually hidden behind arguments over irreconcilable variations. Certainly our purpose is to not protect the establishment however to obviously preach Jesus. Rev Nigel Fortescue, Senior Minister, Christ Church, St Ives

Fascinating resolution

All these politicians attempting to get youthful folks into dwelling shopping for. The Labor authorities can actually assist that by altering the destructive gearing preparations, which benefit buyers. The very best factor to do is to stop 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. The rest 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 obtained caught up in different topics. The most important one, the proposed elevating of Warragamba Dam’s wall, began in the course of the week and has been climbing steadily since. There was no trickle: it began as a full-on flood that quickly grew to become 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 in regards to the concept of maintaining the stage three tax cuts. They will’t see the purpose of giving more cash to wealthy folks and Labor’s speak of not breaking guarantees is slicing no ice.
Lecturers, as normal, as they need to, obtained a lot help this week in opposition to the federal government’s concepts about paying the highest 10 per cent of them extra, apparently to encourage the others. The thought was picked to items instantly. Who can be the decide of who was the higher trainer? Why would this cease folks leaving the career? The questions have been many and the solutions have been few.
There was vigorous dialogue additionally about bringing dwelling Australian ladies and kids trapped in Islamic State camps in Syria. Principally, writers are in favour, on humanitarian grounds and the sensible grounds that the returnees may extra simply be watched right here than abroad. A number of writers preserve that it’s simply an excessive amount of threat to Australia.
Information that the brand new airport in western Sydney might open with out correct public transport due to finances troubles was handled with the standard exasperated mockery of hardened Sydney commuters.
Harriet Veitch, appearing letters editor

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