Deteriorating life quality
Day after day, week after week, month after month – nothing is being done. The country is moving at a fast pace backwards. An independent report into our electricity (domestic and business) reveals we have some of the highest prices in the world. A beaming Malcolm Turnbull tells us, “Gee’s that’s crook. We are going to hold an enquiry to find out why. It may take a couple of years. Meanwhile, struggle along as best you can”. Youth cannot get a steady job, for families the future is rent, there’s no affordable health care, education is for the rich and the price of electricity has gone through the roof. Our quality of life is fast deteriorating while politicians stand around doing nothing.
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John Macleod, Berry
MKR blips and blurs
Bad boy 'Josh' of the current MKR series calls a female contestant a foul and derogatory name which has been hyped up in the ads for the 'ultimate dinner parties' this week. The name has been blipped out and his lips blurred in most of the promos, but not the promos which air during the program itself 7.30-9pm. Why? My children aged 6, 8 and 10 have now been exposed to language and treatment of a young woman which I most certainly was not prepared for during a 7.30pm family time slot - why is it blipped and blurred when they are not actually watching the show? If it is bad enough to be blipped and blurred, then be consistent - the standard doesn't change between 7.30-9pm does it? Oh, wait, yes it does, but I think Ch 7 got it the wrong way around. Morally flawed and sensationalist marketing doing nothing to uphold standards.
Kelly Andrews, Figtree
Green policies restricting
Response to the letter by Barry Swan, "LOOMING GAS SHORTAGE" Mercury, March 23. While I acknowledge Mr Swan's point about federal and state governments weakness to protect our natural resources, we have an abundance of gas, coal and oil but green policies have restricted and stopped such exploration and development to the detriment of Australia and its people.
The Andrew's Labor government has just stopped all research, exploration and development of natural gas in Victoria. This would have produced many benefits for communities, families and businesses of this state. It is apparent that mad green policies are more important than welfare.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
Construction sites
I empathise with the frustrated resident who has been trying to get Council to investigate and prevent polluted run-off from a Harbour Street development (Mercury letters March 25). Council’s complaint process for residents needing to report adverse impacts of privately controlled developments is confusing and tortuous. Council is responsible for ensuring construction sites are environmentally safe, yet it discourages complaint and distances itself from privately controlled developments (i.e. most developments), leaving all monitoring during the construction stage to private certifiers.
Council’s failure to ensure effective run-off controls is a serious city-wide problem. My concern is the tonnes of sediment and contaminated run-off being generated by the extensive development taking place throughout the catchment of Lake Illawarra (exemplified by the huge West Dapto expansion), where sites are often steep and subject to erosion. The run-off from these construction sites poses a big, possibly the biggest, threat to our already ailing Lake.
There appears to be no law preventing Council from undertaking a regular inspection regimen during the construction stage of developments. It baulks at doing so while ever the current state-imposed system of private certification is in place. However, if split sand bags, collapsing fabric fencing, denuded and eroded surfaces and sediment-laden run-off are reliable indications, the system is not working.
Julie Marlow, Berkeley
