Reaching back to ‘pure’ past is foolish

COLUMNIST Robert Macklin’s odd claim (“Exposed to the natural world of our yesteryear”, CN January 19) that he’d be “casting a vote for my gentle marsupial visitor” is born of the most unsettling aspect of Voice advocacy.

Namely, the romantic notion, as presented by Robert, that “the real Australia has been surviving in the Aboriginal people and their unique totemic creatures”.

In fact, the real Australia is far more complex; it also includes 97 per cent of the population without Aboriginal ancestry and the full panoply of modernity.

History warns us that attempts to reach back to a “pure” past are foolish, nasty and ultimately unsuccessful.

Peter Robinson, Ainslie

Everything, it seems, has a planned obsolescence

FURTHER to the article “Shoppers no longer buy the throwaway culture” (CN January 12), it seems that almost everything we purchase, use, work in or live in has an inbuilt planned redundancy or planned obsolescence.

For example, most electrical appliances are built to last 10-15 years before they need to be replaced. Larger appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines seem to have a planned life also of 10-15 years, depending on their complexity. High-tech appliances such as computers, smartphones and “smart” TVs are usually replaced when a more advanced model is released.

Houses are built to last, say 40-50 years before they become knock down-rebuild properties. Larger buildings, such as office blocks and shopping centres become “old fashioned” or not fit for purpose after about the same time.

This way of living, with its enormous waste of materials and labour is clearly unsustainable.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Surely the government’s got the message?

NOW that the representatives of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy have emphatically rejected supporting the Voice, surely the government must have got the message that to proceed with the referendum would be a total waste of time, effort and $82 million of taxpayers’ money.

It is now very obvious that the Voice was an ill-considered, poorly drafted and badly managed exercise in futility, and by continuing to rush headlong to a referendum by year’s end, it shows the government to be stubborn, arrogant and out of touch with reality.

The government is treating voters with contempt by stubbornly refusing to provide important relevant details before the referendum being held and, instead, is trying to con them into voting “yes”.

It’s a very dangerous situation as with insufficient safeguards, nothing can then stop it from doing what it wants once it is enshrined into the constitution.

Mario Stivala, Belconnen

Boardings fall short on light rail

ON being interviewed on 2CC, the chair of the Public Transport Association of Canberra, Ryan Hemsley, was waxing lyrically about the raging success of Stage 1 light rail and claimed that it had come in within budget.

First, then-chief minister Katy Gallagher said she would not pay more than about

$650 million for Stage 1, but it came in at $1.78 billion (auditor-general’s figure).

It may have come in within budget, but budgets adjusted every year by Rattenbury and Barr for escalation – it cannot be said to have come in within early cost estimates.

Second, it cannot be called a raging success when the best it has done so far is 4.5 million boardings a year when a justification of the dodgy business case was 6.3 million.

Third, at its best of 4.5 million boardings to date, the subsidy is just on $15 a boarding (less between $2.50 and $5 for a fare).

I am yet to hear an argument for light rail from the Public Transport Association other than it’s a great idea – like sliced bread and icecream.

Max Flint, co-ordinator, Smart Canberra Transport

‘Defensive’ Russell leaves me aghast

RUSSELL Wenholz’s defensive letter CN January 19 leaves me aghast. Russell, your initial letter was without doubt less than complimentary of CN letter-to-the-editor writers. What on earth did you expect?

Surely not silent submission with a thanksfor-the-lecture and for educating us and correcting the errors of our negligent editor (steady, fella – Ed)

I have used a “pen name” in this response to comply with your request that it would be nice to see letters from people you are not familiar with. As the saying goes “if it waddles, quacks and looks like” it’s probably a duck!

“Rufus McDuck” via email

(Editor’s note: in the spirit of good humour, I have allowed the nom de plume on this occasion.)

Does tradition count for nothing?

DISTURBING news coming out of Melbourne: Victorian racing authorities are considering moving the running of the WS Cox Plate from October to November – moving it from the weekend between the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup carnival. Does tradition count for nothing?

Are the Victorians reacting to NSW launching new events in the (mistaken) belief that increased prize money creates more exciting racing?

Already the time-honoured LKS Mackinnon Stakes, traditionally run on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, is now the Champions Stakes and run after the Cup.

Russell Wenholz, Holt

Write to Rebecca about killing ‘roos

Even after the fires in 2020, ACT government continued culling kangaroos. The killing continues annually.

Kangaroo numbers have been declining for years. Just take a walk on Farrer Ridge. The 185-hectare reserve should accommodate over a hundred, but you’ll be lucky to see a few because they got shot.

Last year Red Hill was a target and there are very few kangaroos to be seen. Not one reserve has high kangaroo numbers.

It’s only when species become extinct we regret our decision as humans to protect and co-exist with our magnificent wildlife.

Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti can and absolutely should stop the killing immediately. Write to her at vassarotti@act.gov.au

Alex Kuch, via email

TRANSIT lanes and bus rapid transit encourage car drivers to become public-transport passengers.

We can convert an existing traffic lane to a T3 or T2 transit lane for the cost of a few road signs.

The government estimated that stage one of bus rapid transit would cost $249 million, and would deliver $492 million worth of benefits, for a benefit-to-cost ratio of two. It estimates that stage two of light rail would cost at least $1.5 billion, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of only 0.6.

Population growth is the biggest cause of increases in Canberra’s transport emissions and traffic congestion. The second biggest cause is car passengers becoming car drivers.

Transit lanes encourage car drivers to become car passengers. Neither bus rapid transit nor light rail do that. Stage one of light rail failed to reduce the proportion of commuters who drive cars.

The proportion of Canberra commuters who travelled as car passengers fell from 9 per cent in 2011 to 7.3 per cent in 2016, and to 6.7 per cent in 2021. The proportion who drove cars increased from 73 per cent in 2011 to 74 per cent in 2016, and to 75 per cent in 2021.

Stage one of light rail also failed to reduce Canberra’s transport emissions – 2017-18 was the last complete financial year of all-bus local public transport and the ACT caused 1.06 million tonnes CO2-e of transport emissions. That was 2.5 tonnes per capita.

In the first complete financial year of bus and light rail (2019-20), transport emissions increased to 1.15 million tonnes. That was 2.7 tonnes per capita.

The government plans to transition to a fully electric bus fleet by 2040. We can bring forward that transition, and build bus rapid transit between Civic and Woden, for less than the cost of stage two of light rail.

I recently asked why the ACT Greens do not advocate for bus rapid transit. Greens MLA Jo Clay told me that the Greens were promoting transit lanes and bus rapid transit. I can’t find evidence to support that claim.

Leon Arundell was a Conservation Council board member between 2010 and 2016 and currently a member of the Conservation Council’s Transport Working Group.