Kangaroo Bay
Not in my front yard
JAN Smith’s comment (Letters, June 24) regarding approval of the Kangaroo Bay development is naive in the extreme. The Cambridge Road development is not “NIMBY”. It is in our front yard ruining one of the most stunning outlooks in the state. Has Jan even bothered looking at the plans? The residents did not “miss it”, this development was covered in a cone of silence by the council and the State Government for 18 months before the development was lodged. If you are that enamoured with this development you should be lobbying to build it on Blackmans Bay Beach. According to Mayor Doug Chipman as you do not live in Bellerive, or for that matter the Clarence municipality, your opinion is irrelevant. As far as the letter from David Blackburn (June 24) goes, this smacks of Doug Chipman writing under an assumed name. If this person was actually at the meeting, did he not hear every speaker say they were not opposed to development at the Kangaroo Bay site but the 20m high, 83m long Cambridge Rd development is totally out of character for the area. I am constantly amazed at the development-at-any-cost brigade. “Go big or go home” just doesn’t cut it in this instance. If that is the mantra of Jan Smith and David Blackburn, do us a favour and move to Sydney. themercury.com.au readers have a new way to have their say. It’s free to use, just register and have your say. For more details and to register, visit the website. WHEN did councillors stop acting for their ratepayers? Many residents of Bellerive are made unhappy by yet another illconsidered decision by our council to allow an unnecessary building and its height variations in such a valued area.
I applaud most of the redevelopment of Kangaroo Bay but the approved building is so out of touch. The process lacks social acceptance by many ratepayers. They change legislation, do things quickly and at inopportune times and then wonder why? They clearly have no understanding of the Bellerive community, where many are fed up arguing with an unresponsive council. Then, as defenders of our community, we are seen as the problem. The Mayor won’t even walk the beach because he has so many questions posed to him. Of course others will sign a petition, it’s a popular photographed vista of Hobart and kunyani with the yachts in the background from Cambridge Rd. However to give away the water front crown land is unforgivable.
Did the maths
IT seems to me the only difference between the Hobart City Council raising rates by CPI and the chosen figure of 3.25 per cent is the gift to be given to Myer of $875,000.
Elderly forgotten
WE could not put our hard-earned savings in superannuation and pay no tax (too old, over 70). We can’t have free shingles injections (too old, over 75). We can’t have euthanasia. Who cares about the aged?
Prices rising
WHY does our Premier say on radio that the Liberal Government is going to cap power prices at a saving of $300 per household a year when I read in last week’s Mercury that power prices are going to increase by $72 per year for each household as from July 1. Get it right.