Plea for a meeting of minds

THE world is still a beautiful place, in spite of the wanton destruction meted out to it. And the human soul feels a direct response to its aesthetics and nature — to which one can add the wonder and diversity of the animal kingdom. I bring these points to bear in my concern over the recent ‘gaffe’ by Sustainable Timber Tasmania in felling swift parrot habitat at Tylers Hill, near Dover. It seems unimaginable that forestry administrators could overlook mapping coordinates that would have alerted field operators to this endangered swift parrot area. With the swift parrot and the orange-bellied parrot having such a precarious hold on existence; it would seem an imperative for all the proponents (from the Environment Minister down) to convene a meeting of minds to put in place unequivocal measures, so everyone involved is clear on compliances and principles of safety and protection for these creatures. In a shrinking world of animal diversity, it would be a calamity and a dire abrogation of responsibility to do other than provide for the total guardianship of this species, statewide. Anything less spells out but the word extinction, which equates to gone forever. off. We need a government that can manage development without ruining our landscape, one that can protect our uniqueness for generations. We don’t want to turn into another Disneyland.

Clogging up city

I AM aware that most of the STEM buildings at the UTAS Sandy Bay campus are reaching the end of their physical life, but why not rebuild on the sports grounds, and when the STEM buildings are replaced, rebuild the sports grounds where these buildings once stood. I dread the thought that the centre of Hobart will become clogged up with university students (and staff) and their cars. I am sure many mainland universities are envious of our Sandy Bay campus. Let’s celebrate it. It’s only five minutes from the city tion, with Federal’s gambling monopoly deed due to expire in the next term of the Parliament. This election will be the first time Tasmanians have a real say at the ballot box on removing poker machines from pubs and clubs. Over the past 20 years, Labor and the Liberals have taken more than $300,000 from Federal Hotels and their associated entities. This is a transfer of money from some of our poorest people to the old parties via poker machines. These donations have locked in the status quo and the social harm caused by pokies over decades. If Ms White and her team are serious about dealing with the issue of corporate donations, they will be open with the people about where the campaign money is coming from at this election, and they will refuse to take a cent from the purveyors of human misery who own every poker machine in the state.