Elegant introduction to Hobart

BRIDGE OF REMEMBRANCE

THERE seems to be a gap in people’s understanding of the new pedestrian bridge linking the Domain to the Cenotaph. I think the drawings of the design show it will be an extremely elegant addition to Hobart’s townscape. And what most people may not know is that it was designed by a local lad, Adrian FitzGerald, who is now a director of one the country’s finest architectural firms, DCM, who have won awards all over the world for their innovative work, including the Australian embassies in Tokyo, Jakarta and Beijing and the gateway sculptures on the Tullamarine Freeway. At least wait until it has been completed before making pronouncements about its virtues.

As to the cost, this is at the main entry to Hobart, particularly for visitors coming from the airport. Surely such a location warrants something more than a prosaic, cheap solution to a piece of much-needed civic infrastructure.

Love of concrete

“THE one that snuck past” and other letters about this monstrosity (Letters, September 26) show Hobart City Council has no regard for ratepayer (and other Tasmanians’) concerns. Councils in general and certainly HCC of late just love concrete. Just look at Salamanca and the wharf area, total concrete with parking meters for revenue. Concrete structure gives them somewhere to put a bronze plaque commemorating an opening by some pompous councillor infatuated by his or her importance. This Bridge of Remembrance will be remembered as the Bridge of Council Fools. How sad for Hobart, it will re- main another local government blot on our city. Local government is the curse of Tasmania and needs to be reformed.

Mad dashes

IT would have been more help to people of New Town and surrounds being able to access the Queens Domain in particular Soldiers Memorial Walk across the Brooker Highway at Clearys Gates, where there are mad dashes across four busy lanes which is bordering on the extremely dangerous.

Tourist icon

TYPICAL, more anti-development by whingeing critics over the pedestrian bridge across the Tasman Highway to the Cenotaph. Their selfish attitude is denying a safe walkway for infirm people who wish to visit the Cenotaph without the risk of Kenneth Hayne hands down banking royal commission interim report Yes, a few politicians left with egg on their face, including the former pm and the current one. Enough said there I think. Also asic is not worth 2 bob. being flattened while trying to cross the busy highway. The bridge is a necessity and will become a tourist icon. Maybe it should be called the wailing bridge so critics can go there once a week to lament over something they dislike.

Flight parrot path

I WAS somewhat dismayed to read adverse comments about the new access bridge to the Cenotaph. It would seem to address most of the criteria for Hobart: it can’t be seen from Battery Point, it won’t make a droning noise, it’s apparently not on the flight path of any of our parrot species, it’s a good distance away from any handfish, it’s not too high, doesn’t reach the top of Mt Wellington and although it’s not built from hand made bricks and doesn’t have a slate roof it seems to have made most of the people happy for at least some of the time.

Real world

COME back to the real world Tasmania. Ban 1080 poison.

Specialist advice

HOW lovely to read of the emergency specialists calling for more collaboration and less criticism to fix the problem ( Mercury, September 15). And “we all know what the problems are, let’s try to work together to get some solutions in place”. Noisy accusations only make collaboration harder. Well done ED specialists.