Mercury (Hobart)

Save city’s history and beauty

DEVELOPMEN­T

- Les Jackson Bellerive Sam Carter Dromedary Sally Wayte West Hobart Ed Sianski West Moonah Robert Gibson Mt Stuart Andrew Hejtmanek Howden Walter Christy Shearwater Peter Aris St Helens Ron Sanderson Dodges Ferry Mark Mifsud Goodwood

CONGRATULA­TIONS Bridget Landrell (“Wrong city for tower blocks”, Letters, August 2). Not only do we suffer the autocracy of council members representi­ng apartment block monstrosit­ies, but it would seem designers of ugly, shadowy suspended walkways.

It is imperative that blocks and towers be opposed and stopped in the city heritage zone. Stand by Tasmania, stand by Australia and save the irreplacea­ble history and beauty of Hobart. er Highway at the existing junction. This will save millions and time to the city. That way we can keep the old historic bridge, just as London still has the old Tower Bridge.

Keep heritage buildings

DON’T tear down our heritage buildings! The council should be ashamed of themselves. Regarding the demolition of the former Rebels bikie clubhouse, how is the fact that it has been a bikie clubhouse in its recent history any excuse to demolish it? Or as the developer points out, the fact that it was a morgue before then?

These are pathetic excuses to demolish a pleasant part of North Hobart for the sake of this developer to do as he pleases with a little part our city. If those were good enough reasons to demolish the building, surely they were good reasons to let someone else buy it.

The Hobart City Council has been far too generous with our heritage buildings in recent history. I would personally love to see the council have more regard for our history and legacy. Alderman Simon Behrakis presumably thinks that because the building has housed some questionab­le people, it no longer has historic value. And to suggest it will make way for much needed housing is a major cop out.

Cable car not cheap

GLEN Woolley baulks at a $40 bus fare to get to the summit of kunanyi, and looks forward to the cable car (Letters, July 20). Has he heard that the proposed family fee for the cable car is $64? The cable car is aimed at the mass tourism market, not at locals.

All tied up

A CABLE car fixed to Mt Wellington/kunanyi would be reminiscen­t of the famed Gulliver’s plight who, after being washed ashore, is tied down by ecological­ly challenged Lilliputia­ns.

Voters have spoken

ALDERMAN Simon Behrakis should beware of quoting figures. I think he’ll find that the number of people who elected to give him a seat at the Hobart City Council table was far, far smaller than the number who participat­ed in the recent building height limits elector poll. He, of all people, ought not to be querying voter turnout.

Master plan first

SPEAKER Sue Hickey called for calm in respect of the fast-track rezoning of 68ha in Huntingfie­ld, noting that the government’s “master plan” hadn’t been completed ( Mercury, July 27).

Surely the rezoning should happen after a master plan for Greater Hobart is complete, particular­ly given the other 600 houses that are being built across the road. The people of Hobart may be more impressed with a government that plans properly than one that takes action without consultati­on.

Manufactur­e in Australia

IT is wrong for China to send back recycling rubbish when most of it was manufactur­ed in China and most is of poor quality. It is about time we cut most of the products made in China and manufactur­e in our own country.

Pill testing nonsense

DRUG addicts are creating a mental health crisis in this country. This in turn is producing people who are a danger to us on the roads and in society through criminal acts to feed their habit. This needs to be tackled aggressive­ly by law enforcemen­t to contain this scourge to society. Pill testing is nonsense. Instead of coddling potential criminals, take them out of circulatio­n and make us all safer.

Fair go for Mounties

I WAS born and raised in Manitoba, Canada and can say that the RCMP (Mounties) are very well respected there. I was disappoint­ed in the story a few days ago with the heading something like “Mounties lost their men” ( Mercury, July 31). These were local police, not Mounties. I’m sure other Canadians living here would have felt the same way.

Not that hard to pick up

AS I was walking to the shop there were two half-full stubbies in the gutter. After picking them up and putting them in the recycle bin, I wondered how easy was that. If everybody picked up a bit of rubbish the hard working council workers could be doing other things to help people, but don’t hold your breath.

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