Protect our morning chorus
SARAH Lloyd’s article should be a wakeup call to government to pay attention to the importance of birds in our landscape, and the biodiverse richness of the site in question (“Westbury bird haven worth saving,” Talking Point, July 1). With 32 birds, three on the endangered species list, it’s certainly a hotspot for bird life.
Monitoring throughout the state has shown that many once common birds are in decline. If you don’t think birds are important, think of insect control, pollination, seed spread, fertilisation, and rat, mice and rabbit control by raptors.
Birds do matter, we need them. How many of us enjoy the morning chorus of our feathered friends and the joy of seeing them in the wild? How many of these beautiful creatures are we prepared to keep sacrificing for development? Find a site on already degraded land for the prison and leave the Westbury reserve alone. Beris Hansberry Gould’s Country
Dad’s end-of-life choice
MIKE Gaffney’s decision to reintroduce legislation to allow voluntary assisted dying is needed. Death happens to us all, but the pain and suffering that occurs in the final stages of some lives is purely cruel, traumatic and not at all dignified.
To watch my father struggle to breathe through an airway that through his disease would only allow him to gag, wheeze and gasp, to be in unrelenting pain and not being able to move any distance without it being able to breathe was traumatic, undignified and the least compassionate thing I have ever been through.
Voluntary assisted dying is just that, voluntary. If it goes against your wishes, then you needn’t worry about it, it is a choice. Five months ago my father died, but I know it is a choice my father would have happily taken and he would have met every test, appointment and hurdle in front of him to be allowed the choice to die on his terms with his dignity and as he saw fit. His disease was traumatic for him and his family and he did not want but never had the choice not to inflict further trauma on us by watching him die the way he did. Assisted dying is a voluntary choice, but we should be given that choice. Tarra Downham Pontville
Where are tourism folk?
IF we have any hope of resurrecting our tourist sector we will need to cherish every skerrick of our precious heritage and allowing a century-old mansion in Fitzroy Place to be bulldozed and replaced by a contemporary structure is counterintuitive. Tourists come because they love the old houses and uniqueness. The really puzzling thing is why the Tourism Council and those who make a living from our natural and urban environments are conspicuous by their silence in these matters. Why do we not see Luke Martin or indeed a gaggle of Airbnb in front of buildings with blazing lights and cameras demanding protection? Why aren’t they yelling to the seagulls these buildings are important? Tourists will stop coming unless we offer something other than what they see at home. Sadly, I feel my voice and a snippet of my heart will likely crumble into the rubble and dust of the wrecker’s ball. Ian Broinowski Battery Point
Ancient forests
SENATOR Abetz said forests scheduled for logging by Sustainable Timber Tasmania as coupe EP021C is regrowth (Letters, July 2). The forests we camped in have eucalyptus trees that are hundreds of years old growing over an established rainforest canopy including ancient leatherwoods, celerytop pines and myrtles.
Before 2018 this forest was roadless. A small section has a handful of stumps from logging in the early 1900s, accessed by an old tramway, no comparison to intensive destruction. It is old growth according to government data. The Forest Practices Plan says up to 2000 Antarctica dixonia ferns will be cut. Some are hundreds of years old. There are spotted tailed quolls and Tasmanian devils. It is within 10km of critically endangered swift parrot. It’s time all native forest logging ended. All native forest logging, especially trees like ancient eucalyptus and rainforests in EP021C is damaging to climate and wildlife in a climate and biodiversity emergency. Jenny Weber Bob Brown Foundation
Supply cleaner coal
THERE’LL never be an effective energy policy until we include reliability in the mix. All intermittent generators, including domestic rooftop solar, must contribute their fair share to ensuring we have access to 24/7 electricity. We must also tell the IPCC we will include our contribution in reducing global emissions through supplying cleaner coal and gas to other countries irrespective of whether they’re incapable of figuring out how this can be done. Gordon Thurlow Launceston
Light up for bushwalkers
SEEING the Disappearing Tarn with the Mona beacon in the background made me think (Mercury, July 2). Why don’t we do this as standard practice when someone is lost? At least people would know to sit it out until the light appears at night or an overcast day then walk towards it. A pulsing beacon could be spotted through thick bush. As any bushwalker knows, you don’t cover much distance in a day so you wouldn't be all that far from help. Stephen Boyle Gravelly Beach