CUT THE CRAP, BUILD A BETTER LOOKING GEELONG

TO all citizens of Geelong, can I quote several statements from a recent edition of the Age newspaper? “Deputy lord mayor Nicholas Reece to declare that Melbourne has allowed too many “crap” buildings.

“Ordinary citizens get fobbed off with the usual box-ticking community consultation when there should be deep engagement putting the needs of the community past, present and future equal to the short-term profit motive of developers.”

Is Geelong going to be the next city that allows developers to build “crap” buildings?

I note that another predominant piece of inner city land has been bought by developers to build a 12-storey office block.

Will CoGG enforce a 6-star rated green aesthetically pleasing tower, or roll over and let developers construct another fourwalled glass tower that does nothing for our picturesque city? Will Geelong be a city full of “crap” multistorey developments or a city that is a world leader in design and functionality and not held to ransom for “the short term profit of developers”?

Why can’t CoGG be a front runner, a world leader in delivering buildings that enhance the surroundings of a beautiful city that Geelong is?

John Anderson, Belmont

NEW ENERGY WILL COME AT A GREATER COST

JEREMY Calles (GA 21/10) informs us that our own Viva oil refinery, as one of only two in Australia, tells us that “energy investment tides are turning” towards renewables .

First, any “turning” is towards the huge lower cost Singapore refineries which supply our eager consumers more cheaply than small Australian refineries.

Second, renewable power is expensive and unreliable.

While petrol is heavily taxed, wind power is subsidised and usable only if enormous urban space is occupied by battery charging stations, and roads are clogged with queuing waiting vehicles.

Should the revenue gap between the taxes on the one hand and the subsidies on the other be met at the cost of health, education or all three?

John Calvert, Geelong