Little sign of Huon Valley boost

THE January bushfires caused big damage to Huon Valley properties, and many local businesses went backwards when tourism stopped.

Our biggest visitor attraction, the Tahune Airwalk usually draws about 80,000 visitors each year, but was damaged by the fires, was forced to close for repairs, and is still out of action. Good news came from the federal and state governments, who tipped in a welcome $2 million to help kickstart the local economy, and to attract visitors back to the valley. But it is now mid November and sadly there has been no boost to our economy so far, nor any increase in tourist numbers. In fact, the official Tourism Tasmania figures show that across the Huon Valley, the number of visitors is less than half what it was in 2018. Christmas is fast approaching, but no one in the community seems to have any idea of what is happening, or when it will commence. Whatever happened to openness and transparency at our council? Stan Armstrong Cygnet

Inundated with pills

GOLLY, Robert Waterman (“Festival deaths rare”, Letters, November 22), we must live on different planets. I have been attending music festivals with my children and others for the past 14 years and I can say with absolute certainty and sadness that (supposed) “ecstasy” use has increased exponentially in that time. Pills are relatively cheap, easily concealed and absolutely unregulated.

I’m not promoting pill taking; the idea of ingesting a completely unknown substance reported to be something it almost certainly isn’t, seems like the silliest thing anyone could choose to do but they absolutely do. I’m just making the point that these young adults who go to festivals (or out on the town, or private parties) are inundated with supply options of completely unknown pills and their propensity to experiment and push boundaries, combined with relatively unlimited access means they will and do consume pills of unknown origin and composition. There is a mountain of evidence that pill testing works.

Talk to parents of children and teenagers who have chosen to experiment with drugs and endured catastrophic consequences and then lecture them about secret strategies to undermine the fabric of society. Pill testing is what it is; a basic indicator of safety without any guarantees but it is better than nothing and nothing is what is currently in place. Prohibition is pointless and education, while wonderful in theory, doesn’t seem to have had any real impact on either supply or demand. Again, I am not promoting pill or drug use; it is clearly not a good choice but from a harm minimisation perspective, pill testing, should be considered as part of a strategy to minimise harm. Mike Radburn Leslie Vale

Cats have real impact

PAUL Calvert-Smith’s cat advocacy (“Cats keep mice down”, Letters, November 23) is startlingly misguided. No, we don’t want a return of bubonic plague and yes cats do kill rabbits rats and mice. However our health and hygiene systems have developed slightly since the 14th century and cane toads have shown us the folly of introducing one non-native animal to destroy another.

To claim that “there are no native species under direct threat from cats” in Tasmania is just wrong.

The Biosecurity Tasmania publication, Cats and Wildlife states: “Cats have been shown to prey on at least 400 species of native and introduced invertebrates in Australia including 123 birds, 157 reptiles 58 marsupials, 27 rodents and 21 frogs. As predators cats are very efficient hunters of Tasmanian wildlife. Tasmania’s wildlife evolved in an environment that did not include cats. The relatively recent introduction of cats … has altered the natural balance.”

This impact is even more marked in a state without the competition of foxes.

In Australia, cats are listed as a potential threat to the survival of at least 35 bird species, 36 mammal species, seven reptile species and 3 amphibian species. Cats have played a key role in the extinction of at least 20 Australian mammal species.

On average a pet cat kills 16 mammals, eight birds and eight reptiles a year. Wikipedia tells me there are now an estimated 2.7 million domestic cats and between 2.1 and 6.3 million feral cats in Australia. Do the maths.

This does not even take into account the role cats play in transmitting the infection toxoplasmosis, which kills wildlife, causes miscarriages in sheep and can infect humans, causing miscarriage and brain, eye and lung infection. They are also known to be a host for sarcosystitis parasite which infects stock, reducing meat quality and impacting farmers’ livelihoods.

If you own a cat please desex it, bell it and prevent it from roaming. Nola Errey Dunalley

Leatherwood concern

I WAS talking to a beekeeper recently about the scarcity of leatherwood honey and was astounded to learn that it is common forestry practice to destroy leatherwood trees in order to gain access to more desirable timbers. I find this wanton destruction of such a valuable resource incomprehensible especially as it is already under threat from drought and fire. Is this standard forestry practice? Are leatherwoods replanted? I look forward to a response for Sustainable Timber Tasmania justifying this vandalism. Julie Macdonald Howrah

Clarification

IT was reported in the Sunday Tasmanian that Hobart police officer Matthew Duncan pleaded guilty to a charge of negligent driving. It has since been clarified that the Hobart Magistrates Court had an “incident” with Duncan’s file, meaning incorrect information was passed on to our reporter. In fact, Duncan pleaded guilty to the alternative, lesser charge of driving without due care and attention.