Selfish few need to gain perspective
THE burst water pipe in Glenorchy on Friday evening may have caused a little inconvenience to many residents of the Glenorchy and West Moonah areas but it certainly brought out the worst in a selfish few who would rather complain than take the time to thank those who saved a home from being flooded and repaired the pipe in good time despite the atrocious conditions (Sunday Tasmanian, May 8).
Some people need to get over themselves and become a little more self reliant when these situations occur.
Well done to the SES crews involved and Tas Water workforce who carried out the repairs.
Randall Corney Acton Park
FAILURE TO PREVENT FLOOD
WHAT a terrible mess was caused to several premises in Main Rd and Cooper St, Glenorchy on Thursday night, May 12, flooding premises after the overnight rain.
The cause of the flooding was the build-up of a large amount of wet autumn leaves totally blocking the drains.
This build-up of leaves were washed into the already full drains blocking the whole system. Businesses in the area copped the excess of the water causing them to shut their doors to do the major clean-up.
Had the Glenorchy City Council kept up with the mass of leaves regularly being cleaned up in this area and others, this would not have happened.
We pay top rates, it is the least they could do.
Di Manser Austins Ferry
NO COMFORT IN RESPONSE
NOT only does it appear councils seem not to take any preventive storm water work (Letters, May 9) as far as the
stretch of Sandy Bay Rd where I live and properties that were severely damaged in the storm of May 2018, some having endured many months of repairs, the Hobart City Council has yet to undertake any mitigation work at all.
I contacted the council in January 2021 and not only has nothing been done, there appears not to be any signed off work orders.
It appears this inactivity of the council is based on the belief a repeat of the 2018 event was a low probability and as long as we keep the crossings to our properties clean we should have no concerns for similar damage.
Their statistics and response are of little comfort.
What the council knows is that there are insignificant gutter grates and the
storm water mains are inadequate and, after four years nothing has been done. This is far from being satisfactory and ratepayers should be better served. Christopher Scott Sandy Bay
OUR FUTURE AT STAKE
SCIENTISTS have warned us that we have only a decade to get our house in order if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Ten short years. That makes this election extremely important.
For a safe, liveable future, we must hold global warming to 1.5C.
So how do the political parties stack up with their proposed climate policies? The Coalition is pursing 26-28 per cent emissions reduction by 2030, based on 2005 levels. If all other national governments took a similar level of action, Earth would reach at least 3C of warming, bordering on 4C. This would be catastrophic. That would mean the total destruction of all tropical reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef.
Intense heatwaves over land that currently occur about once a decade could happen almost every other year.
Labor’s target of 43 per cent emissions cut by 2030, from 2005 levels, is in line with 2C of global warming.
That means it’s not consistent with the Paris Agreement.
Under 2C of warming, we would still lose the Great Barrier Reef and extreme heat events that currently happen once a decade could occur about every three to four years.
‘Teal’ independents are a group of pro-climate independent candidates.
Most prominent is Warringah MP Zali Steggall, whose climate change Bill proposes a 2030 target of 60 per cent below 2005 levels.
Most climate policies of the “teals” are generally in line with the Steggall Bill and are consistent with 1.5C of warming, and so, compatible with the Paris Agreement.
The Greens offer the strongest climate policies at this election, their target of a 74 per cent cut by 2030, based on 2005 levels, is most comfortably consistent with keeping warming below 1.5C and averting significant devastation – for example, allowing parts of Great Barrier Reef reefs to survive.
The onus is on the next parliament to protect Australians from climate catastrophe.
On May 21, Australian voters have a chance to send a clear message about the kind of world we want to leave for future generations.
Tony Fontes Jubilee Pocket