Opinion
29 October, 2021
Letters and Texts to the Editor Friday October 29
A selection of the texts and letters to the editor this week
TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TREE
Editor you might have lost Mr JHM over the missing Super Quiz in your FREE paper, but you have gained a lot of readers because you’re not afraid to tell it as it is, i.e. the CRC proposed removal of the tree in front of the Cairns Library. Govt Departments including Councils, know when to put it in reverse gear especially when public opinion goes against then. What tree??
DON, EARLVILLE
A dead or dying tree in the CBD. Looks pretty lush and green to me. Safety fenced so falling ‘dead’ branches do not harm the public.... Can Council advise as to how many branches have fallen from the tree in the past 12 months?
I have never seen a branch on the ground under the tree.
MILTON J, North Cairns
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Council still persists with their line, we need to spend $200 million plus on infrastructure, but they have ZERO policy on water conservation.
Check out their website. The official Water Conservation Policy for Cairns Council was due for revision in July 2013. It is 8 years out of date.
Just like this Council is living in the past and out of date.
Where is your current policy on Water Conservation? Oh... policy is to build more infrastructure rather than use resources wisely.
Short term goals. Leave it to a future council to encourage or mandate for water conservation.
Sorry Bob, massive fail here.
PETER, Bungalow
NEGATIVE COVERAGE OF VACCINATIONS
I think a lot more of the population would probably ‘get the jab’ if what they had shown on TV was not so negative. They show a huge great syringe slowly piercing the skin (so slow it shows a ‘crater’) and then takes forever to empty the damn thing, and that is not how it is. It’s actually a small needle and its ‘in the arm and out again in seconds’ with no more than a pin prick. Go get the jab.
NOEL, Cairns
UNITY DOMINATION IS UNDER THREAT
Good to see the Committee structure of Cairns Council abolished. Its about time we had true democracy. Cr Olds is rught, there are 10 elected representatives and Council business should be governed by all elected representatives. Good to see Max and Amy stand up to the little master and vote to abolish the committee structure.
NICO, Mt Sheridan
CASHIER JOBS
On supermarket cashier jobs, I am not a fan of self-service checkouts, also I prefer to shop at my local independent supermarket, they know me by name and they look after me giving more personal service & they don’t have self-service checkouts & not likely to get them in the near future (I hope).
BEN, Babinda
HOW DID I GET HERE?
After visiting your lovely botanical Gardens I left, I had to turn left and then I took the first right no U-turn for me, had to drive all the way out to the airport. I could’ve gone down Lake Street but there was no right hand turn there so I had to go all the way out to the airport to the roundabout and come back into Lakeside to get to the city why is there no U-turn permitted sign at the first intersection or a right hand turn into Lake Street maybe there should be more signage.
VISITOR, Brisbane
GAY PRIDE
Great to hear CRC is acknowledging the Gay Pride Festival by having a rainbow-coloured crossing in the CBD but why not make it a permanent fixture rather than just for a few days. We have such a wonderful diverse community all treating each other with much respect and kindness every day.
Permanent rainbow and ochre crossings would show the world how special and understanding we in Cairns are.
HALINA, Bayview Height
A BETTER ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN
We need to focus on feasible solutions.
But first, three highly unfeasible ones
1. Cheap nuclear fission power: Why? For 70 years it’s always been triple the price of coal.
2. Carbon capture and storage: Why? For 25 years it’s never been achieved.
3. LNP leopard changes its spots: Why? After Howard they have been captured by coal interests.
A feasible timeline.
2022 - Change of government
2025 - 90% of Commonwealth funded cars to be electric.
All domestic gas consumption and air transportation to be offset by tree planting and carbon soil sequestration,
2030 - 50% of electricity to be from renewables.
Achieve 35% CO2 reduction.
Green cement production (Roman-era technology) demonstrated in Australia.
2035 - Wind/wave/photovoltaic/solar thermal/geothermal equipment to be made entirely in Australia.
Achieve 50% CO2 reduction.
Green steel (hydrogen) plant demonstrated in Australia.
All cement in Australia produced from green cement factories.
2040 - Achieve 70% CO2 reduction.
Green hydrogen/ammonium exports match coal exports.
90% of buildings to be 7-star energy efficiency rated.
All steel production from green hydrogen.
2050 - Net zero achieved.
Green hydrogen/ammonium exports completely replace coal.
Nuclear fusion feasibility demonstrated.
SEAN M, Cairns
