The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Bali has many in Australia very worried. If it gets into Australia, it could greatly damage our $80 billion agricultural industry. We are a big meat and livestock exporting country and our export markets could be slammed shut overnight if FMD is detected in any of our animals. But FMD doesn't transmit as easily as many people believe. It has been in Java since May and only found in Bali in July. That's two months before travelling to Bali. Why is that significant? We travel 6.5 hours in a controlled monitored scheduled airline flight to get to and from Bali. To travel between Java and Bali it is only a 45-minute ferry ride. I've been on that ferry myself and locals took their chooks, pigs, goats, cows and just about anything else they could drag onto the ferry with them. It was pretty well uncontrolled. Other smaller boats also traverse between Java and Bali regularly. If FMD took two months with that open border to get to Bali with proper vigilance and a bit of luck, we should be able to keep FMD out of Australia.
Peter Devey, Merewether
Who will win in Barilaro inquiry?
THE Barilaro inquiry into the New York Trade Commissioner position has rolled on now for a week or two at the expense of the taxpayers in NSW. At its conclusion, what will be the result? Nothing, absolutely nothing. The findings will be printed up on booklet form and presented to the Parliament. It will end up in the storage bin, along with all of the other useless reports and findings to gather dust. The inquiry committee will get a warm fuzzy feeling that they have scored political points, then nothing will happen until the next time, except the money could have been spent wisely instead of being wasted on a political witch hunt. Another job well done by our politicians. Have the decency to award the position to the well-qualified woman, originally promised the position, and let her get on with the job. After all, $900,000 has already been spent setting up the offices. Waste no more time and money.
Rob Bernasconi, Rankin Park
Trams get caught in the jams
HAVING had a few trips to Melbourne over the last year or so I have managed to spend some time riding the trams and trains. As we all know, much has been made of the trams and how good they are. Indeed light rail seems to be the flavour of the month. However, one thing I have noticed is that while light rail works well where streets are wide, it's a different matter where streets are narrow; the traffic blocks the trams.
When this happens, trams are a lot slower than they should be. Where possible, I prefer to use the trains; they're a lot faster. Indeed I have used suburban trains in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Auckland and Wellington as well as Melbourne. When travelling around cities I prefer to use trains where possible. They're faster than trams or buses and they carry more people. This is one of the reasons I have been so critical of the closure of the railway into Newcastle and putting the light rail in Hunter Street.
Much has been said about future light rail for Newcastle and surrounds. While light rail has its place, heavy rail needs to be seriously considered as well and as I have said many times before, where such lines will run needs to be determined by planners and engineers; those with qualifications and experience; not by politicians or developers.
Peter Sansom, Kahibah
Choose optimism and take action
AS we absorb the devastating reality of the 'poor' and 'deteriorating' "State of the Environment", I note a lot of despair, anger, blame, and negativity on the letters page, (Letters 22/7).
It is, of course, appropriate to be deeply saddened by the news of terrible environmental decline. We are also justified in our outrage at relative governmental and corporate inaction. But, if we are to create a sustainable future we can be proud of, despair is not an option. We must instead choose optimism and action. As many policy experts like Saul Griffith, and groups like Deloitte Access Economics now report, the technology is available and the economics of decarbonisation is finally stacking up. This is the moment to reverse the trend of environmental decline. Each of us can play our part by engaging with solutions. In the words of Jane Goodall: "Together we can. Together we will."
Amy Hiller, Kew
We owe more to the environment
RECENT letters ("Plenty of blame for state of the environment" and "We have scoured wide brown land", Letters, 22/7), in response to the State of the Environment report raise valid concerns about our obsession with wealth creation, the enormous wildlife slaughter wrought by cats and dogs, both feral and domestic, and the destruction of native habitats and ecosystems by excessive land clearing (although I would dispute the claim by the last correspondent that our First Nations people were "hunter-gatherers" - they also practised agriculture and animal husbandry).
Underpinning the contributions from these correspondents is the acknowledgment that we humans, as the dominant species, have an ethical and moral obligation to act in a manner that does not endanger those with whom we share our country - the flora and fauna, and the land itself.
While it is yet to properly address the wanton destruction of life and ecosystems in Australia, the new Australian government has acknowledged our obligation to take account of the effect that our use and sale of fossil fuels is having on our Pacific neighbours. Unfortunately this acknowledgment has come so late that any actions that we now take to aid Pacific nations will likely be viewed by the Australian people and the rest of the world as Australia acting in its own strategic interest - to shore up our defences against an assertive China - rather than as an ethical global citizen.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
The dangers may be overstated
A LETTER writer claims wind and solar energy are infinitely safe and reliable, as in a comparison to nuclear energy, ("Nuclear option is a limited one", Letters, 22/7).
Yes, they are when they work, but not when they don't. How safe is an electric train that runs out of power that has electric brakes or traffic lights that stop working? Even the lifts in high-rise residential buildings create a dangerous situation when not working, not everyone can walk down a fire escape. All this danger and unreliability would be non-existent with nuclear energy, the USA, France and Great Britain to name just a few, wouldn't have thousands of warships with nuclear reactors if it wasn't safe and reliable.
I reckon it's time Australia stepped into the 21st century, used a bit of common sense and looked ahead rather than looking behind. For too long Australia has dwelt on the past, maybe it's time to just move on and accept the many benefits of nuclear energy.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
SHORT TAKES
ANOTHER game, another HIA. Kalyn, as much as I like watching you play with the Knights. (We won't talk about State of Origin). I for one don't want to see you ruining your future. Mate, look after yourself and take a break if required. I personally can wait until 2023 to see you run onto McDonald Jones Stadium once again. I'm only the voice of a Knights ardent supporter, but mate you will have a life after football and you and only you can ensure you have a great life.
Wal Remington, Mount Hutton
ADZ Carter, evidence must be produced before the Public Prosecutor will act. ICAC is the only means we have to produce that evidence against corrupt politicians, (Short Takes, 23/7). Remain negative; we just may get an outcome.
Gary Hayward, Cardiff
DID the Knights have Friday on their mind when they played the Roosters or was that just a song for the Easybeats?
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
ALLEN Small, (Short Takes, 22/7), at least Mr Albanese was "jetting off" to Europe for business, not pleasure. Plus if you're criticising Mr Albanese for one instance of photo shoots, then you've probably forgotten all about Mr Morrison's countless tax payer funded photo shoots, all in the name of PR.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
THE more we learn about the secret dealings of the former PM Scott Morrison and his desperate government, such as deliberately publicising via text message the interception of a boat of asylum seekers on Election Day, the more relieved we are to see the back of him and his cohort.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
MIDNIGHT Oil's 10987654321 album is 40 years old this year. I rate it as the greatest Australian album of all time and four decades on, the question is still yet to be answered; who's running the world today? We were lucky enough to see the Oils in Adelaide this year and at WOMADelaide festival last year. Still the greatest live act in the world. Martin Rotsey the magnificent is still using his first Fender; the white knight of rock. Cheers Martin.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
ONE correspondent wrote, ("Problems beyond power switch", Letters, 23/7), that he saw a photograph of dozens of dumped electric vehicles that were going to be trashed. This is wrong: the vehicles were owned by a hire-car company, and they were being stored between contract renewals. Major car manufacturers who have agreed to cease making petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 include Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Jaguar.
David Rose, Hamilton
GREAT thoughts from Ian Kirkwood, ("Why dredge the sea when it's on the dunes?", Opinion, 23/7). Stockton's erosion can be easily fixed by moving the "spoil" ground north of the harbour's mouth.
Rick Banyard, Maryville
ME needs me turf to compliment me surf. I really hope foot and mouth don't shut down the meat industry.
