Big SUVs are here to stay. We only have one choice

Sigh of reduction
A blow for sanity. We are able to all breathe a sigh of reduction now that the state authorities has signalled acceptance of the choice of Surroundings Minister Tanya Plibersek to reject approval for the Victorian Renewable Power Terminal at Hastings (“Victoria’s power transition in strife as ‘important’ offshore wind hub refused”, 8/1.) Certainly it’s bewildering that the state, which owns the port, even thought of the proposal on the internationally recognised Western Port Ramsar Wetland.
Brian Marshall, Ashburton

Contemporary issues
It was unhappy to learn that Surroundings Minister Tanya Plibersek has rejected the Victorian authorities’s plan for a wind farm hub on the Port of Hastings on environmental grounds. It’s nice she is worried about native chicken, marine and vegetation however the place was this concern when she authorised 4 new coal mines, one in all which threatens to make the uncommon Delma legless lizard extinct. The proof is properly and actually in that coal threatens life on planet earth and we’re on the sting of extinction however that doesn’t hassle the environment minister.
Rohan Wightman, McKenzie Hill

Go west
The Surroundings Minister Tanya Plibersek has rightly kiboshed the enlargement of the Port of Hastings to cater for the development of offshore wind farm parts for the proposed wind farm off Golden Seaside. Western Port is shallow and the wetland setting is fragile. Native sentiment appears largely against the enlargement.
An alternate could be to fabricate the parts at Portland. It has a wonderful deep water port, an aluminium refinery and a producing base with a talented workforce. Keppel Prince has been constructing wind farm towers for years at Portland. The ocean distance to Golden Seaside is longer however an offshore wind farm shall be constructed within the shallower waters off Portland as there are already approvals.
Ken Rivett, Ferntree Gully

New alternatives
If El Nino means a warmer summer time, why are we getting all this rain? (“State drenched, however extra rain is on the way in which”, 9/1) The reply is straightforward – as world atmospheric temperatures rise, the ocean temperatures rise additionally. Meaning extra evaporation. The elevated evaporation rises, types clouds and ultimately falls as rain someplace. Extra rain is dangerous information for flood-prone communities like Rochester however might be nice information for presently arid areas of Australia, southern North America, Africa and the Center East. What ahead pondering governments must do is construct water infrastructure to seize the upper rainfall and to redirect the water to the place it may be of profit, not hurt.
Daniel Cole, St Albans

Water course
The Flemington Racecourse was a pure flood zone for the Maribyrnong River earlier than the wall was constructed. The federal government ought to chunk the bullet and drive the racecourse to hole out the massive centre part and use it as a flood mitigation dam. Any water collected might be used to water the course, notably in summer time. It might be made into a lovely wetland space, a win-win.
Paul Chivers, Field Hill North

Sandbaggers
But once more we’re filling sandbags after the rivers rise. Little question most shall be single use and the identical will occur subsequent time. Why is the state authorities not in a position to organize to have reusable sandbags crammed within the non-flooding occasions, retailer them at logical locations and have them prepared to be used when a flood is forecast?
Michael Pitcher, Richmond

Large and powerless
Who would have Anthony Blinken’s job? The world’s strongest diplomat and I consider a superb man. Cosying as much as the bit gamers, shunned by some and ignored by the one particular person liable for conducting the Gaza conflict whereas the demise toll rises.
The US is falling between two posts, in peril of dropping its standing because the free world’s policeman and arbiter as it’s powerless to regulate its shopper state Israel. But it’s nonetheless defending it within the UN and fulfilling its navy want lists.
Roger Holdway, Sorrento

Intractable battle
Ray Bassett describes eloquently the method that started in Eire in 1993 to ultimately carry a decision to that apparently intractable battle (“Irish lesson offers hope to Gaza”, 8/1). In the identical yr, 1993, the Oslo peace accords introduced hope for the beginning of the same course of in Israel/Palestine. Sadly, because the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, Israel has actively undermined that nascent peace course of. Since 2007, it has cultivated Hamas as a counterbalance to the Palestinian Authority, to apparently guarantee a two-state answer might by no means be achieved. Solely when Israel is pressured to the negotiating desk by america and its allies (together with Australia) will a peace course of once more start.
Richard Barnes, Canterbury

Looking for peace
Your correspondent’s phrases “if Usman Khawaja is after peace, human rights, freedom and equality he’s higher off dwelling on Mars, as a result of he certainly gained’t discover them right here” (Letters, 9/1) call to mind Robert Browning’s various view: “a person’s attain ought to exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” For regardless of the usually horrendous enormity of the chances stacked in opposition to all that’s good, true and proper, our world wants those that have the imaginative and prescient, the perseverance, the heart and the defiance to attempt and battle for such ends. In any other case we’re accepting hell on earth.
Deborah Morrison, Malvern East

Beneath the grade
Millie Muroi is spot on when, recounting her experiences at each personal and public colleges (“Public colleges fail the toast take a look at”, 9/1) she concludes that “there’s inequality inside and past the education system, which we have to tackle if we would like children to succeed in their potential”. A decade on from Gonski, which aimed to ship that better equality “greater than 98 per cent of public colleges are nonetheless funded beneath the Education Assets Normal it beneficial, whereas 98 per cent of personal colleges are funded above it” (“Prime state colleges defy the funding hole”, 18/12).
Such disparity just isn’t tolerated in any comparable nation. Till politicians have the desire and the braveness to alter that system, our fantastic public colleges that educate the vast majority of our kids and settle for college students of all backgrounds, shall be at an obstacle.
Anne Sgro, Coburg North

Paying on the pump
Merry Christmas and a Completely happy New Yr from our loving oil corporations. Not solely did pump costs rise 30+ cents/litre simply earlier than Christmas (a part of the traditional worth cycle, their phrases not mine), however the distinction between 91 and 95-rated gas elevated 2c/l to 17c/l . Nice timing, hidden behind the simultaneous monumental worth hike. This distinction between 91 and 95-rating gas began at 10c/l and has steadily risen since then.
Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont

Missing adaptability
I learn of the highway toll climbing greater annually. On Monday, throughout the torrential rain storm, I used to be driving from Sorrento to Melbourne on the Peninsula Hyperlink and M1 freeways. Though the white strains on the highway had been barely seen within the downpour, the pace restrict indicators nonetheless learn 100.
Absolutely, with highway surveillance cameras in place and, presumably, operators monitoring the site visitors, why would they not decrease the restrict to 80? Many drivers weren’t adjusting their driving to the circumstances and plenty of didn’t even have their headlights on. Wouldn’t it make sense to regulate the pace limits to the climate and highway circumstances for the protection of all?
Wendy Daniels, Hawthorn

Historical past masterclass
I ignore reviews about rugby in both of its types except they arrive within the type of a sports activities historical past masterclass from the appositely named Roy Masters (“Halloway the coach who leaves Bennett behind”, 9/1). Masters’ article on the good rugby league coach Arthur Halloway is a reminder that a lot of our sporting greats preceded the period of tv and even the reminiscence of the oldest of us. Amongst his examples of different forgotten greats, Masters might need reminded us of the good leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett, who took 216 wickets in 37 Exams. Mathematically he would have exceeded Shane Warne’s 708 wickets in 145 Exams. Rod Laver correctly stated that one can solely be as nice because the circumstances your period allow.
John Carmichael, Hawthorn

Determined measure
As a senior govt on the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works within the Eighties I witnessed a determined Cain authorities forcing the MMBW to borrow at excessive rates of interest to pay the federal government dividends, as a means of hiding part of the state’s excessive debt. I’m dismayed to see the Allan authorities resorting to the identical playbook by pressuring the state water authorities to borrow to prop up the state funds (“Water corporations faucet into debt to assist out state funds”, 8/1). It is a dreadful legacy for our kids and grandchildren.
Jeff Floyd, Mount Waverley

Vaccine hole
I’m immunocompromised and my husband is over 75, but neither of us are allowed to be vaccinated in opposition to the brand new COVID variant that’s sweeping Victoria (“Victoria hit by double COVID wave”, 9/1) even though a brand new vaccine in opposition to the JN.1 subvariant was launched in December final yr as a result of the previous one doesn’t successfully shield in opposition to the brand new variant. It is because it’s lower than six months since our final vaccination with the previous vaccine.
Why are we actively prevented from defending ourselves in opposition to the speedy surge of the JN.1 subvariant? It make no sense.
Julia Thornton, Surrey Hills

AND ANOTHER THING

Trump’s return
It seems very very similar to it should quickly be time to show off the information for 4 years, and dirt off my West Wing DVD boxed set, prepared for my hibernation throughout the subsequent Trump administration.
Matthew Hamilton, Kew

How can it’s that 80 million-plus Individuals are obsessive about one of many largest crooks their society has ever produced? Ah sure, in fact, he was a TV star.
John Walsh, Watsonia

Anyone ought to inform Donald Trump that if you must clap your self it should have been a poor efficiency.
Alan West, Analysis

These complaining about President Biden’s apparent psychological difficulties, please contemplate his successes each in nationwide and worldwide coverage. He’s been nice, regardless of his shortcomings.
George Fernandez, Eltham North

Transport
How ironic that the brand new West Gate Tunnel and North East Hyperlink initiatives, each initiated by Dan Andrews, will ultimately require an East-West highway hyperlink to be constructed, the identical highway that Andrews spent $1.1 billion of taxpayers’ cash to tear up the contracts for.
Greg Hardy, Higher Ferntree Gully

It’s a waste of cash for companies to place promoting on automobiles that promote their caring tradition when the driving habits solely promote entitlement and selfishness.
Gerry Lonergan, Reservoir

Moreover
Hoping that 2024 is extra of the Large Constructed versus the Large Construct. We’ve definitely been affected person.
Jerome Otton, South Melbourne

Re Tanya Plibersek’s determination to guard the Ramsar wetlands in Western Port: you may’t stomp on the setting as a way to save the setting.
Joe Nieuwenhuizen, Somers

The Dave Warner I’ll bear in mind is the bloke who in 2017 stood as much as Cricket Australia to stop the distribution of huge funds to a small elite band of gamers on the expense of your entire group of first-class gamers.
John McCulloch, Cheltenham

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