Read your local paper, Barnaby
In response to the latest nonsensical diatribe from Barnaby, I would suggest he read some newspapers to gain an understanding of the Dungowan Dam debacle which he was directly involved with.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Then, with no works done despite years of announcements you move on to 2022 when Kevin Anderson was the NSW Water Minister, you find out his government was refusing to release their full business case for the dam upgrade, though he did acknowledge another cost blowout.
Media reports note a "water consultant group" had revealed a year previously that the dam would cost "as much as $870 million".
Finally, it was revealed that Infrastructure Australia, who did get to see the business case, did not recommended including Dungowan Dam on the Infrastructure Priority List as costs had reached $1.3 billion.
Money spent by federal and state Coalition governments on consultants and announcements, with nothing to show for it but cost increase after increase.
It is laughable that Barnaby blames a frog for impeding the Chaffey Dam upgrade but cannot recognise the impotence and inaction of the Coalition governments as the cause of nothing happening with the Dungowan Dam upgrade.
Andrew Brown, Nundle
Who is "swindling" who?
Barnaby Joyce is at it again. In his latest newsletter he writes: "Foreign intermittent power swindle factories super-powered at the cost of disempowering the people of New England".
We know linguistically Barnaby has a lot in common with Donald Trump, but he outdid himself in this one.
As Gabrielle Chan in the Guardian points out very well, Barnaby is very selective on what and when he supports foreign ventures and energy projects, wind farms in particular.
For example, in 2016 when Deputy Prime Minister, Joyce supported the $400 milion White Rock wind farm, owned by Goldwind Australia, a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary, and China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Wind Power.
He turned the first sod on the Glen Innes project in 2016 as part of what he described as an "investment and jobs boon" for his local economy.
The following year he touted White Rock's solar farm on his website and delivered $6m of federal government funding to show how serious the Coalition was "about supporting renewable energy production to help secure the national grid".
His statement at the time said: "With other projects like the Sapphire Wind Farm going ahead, it also shows the New England is leading the way in renewable energy production and I will continue to advocate for the region as a growing power supplier for Australia."
Ahhh how sentiment changes, particularly when one is no longer in government and needs to have a point of difference, or an actual policy, at any cost.
Barnaby talks of "swindles"..... I am not quite sure who is swindling who, and who the real swindler actually is.
Who was it that said "a politician will do and say anything to gain and maintain power"?
Denise McHugh, Hillvue
Top auctioneer
I'm disappointed that in your article on Michael Purtle you didn't mention his success in the Young Auctioneer competition at the Sydney Royal this year.
I was at a clearing sale he ran last week, and his skill is beyond his years.
Margaret Hurle, Manilla
Generous support
I would like to offer a sincere thank you to readers who gave to The Smith Family's Winter Appeal.
In recent times, charities have been significantly impacted by the rise in the cost of living, affecting the number of donors able to give, while increasing the number of those needing support.
The Smith Family has certainly been no exception to that trend.
In terms of donations, we were facing a 40 per cent shortfall with just a few weeks remaining during our Winter Appeal. But thankfully, we were very fortunate to receive some generous support from the public and our fundraising target was reached.
Donations from supporters will make a world of difference to 17,200 students experiencing disadvantage. Each will be able to receive the extra help they need during the final terms of school this year.
Our ability to deliver our flagship education support program Learning for Life, that assists almost 63,000 young Australians nationwide, depends on your donations. And they really do make a difference.
Just this week we received an email from a student to the people who had sponsored her through Learning for Life. She had had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science and was writing to thank them.
"Please accept my sincere gratitude for your belief in my potential and for your unwavering support throughout my educational journey and believing in us students that need the extra support," she wrote.
"Your generosity has inspired me to strive for excellence and to give back to others in the community."
This is a real demonstration of how education enables children experiencing disadvantage to create opportunities that change their future and equips them with the tools and knowledge to successfully navigate our increasingly complex world.
Thank you again to all those who supported The Smith Family.
Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family
Underground beats fibreglass poles
It's hard to argue for power poles in cities regardless of what they are made of ("Fibreglass power poles gaining traction", 16/7).
While some argue wooden poles are a good thing because they store carbon, this overlooks the carbon produced when the trees are harvested, transported and milled, and the carbon released when the bulk of the tree is chipped or burnt.
While fibreglass power poles won't rot, it's far better to bury power cables underground where possible.
The work being done by Westernpower in WA replacing old poles and wires with underground cables is a good model.
The company claims that "undergrounding power offers improved reliability and safety as there is a reduced risk of fallen power lines during storm conditions or vehicle collisions with power poles.
Fewer disruptions during extreme weather means fewer power outages.
The underground network has a greater power supply capacity than the overhead network, meaning more renewable generation can be connected, and provides improved opportunities for emerging technologies.
While the initial costs may be greater, the advantages in the long-term win out.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Is our federal government listening?
The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change special report on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius was formally approved by World's Governments in 2018.
Now for the first time ever global warming has exceeded the all important 1.5C temperature level for an entire year.
Scientists are now warning World Governments that to have any chance at all of avoiding a climate catastrophe the phasing out of burning fossil fuels to create energy must be given number one preference.
Is our federal government listening to the advice now coming from extremely concerned scientists across the world who have been closely monitoring increasing world temperatures for years?
The actions of our federal government in approving so many new coal and gas operations leads to considerable doubt regarding this question.
Brian Measday, Kingswood
