Letters, November 16, 2022

Worthwhile project

AS someone who enjoys riding the Amy Gillett Bikeway, I take issue with the arguments put forward by S. Tarrant (The Courier, November 11).

We’ve all had plenty to worry about recently, with pandemic, war in Europe, steeply rising costs of everything.

People are stressed and often find it difficult to cope.

One thing you can do at times like this, that doesn’t cost very much, is to go for a walk or bike ride.

Exercise with a friend or two can do wonders for your mental health.

During the pandemic, I’ve seen a marked increase in the number of people enjoying our local trails.

Here in the Hills, we are blessed with lovely surroundings, fresh air and lack of crowds.

The Amy Gillett trail is a wonderful project. The extension to Birdwood has been a long time coming.

We can always find reasons not to do something, but I believe this is a worthwhile project that can attract greater participation in healthy activities, and enhance tourism in our area, benefiting local businesses.

As well as driving past the start and finish several times a week, I recommend the writer takes some time out for a walk or bike ride on part of the trail and have a coffee afterwards. I’m sure they’ll love it!

Allan Wallace, Aldgate

Cancer free future

I WOULD like to acknowledge all of the people who took part in the Adelaide Hills Relay For Life on Saturday, November 5, and Sunday, November 6, at Johnston Memorial Oval, Balhannah.

The special, 19-hour event saw over 200 people of all ages coming together and participating to celebrate, remember and make strides against cancer. I’d especially like to recognise the Adelaide Hills Relay For Life organising committee and volunteers, who worked tirelessly before and during the weekend to pull the event together.

Through the dedication of the committee and the ongoing support of the local community, this year’s event raised more than $75,000, with donations still coming in.

All the money raised through the 2022 Adelaide Hills Relay For Life will enable Cancer Council SA to fund vital research, prevention, advocacy and support services that change lives.

The Hills community’s ongoing support of Relay For Life has ensured that we can continue to be there to support every South Australian impacted by cancer. On behalf of Cancer Council SA, thank you to everyone involved for their time, commitment and passion.

Your dedication ensures that we’re working towards a cancer free future.

Kerry Rowlands, Chief executive, Cancer Council SA

Brake solution

EVERY suggestion for the answer to this truck problem involves major works of infrastructure.

Ramps and catchments.

The reason that trucks are unable to stop is that they  ‘run out of brakes’, a familiar feeling for old racing drivers.

The cast iron brake drums expand due to overheating causing the diameter to grow beyond the reach of the shoe linings at their full travel.

Disc brakes do not suffer from this shortcoming so why are they not fitted to trucks? Disc brakes are fitted to modern trams and trains.  

Rob Lewis, Hahndorf

Trail benefits

S. TARRANT laments the allocation of $2.6m to extend the popular Amy Gillett trail to Birdwood (The Courier, November 9), claiming that at any time there are between zero and 12 trail users.  

Trail users know that, in fine weather, there can be very large numbers of users at any time.

Diversion of the funds to roads, as suggested, would not solve the Hills’ road problems.

Roads are expensive and Hills roads have tens of millions of dollars spent on them annually.

S. Tarrant’s own home town, Hahndorf, is earmarked for $250m of road upgrades.

Investment in the Amy Gillett trail supports local jobs through tourism: witness the Woodside cafes filled with cyclists and Hills bicycle stores.  

Trails in general are cost effective recreational assets which support social connection and community mental and physical health outcomes.  

Investment in trails is egalitarian, providing access and mobility to those who don’t own a car, including youth.

Active transport is also part of a low carbon and pollution solution to the problem of increasing traffic congestion in towns like Mt Barker and should be encouraged through provision of quality infrastructure.

Ian Grosser, Councillor, Mt Barker Council

The views above are personal and do not represent Council

Hahndorf solution

The ballooning growth of the Hills has created a monster problem for us all, into the future.

We can’t eat houses from the rapidly shrinking foodbowl of SA.

Plus our traffic problems will grow larger because of it.

There seems to be no future planning for sustainability and road traffic.

The current plans by the Government add two bridges at the Mt Barker interchange and beautify Hahndorf, but do nothing to address already urgent problems, nor look into the future of Mt Barker, Hahndorf, the Onkaparinga Valley, Strathalbyn and Wellington.

All we need is one simple bypass/interchange bridge over the freeway with on/off ramps that will divert heavy vehicle and congested traffic flow away from these existing township areas.

This could be done by upgrading some existing roads from the Heysen Boulevard, Flaxley and Echunga roads, through Totness Park, onto the freeway to/from Mt Barker and Adelaide, relieving the current bottleneck on Mt Barker Bridge.

The Hahndorf / Beerenberg / Onkaparinga Valley traffic diversion could be funnelled via Littlehampton roundabout to and from the freeway, and bypass all towns through to the Lobethal/Barossa Valley roundabout, also on existing upgraded roads with little disruption and lesser cost.

Food for thought?

Kaye Dewell, Hahndorf

Blame game

I SEE that the Albanese Government is now blaming the Coalition for the increase in housing prices because they helped out Aussies with financial help packages during the Covid hard times.

Well Albo, what happened to the promise from your lot to reduce our power costs by $275 before Christmas? Once again we have a socialist government in power who promises to make our lives better but once in power reneges on just about everything, using the excuse that it was the coalition which caused the problems. It’s wearing thin Albo, stop jetting around the world, blaming Scott Morrison and start looking after us Aussies.

Clive Bulmer, Forreston

Wrong direction

RECENT news received from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) explaining that world greenhouse  gases in the atmosphere, that are a prime cause of climate change, namely carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and  methane, reached a record high in 2021 and have continued to rise throughout 2022, is sobering in the extreme.

Petteri Taalas, the Secretary-General of WMO, has stated in a press release “we are heading in the wrong  direction’’.

Lowering greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is a paramount factor in relation to countering climate change.

It will be incumbent on our Federal Government to examine the news from WMO very closely.

If world greenhouse gases cannot be controlled, humans are headed for a very torrid time. The news from WMO is of immense importance.

Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank

Extension needed

I FEEL it necessary to respond to last week’s letter about the extension of the Amy Gillett Bikeway from Mt Torrens to Birdwood being a waste of money.

Let’s consider the facts.

Quite a few years ago a letter to the editor of The Courier complained that cyclists were a nuisance on the Onkaparinga Valley Road.

A small committee was formed with an assorted group of local cyclists and a horse rider, of which I was part.

We actively lobbied both the council and the State Government to convert the old railway line from Balhannah to Mt Pleasant into a shared use off-road trail.

Eventually it worked and the first part was constructed, followed by the next section to Mt Torrens sometime later.

On two earlier occasions the extension to Birdwood was approved with funds set aside and commencement dates published.

Perhaps the third time we will be lucky.

The main road from Mt Torrens to Birdwood is particularly dangerous as the speed limit is 100km/h.

This road is now used by an increasing number of large trucks.

Formerly many of these trucks used Terlinga Road which has been upgraded at many millions of dollars, and in the meantime have found it a lot less hilly and bendy, although a little longer, to go via Birdwood.

As a ride coordinator with Bicycle SA I know many hundreds of cyclists use the Amy Gillett Bikeway and are quite happy to share it with the few walkers, joggers and the odd horse rider.

It’s about time the further extension is at least started.

Tony Fackrell, Balhannah

Summit scam

ARRIVING by a fleet of jets and the occasional super yacht, delegates are whisked away by limousines to luxury suites and resorts. Welcome to the hypocrisy that is COP27.

Delegates deliver a stern sermon demanding we cut our excesses as they gorge themselves on the best the world has to offer. Meanwhile their extreme climate policies drive many to poverty.

What started as global warming has transformed into climate change and is now morphing into a fight against free market capitalism. Some officials in the UN and IPCC openly admit these climate summits are not about science, but rather economic conferences.

Some go further, saying the aim is to destroy capitalism.

Interestingly, most are socialists who became very rich from the very system they’re trying to destroy. Let’s not forget that socialism is the poor cousin of communism. These summits are using climate as a cover to alter world policies, enabling select few to control every aspect of ordinary people’s lives.

K. Stachovic, Meadows

Immediate action

IT appears society generally cannot or will not accept the dire situation that global warming is here and now needing direct action.

Immediate problems and dangers that are facing us including cost of living, Ukraine War, Covid past and present, has sidelined the huge issue of climate change that is less tangible unless direct suffering has occurred.

Maybe the type of world senior Australians have enjoyed does not motivate governments and society to convert lifestyles to assist future generation sufferings.

Glen Chenoweth, Goolwa North