Letters, November 2, 2022

Interchange bias
AS a Paechtown resident I’d like to propose that any future letters to the editor or articles in respect of the Hahndorf freeway interchange please include a full disclosure of the residential location of the contributors to reduce bias.
You appear to have many planning ‘experts’ with the solutions to solve by locating the interchange anywhere –  as long as it’s away from their own property.  
In your article “Residents respond to Hahndorf Traffic Plan” (The Courier, October 19) at least one of the residents failed to disclose that they would be personally impacted by the earlier proposals for the interchange – so it’s no wonder they continue to push so hard for option four to be brought back onto the table.
 And then your letters to the editor section in the same edition:
Rob Gilbert of Stirling suggesting Paechtown Road to be turned into a major thoroughfare.
Will widening of the road include demolishing the quaint heritage German cottages that currently stand?
What will occur to the many native animals in this bushland area?
I wonder how Mr Gilbert would feel having his street in Stirling changed into a main arterial road – I expect his enthusiasm for it would reduce.
Bill Hankin, candidate for Mt Barker Council South Ward, does not represent the residents of Hahndorf or Paechtown where his solution would be located.
How about he canvas those rate payers impacted in the North Ward before giving his views.
Residents of Paechtown chose to live in this rural neighborhood for the wonderful quiet lifestyle that it provides our families.
We are a great little community.
We certainly did not purchase in the area to end up living on a main arterial road; or to experience significant loss in financial value and enjoyment of our homes if the interchanged proceeded here.
To be honest what the majority of Paechtown residents would probably really like is for our atrocious potholes to be properly fixed and a green waste bin!  
Rachel Cowan, Paechtown

Mayoral qualities
WHO could disagree with Brian Calvert (The Courier October 26) on the qualities desired of a Mayor?
I would like to add that a Mayor should inspire trust, confidence and respect.
In SA and, in particular, in our district a good knowledge of the State Planning Code that replaces all 68 SA Council Development Plans and recognition by and ability to negotiate with State and Federal MPs and Ministers is highly desirable.
This is the personal view of a retiring councillor privileged to have served the Mt Barker communities for three consecutive terms.
Carol Bailey, Mt Barker Springs

Climate perceptions
HOW we perceive a situation has a big influence on how we act on it.
The problem is that often our perceptions and reality are worlds apart.
In his letter to The Courier, Brian Measday claims that subsidies to the fossil fuel industry cost the Australian people $11.6 billion last financial year.
Sounds bad, but let’s look at how the money was spent.
$8 billion went on the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme being a diesel fuel rebate for farming, mining and other vehicles that do not use public roads.
Ironically, this also benefited mining for minerals used for manufacture of renewables.
The rest of the so called subsidies went on grid reliability fund, carbon capture use, storage development fund and fuel security services.
Did any of these enrich the fossil fuel industry?
Quite the opposite.
Royalties and taxes raised from fossil fuel production in Australia are one of the main revenue streams which are keeping our heads above water.
For some strange reason, governments avoid giving too many details about renewable subsidies, but it would be a good comparison if we had any.
K. Stachovic, Meadows

Garden delight
I AGREE with Maggie Beer (The Courier, October 26).
The Stephanie Alexander Garden at Birdwood’s Primary School is a joy to visit. Congratulations to the teachers and pupils involved – healthy, cruelty-free eating.
Alice Shore, Birdwood

No discrimination
RESPONDING to Clive Bulmer’s request for Australia to seize Russian assets and for our PM Albanese to call out Putin as a murderer (The Courier, October 26).
First we need a level head.
Why did Russia invade?
Oil, gas, farm land yeah, but it goes a lot deeper than that.
The violent overthrow of an elected government followed by the race laws against Russian language, culture and Orthodoxy.
Approximately 40% of Ukrainian citizens have strong Russian roots, but not any more are they Russian citizens.
Putin is a strong Orthodox Christian.
In May 2014 at Odesa, Russian speakers were burnt alive or beaten to death by fascist thugs.
No-one has been prosecuted, there is a lot more too.
There are two Minsk agreements that the Kiev government has failed to comply with in which they agreed in front of both Germany and France.
When you bump into a Ukrainian, Clive, ask them what their grandfather did in WW2?
Either fighting Nazism or wearing an SS uniform.
Discrimination against any race, culture or religion must be strongly condemned.
Jason Collins, Mt Barker

Not a broken promise
THE Australian Federal Labor Party has previously made a key election promise to save Australian families $275 annually on energy bills by 2025.
The stated intention of Federal Labor being to place great emphasis on further development of renewable energy over the next two plus years, this being a proven means of producing cheaper energy-power generation.
Since budget night there has been a flood of comments, from a  number of sources, indicating that Federal Labor has broken its promise to reduce power prices.
Surely no promise has been broken by Federal Labor.
The inclusion in the election promise, by 2025, is of prime importance in this matter and it is, in my opinion, unfair and perhaps misleading when omitted from comment in relation to the Labor Party election promise.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank