“The territory tentacles that recently acquired seven acres of Lake Burley Griffin lakebed at West Basin, are now extending into the national land of Commonwealth Park,” says letter writer JULIET RAMSAY. 

Thanks to the Barr government, central Canberra has followed a heady pattern of development so that now it is a jungle of medium-density blocks, while people’s public recreation spaces are whittled away.

But the territory tentacles that recently acquired seven acres of Lake Burley Griffin lakebed at West Basin, are now extending into the national land of Commonwealth Park.

The NCA appears to not have the guts to do what it is supposed to as set out in the National Capital Plan, that is to safeguard the national interest in the Commonwealth and its associated heritage.

Commonwealth Park is a significant open space for national purposes, including viewing the lake and our parliament, while community events held there are numerous.

Chief Minister Barr is planning to turn the Canberra Olympic Pool (COP) site into a convention centre (funded by the federal government) and is inveigling the NCA to develop an Aquatic Centre in Commonwealth Park.

The ACT has access to park spaces that could more easily be developed for a new pool complex such as Haig Park, Braddon Oval or West Basin where the ACT recently acquired seven acres of lake land and a public parkland.

The proposed aquatic centre in Commonwealth Park is clearly for an ACT recreation facility but is it to be funded from the national purse? Is the ACT leasing the land? Is the NCA gifting the land to the ACT or is a land swap in the bag?

Aquatic centres are expensive, the one recently built in Batemans Bay with only a 25m pool, is costing the shire $5 million annually. As the NCA cannot afford to repair the Federation Fountains and is turning the fountain basins into shrub beds, surely it cannot afford to replace and run an ACT aquatic centre in Commonwealth Park.

What about the parking area that will be subsumed by the aquatic centre in Commonwealth Park?

The Regatta Point Visitors Centre has obligations, established when Barr grabbed the former visitor’s information centre site for apartments? What sort of welcome reception will there be for visitors to the national capital with their packed-up cars, buses and even caravans, having to park underground beneath the aquatic centre.

Although Canberra needs a convention centre, the Federal government should hold off on funding it until this horrible planning debacle is sorted out.

It is apparent that the Barr Government follows no decent planning models, even the (Canberra) City Plan appears to be ignored in his pursuits that continue to uglify Canberra and reduce residents’ parklands and recreation areas?

The NCA board, supposed to manage central Canberra, should be chucked out and replaced with a team that cares about managing the national assets of buildings and importantly – parklands and spaces. Commonwealth Park should remain sacrosanct for future generation of Australians

Juliet Ramsay, via email

Who’s for a rates revolt until they fix the system?

I read in the City News Jan. 1, 2026 the articles by Michael Moore (“Labor’s smoke-and-mirrors rorting of our rates”) as well as (“You were warned but didn’t listen, Mr Barr”) by Jon Stanhope and Khalid Ahmed. 

Both articles directly or implicitly highlighted the economic mismanagement/incompetence of the ACT Labor government and hence the rates dilemma now afflicting Canberra. 

Over the past 12 months my rates have increased 8.24 per cent, currently my rates are $748 per quarter and the unimproved capital value has gone down!

A few years after we purchased our house, the ACT Labor government brought in the idea that land tax was not to be paid when you bought a house, but the money lost in revenue would be made up in the rates paid by all, and that method would be more equitable and make rates reasonable. Sadly, that is not the case.

The continual economic vandalism that is taking place because of poor economic decisions by this government – A tram to nowhere, that I didn’t want or vote for, have not and probably never will use (I live in Holt) being one example, there are many others, eg swimming pools.

And this brings me to my suggestion. I am proposing a rates revolt – that all household ratepayers withhold paying until there is a review and recommendations by a qualified outside body to produce a reasonable and equitable rate system for Canberra. 

A petition may be the way to go about this, so to this end I will be contacting Senator Pocock, independent MLAs Fiona Carrick and Thomas Emerson.

Glenn Frew, Holt

Failing Canberra on all counts

How can a local government plan on increasing the budget deficit with no intention to reduce it?

To continue to spend money on unaffordable, expensive and unnecessary infrastructure projects is morally indefensible. 

To operate within budget constraints takes courage and a hard-nosed approach to controlling costs. The current ACT government is failing the Canberra community on all counts.

Peter Claughton, Farrer

How health cuts cost my granddaughter

I am not impressed with the cuts to our hospital system. 

Andrew Barr, will you please go now. I don’t care where and I don’t care how, but Andrew Barr, will you please go NOW! (with apologies to Dr Seuss). And take the light rail with you.

My granddaughter’s recent experience shows how budget cuts have affected the services offered by the Canberra Hospital.

She waited from Friday evening until the following Wednesday (Christmas Eve) to have a proper pin and cast put on her broken elbow.

Trying to get her released on Christmas morning also proved a problem. Staff were scarce, no patients in the day surgery ward and only one doctor on duty – somewhere.

We finally sat down to Christmas lunch (?) at 3.15 pm after a very stressful few days.

Jan Kicenko, via email

Bondi: Australian society is in a blinkered crisis

The Islamist chant “Death to Jews” echoes the Nazi chant, and it took a quantum leap at the Opera House on October 9, 2023. 

One section of Australian society, however small, openly called for the death of another. The antisemitic tone set at the Opera House spread like wildfire beyond its murderous sub-culture and morphed into public fashion.

Part of the oxygen feeding this fire is the tenacity of the “Israel is committing genocide” shibboleth.

Despite the claim’s amplification and repetition, evidence remains weak. The death rate in Gaza, according to Hamas at about 3-4 per cent, is in the same range as the recent Syrian and South Sudanese civil wars. Vietnam’s death rate was 5-7 per cent. The Second Congo War (1998-2003), killing 10 per cent of 53 million, remains the worst since World War II.

Israel is the only party in any of these wars to trigger relentless genocide accusations accompanied by threats and attacks against non-combatants living beyond its borders. There is a simple reason – Israel is the world’s only Jewish state, and we are faced with a hideous manifestation of antisemitism.

Genocide requires numbers and intent. The Hutus in 1994, mostly armed with machetes and clubs, killed 70 per cent of 1.1 million Tutsis in 100 days.

The Israelis can orchestrate then bomb a senior Iranian meeting 1600km away in Tehran; yet, despite this fearsome capability, they have proved uncharacteristically incompetent at genocide – after more than two years most Gazans, exposed in tents on Israel’s doorstep, remain alive. 

Despite the ceasefire, the status quo retains glimmers of the war’s mode: a deadly game of whack-a-mole. The future doesn’t look encouraging; but Israel is not engaged in genocide.

Ironically, Hamas, with clear genocidal intent, lacks the means, whereas Israel, with the means, lacks intent for understandable reasons. Israel is a phoenix born from the flames of Nazi death camps. Israelis are 0.02 per cent of the population from Egypt to Iran. Israeli wellbeing requires peace and trade with Muslim countries. 

Now, post-Bondi, the anti-Israel coalition hasn’t flinched: Josh Frydenberg’s powerful response was rejected as inappropriate and ill-timed; those who know better believe his sympathy and rage broke post-massacre etiquette (whatever that is) and, furthermore, Bondi had nothing to do with religion. Instead, we should all unite in peace – even with Islamists. Australian society is in a blinkered crisis.

Even before Bondi, but more so now, how can anyone swallow the spin or have any association with those who chant or practice “Death to Jews”?

Peter Robinson, Ainslie 

The power used to turn our PM

To my mind the most important observation to make about the Bondi atrocity is its repercussions. 

Political, social and economic power has been used to turn our prime minister! 

Israel’s many wealthy, influential organisations have scared our government into submission. 

The learning for us is in understanding the sheer power of the Jewish diaspora. They already manage America. Now they manage us.

Bob Howden, via email

Don’t cling to ‘backwater’ bush capital mentally

As a Woden resident I would welcome redevelopment of the town centre. 

For too long it has appeared as the tired sister of all the other town centres in Canberra which all have had at least one redevelopment to bring them more up to date.

It isn’t surprising that 2052 is being touted as the completion year and with the amount of rules and regulations in Canberra it is probably even optimistic.

This is the reason everything takes so long and always goes so far over budget in this city, too much procrastination and red tape. I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be considered planning, but not taken to the extreme that it currently is.

The light rail project is a perfect example of this. Stage 2 was broken up into two stages due to the costs and planning. It is somewhat ironic that the stage to Woden has been named 2b as, like Shakespeare said, we are all wondering if 2b or not 2b?, that is the question.

Canberra has many great qualities, but I don’t believe it is of any benefit to cling to this backwater bush capital mentally.

We aren’t some little town, we are the capital of Australia and we should be a showcase of what makes Australia great, not some fearful little bush capital that is too over regulated and fearful to make any changes.

We need to embrace our future together and make Canberra a liveable city that we can all be proud of.

Vivienne Jacyshyn, via citynews.com.au

The King, the Queen and a Canberra girl 

I left my hometown Canberra for the UK in my twenties, never thinking I would miss it. I said goodbye to friends and family, confident I was moving on. 

Eight years later, I have only recently truly learned to appreciate what Canberra represents – the freedom, the calm, the endless blue skies, clean air, and the opportunities it offers. Above all, I value the wonderful neighbourhood my family lives in, especially our neighbours, the kind you simply couldn’t replace.

On January 4 I was on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk with my family from the UK, where I unexpectedly met the King and Queen. While walking through the breathtaking royal estate, I had the opportunity to wish them both a good morning and a happy new year on behalf of Aussies. 

The King and Queen were warm and engaging, asking where in Australia I was from. I replied proudly: “Canberra, Sir.” 

He responded by saying how important it is to return home and visit.

As I watched them walk away, I found myself thinking about my own home and family, and the importance of appreciating what you have, being proud of where you’re from and returning when you can.

I thought of walking from bridge to bridge, taking in the views from Red Hill or Mount Ainslie, visiting the Canberra Farmers Market on a Saturday, and the rose gardens at Old Parliament House. I thought of meandering through Kingston, grabbing a coffee by the foreshore, or sharing fish and chips with mum and dad at the yacht club.

These are some of the many reasons I love where I was born, and why I hope the King and Queen might one day visit again.

You may not be a royalist, and that’s okay. You may feel he isn’t your king, and that’s okay, too. But he continues to do a great deal for the environment and the community. As one human to another, I appreciate someone who continues to serve others on such a large scale.

Julia Kovacevic, via email 

Long enough to build a new bridge

It would be interesting to know what measures have been taken to minimise the closure period for the refurbishment of the Commonwealth Avenue bridges? 

Will the work be conducted 24/7 using lights?

The current two years of closure is probably long enough to build a new bridge.

Chris Emery, via email

How governments can get it so badly wrong

Who was responsible for the changed composition of motor vehicle products and how was it achieved?

Former US President Barack Obama was the major agent of change as he introduced fuel efficiency standards for motor vehicles in the US. The new standards only applied to the common sedan and station wagon types of vehicles. Vehicles used by workers such as utilities and vans were pretty much exempt from the new standards.

European and Japanese automakers were also caught by the new standards. The higher costs, both capital and running, for the traditional sedan products very quickly destroyed the market for these international products in the US.

The effects of the standards was to boost the demand for the traditional utility vehicles compared to other alternative non-utility vehicles.

There was another major change in the US market that flowed on to other countries and I do not know who organised it.

The change was to have many new types of vehicles, both US and foreign, classified as sports utility vehicles (SUV). Classifying these sports vehicles with the addition of the word utility into their titles made them exempt along with the genuine workers utility vehicles.

The change in fuel efficiency standards in the US has led to a major change in the composition of the types of vehicles being built or imported into the US and elsewhere for that matter.

The scale of the exemptions from the standards and their impact on the production types of vehicles at international levels illustrate how governments can get it so badly wrong.

Terry Ryan, via email

Inspiration to help women prisoners

I watched ABC’s Songs Inside program recently. It is a documentary filmed at Adelaide’s women’s prison, where 10 women were chosen to participate in a music program to learn how to play the ukulele, write and sing songs.

The group of women were either on remand or sentenced, and they were taught and mentored by an amazing Aboriginal woman, Nancy Bates.

Throughout the doco, my emotions fluctuated from smiling, laughing and crying as I watched the journey of these stoic women who challenged themselves to work towards playing with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO).

While not all the 10 women were present for the ASO performance for various reasons, the ones who did perform, were amazing. 

Further, I note there is also a Pups in Prison program at the Adelaide women’s prison, which has proven to teach detainees responsibility, care and compassion, as well as training retired racing greyhounds to become suitable pets for adoption.

I highly doubt the music program was an expensive program to fund; and if it could reduce women from returning to prison, not to mention increasing their participation in the community, increasing public safety, and for the politicians, significant savings in reducing the cost of keeping women in prison.

I implore our Attorney-General Tara Cheyne and Corrections Minister Dr Marisa Paterson to watch the program (it’s on ABC iview) and consider the benefits of both programs for women who are currently languishing at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. 

Janine Haskins, prison reform advocate, Cook

Ley’s vinegar diet won’t work

Susan Ley is following the path of Peter Dutton – dividing the people not bringing everyone together.

Since she has been in the position of leader, she has been negative in most of her pronouncements.

She is sounding like a whinger, not a leader. People hate whingers. She is not going to bring defecting Liberal voters back to the fold on a diet of vinegar.

John Quinn, Spence

Biggest barrier to nuclear energy is its cost

The father of modern medical education, Sir William Osler (1849 – 1919) is today more famous for the general wisdom in his writings than their medical content. 

He wrote: “The greater the ignorance, the greater the dogmatism.”

While respecting the contribution made by letter writer Ian Pilsner to the debate on Australia’s energy future, his views may be based on his conservative politics rather than our national interests.

The biggest barrier to the adoption of nuclear energy is its cost. The electricity reactors generate is just too expensive.

Donald Trump concedes this in signing Executive Order 14,300. In this, he directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review safety regulations. He specifically asks the NRC to review and lower exposure to radiation limits, which have stood for over 25 years.

Surely no Australian wants nuclear power at a price that can compete with wind, solar and batteries only because it has been made less safe for those who work in the industry or live next door to a reactor.

Australia must keep up-to-date with all emerging technologies but cannot seriously consider building a reactor here until the electricity generated can be done so safely.

Noel Baxendell, Holt

Cull letter misses the point entirely

The letter “Call for more professional kangaroo culling” (CN December 18) misses the point entirely.

Firstly, there is not a skerrick of evidence produced by the ACT government to justify shooting kangaroos. No baseline data has ever been produced on the number of kangaroos living in Canberra’s Nature Reserves and the actual numbers are still unknown in 2025.

The ACT government has done absolutely nothing to address wildlife-vehicle crashes even though it was recommended in 2024’s review of the Kangaroo Management Plan to install cost-effective mitigation strategies such as reduced speed limits at collision hotspots, speed bumps, better lighting and speed cameras, all of which can be put in immediately

Secondly, the contracted shooters hide behind a code that explicitly mandates cruelty, such as the bashing of pouch joeys of “culled” macropods to death.

The Conservator for Flora and Fauna has unequivocally admitted in an email to the Animal Protectors Alliance that “undertaking the “conservation cull” during all weathers and conditions is normal even though this is in direct defiance of one of the few “must not” clauses in the code. 

Calling for “professional shooters” will do nothing to address any of these points.

Robyn Soxsmith, Animal Protectors Alliance

Review should have been accepted in its entirety

A report by former public service commissioner Lynette Briggs on the politicisation of appointments to government boards has been shamefully downgraded by disregarding a recommendation that politicians and staffers should not be appointed to boards within six months of leaving government positions, 18 months for ministerial positions.

It appears as though this would invariably lead to nepotism and will most certainly not pass the “pub test “.

Minister for the Public Service, Katy Gallagher, said the decision was made on the basis that the government does not believe some people should be excluded if they had the necessary skills.

For the Albanese government to be believable instead of obfuscating, it should have accepted the Briggs review in its entirety, and not cherry picked to suit its own agenda.

Mario Stivala, Belconnen

‘Good news’ in reducing home grants 

Good news for struggling potential home buyers, in all markets, would see the Commonwealth actually reducing some grants and concessions, and essentially taking over the ongoing (compulsory if necessary) acquisition, sensible planning and development of land for new suburbs and satellite towns. 

There’d be decent sized (say, 600 square metres minimum) family blocks for simple-to-build single dwellings, always in good supply, for sale direct to homemakers, at publicly ascertainable cost.

Natural soils and vegetation would be preserved. Our reported urban tree decline would be reversed. Part of the land sales revenue should rightly go to First Nations organisations. 

Regarding finance for that program, with profiteering banks and corporate lenders unlikely major contributors, the government could operate a nationwide lottery (like the successful Sydney Opera House one).

Government compensations to recent borrowers suffering proven resultant negative equity, could be available for a time. 

The excesses of negative gearing would be reduced. The profiteering and supply-restricting activities of speculative and “project” builders, and developers would be checked.

Rates, and land sale taxes, currently feeding off increasing land prices, would be replaced with a modest increase in the GST, with distribution extended to local authorities. And we’d achieve a more balanced economy, with more beneficial investment opportunities, and improved population health.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah