“Nobody builds train bridges out of concrete for one simple reason. The vibration causes cracks. Water gets into the cracks, and corrodes the metal reinforcement,” laments letter writer  TIM WALSHAW, of Watson, at the news the ACT government is pressing on with light rail to the south.  

SO the ACT government is going ahead with the tramway construction by blocking roads on the northern side of the lake. 

No doubt it is proceeding with the philosophy that “by the time we have reached the bridge nobody can stop us”.

They have announced that they are going to “strengthen the bridge”, whatever that means. The implication is that they are going to build the tram bridge resting on the road bridge, in the intervening space.

As I have said in previous letters, this is madness. It is not the strength of the road bridges that is the issue. The issue is the vibration caused by the tram. 

Nobody builds train bridges out of concrete for one simple reason. The vibration causes cracks. Water gets into the cracks, and corrodes the metal reinforcement. 

In the case of these road bridges, they are kept up by two thick cables, one on each side of the roadway. One cable for each bridge is under the inner guard rail. The concrete lip beside the cable was built to prevent corrosion. If the cable corrodes it can, and will, collapse suddenly. 

No amount of “strengthening” can prevent this. When will this collapse? Fast, when corrosion starts. The new high-tech concrete bridge at Genoa, admittedly a road bridge, collapsed after about 10 years due to corrosion.

Saying that “We shall take care that this does not happen” is equally silly as saying: “We are the government. We shall take care of you”. Corrosion is a critically important design problem. No government or political party, left or right, can prevent the consequences of these foolish actions.

On a separate issue, this bridge is likely to cost around a billion dollars. That is the cost of a new, much needed hospital in Tuggeranong. Plenty of land by the lake or by the river.

Tim Walshaw, Watson

Light rail to Tharwa, Hall and Hume?

ALL of Canberra can already travel by a combination of bus and light rail.

The ACT Greens are promoting “Light rail for all of Canberra”.

Do they propose to provide light rail connections to Hall, Tharwa, Hume, Banks and the Oaks Estate?

Leon Arundell, Downer

Build Greenway Stadium now!

I READ that a consortium of peak-ish organisations was proposing a “PPP” (Public Private Partnership) for the delivery of a semi-underground (read, ludicrously expensive, constricted and damp) new Canberra City stadium, or one at Bruce (with likely prolonged downtime), both involving a nifty-shifty land deal. 

PPP’s are on the nose because they invariably favour the private-sector partners, leaving the government with massive debts. Reportedly, the compromised National Museum, the new ACT Courts and the enlarged Cotter Dam prove that. 

The most enlightened, and totally feasible, location for a new, highly affordable, rectangular-style, all-weather stadium, is on the west side of Athllon Drive, North Greenway (named after the famous colonial architect) – a stunning “destination” attraction, on a large, vacant, already purpose-zoned, decentralised (as is Perth’s new one) site. It’d be in a quintessentially Canberra lake and mountain setting, on the planned tram line, incorporating heritage items, and environmentally sustainable design elements; while offering beneficial synergies with existing and new sporting, accommodation, and parking facilities, all adjacent to Tuggeranong Town Centre. 

Build Greenway Stadium now, via responsible and economical delivery methods, commissioned designs, competitive tendering and safe hard-money contracts. Naming rights contenders will be lining up.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

More planning transparency needed

THE recent public transport difficulties experienced during the Spilt Milk festival at EPIC raise key questions about the workings of the new ACT planning reform package and its strong urban infill focus. 

Will the transport minister also be running fleets of buses parallel with light rail down Northbourne Avenue when many thousands of new residents start moving soon to tracts of northern Gateway corridor land between Dickson and EPIC? 

And even more so when much of the large tract of racecourse land is built upon? As this long strip of concentrated, non-gentle urbanism rapidly gathers steam, the ACT government still fails to provide estimates and evidence of how Stage 1 light rail will be a readily accessible, safe and reliable means of transport for those already living downstream of these new densification locations, and for the large number of bus passengers from elsewhere who need to access light rail at the Dickson Interchange rail stop. 

Concurrently, thousands more will also end up living further south of the Dickson Interchange, on Northbourne Avenue and in many more parts of adjacent suburbs that are now slated for additional residential intensification in the reform documentation for the inner north.

Major planning reform and assessment processes require the timely provision of well-co-ordinated, transparent information and updates about public transport demand, supply issues and outlooks in relation to all key urban renewal areas as they change radically over the next 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. 

Both the ACT planning and transport ministers should provide clarity and reassurance soon about how the new ACT planning legislation and its attendant development processes will update and inform communities about “big picture” mobility and active travel impacts, proposed transport solutions and timeframes for action. 

The government’s recent expansion of e-scooter access does little to meet the overall mobility needs of the great majority of Canberrans. 

Sue Dyer, Downer

Perplexed by Julie’s argument

I’M a tad perplexed about Julie Tongs’ article (“Damning prison report not for the faint hearted”, CN December 8) in which she laments the high incarceration rate of aboriginals in the ACT’s leading, world-class, rehabilitative prison (we know it’s of world-leading class because the gummint which built it and operates it told us so, like everything else they do!). 

Julie goes on to accuse everyone in the ACT of being complicit in the unfortunate circumstances suffered by Aborigines. So all of us are responsible for so many of the ACT’s indigenous citizens being in jail, Julie?

There’s a simple way so many of our aboriginal citizens could stay out of jail: don’t commit crime or bring yourself to the notice of the police and courts. Staying out of jail would leave them free to pursue the university courses and other lawful pursuits they might like to pursue, uninterrupted by spells in the cells. They’d have my best wishes and I’m sure everyone else’s to be able to lead productive, fulfilling careers and peaceful lives.

Meantime, Julie, I don’t feel the slightest jot of guilt or remorse for any unspecified crime I doubt that I’ve committed that would send an indigenous person to jail. Like most others, I have enough on my plate to deal with at any one time. I reckon the great majority of the ACT’s citizens would feel the same.

In pushing the “Guilt Narrative” on to all of us you do yourself, the ACT’s aboriginal citizens, all of us and the unspecified, suspect Voice campaign no favours.

Ray Atkin, Ngunnawal

Sorry, Rus, it’s me again…

I’M sorry to disappoint Russell Wenholz (Letters, CN December 1), but here I am again! 

On November 10, I wrote to “City News” about the mutilated trees along my Deakin street: they had been cut in half to clear (by 4 metres rather than the regulated 2.5 metres). 

One old oak tree was pushed over across the road by strong winds during a storm in January. The sawn-off stump still remains in plain view and is now growing vigorously.

About 50 metres up the street, near the gym, a young eucalypt has had its northern half removed: the clearance from the power lines is about five metres. Now I’m wondering when this lopsided tree will fall on a parked car during another storm while the soil is saturated and soft.

The photograph was taken at the intersection of Hopetoun Circuit and Macgregor Street (only 100 metres from where I live). The tree on the northern side of Macgregor Street has been dead for several years; the half-dead tree opposite has been dying from the top down for several years.

So much for maintenance, let alone keeping Canberra the showcase-beautiful “Bush Capital”.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin 

Sorry, Russ, it’s me again, too…

RUSSELL Wenholz bemoans the poor standard of CN letters to the editor writers in CN1/12, suggesting we are all the same old serial writers pushing the same old barrows. News flash, Russell, “CityNews” is an English-language publication, which possibly contributes to the confusion. 

Furthermore, we are blessed to have a very solid Ian Meikle vetting our letters before they proceed to publication. Step out into the sunlight.

John Lawrence via email

Editor’s note: The “very solid” Ian Meikle agrees!