Letters
Letters to
the editor
Cleaner solutions
Normally, I would welcome a new wind farm project. However, having read Bob Brown’s article (“Licence to kill”, January 24-30), I can see that the cost in rare native species can be too high. Furthermore, why do we approve a multinational company, who will care little about the loss of Australian species? When we choose to site renewable power sources, we should choose “horses for courses”. Clearly, Tasmania is ideal for hydro. The vast inland of the continent is excellent for solar. If we are to also have wind power, it may be best to locate most offshore, while ceasing to be precious about coastal views. Many European countries locate wind turbines offshore. More generally, we need to assess how we are doing with renewables on a global basis. We have to control heating globally and it is hypocritical that we export fossil fuels while claiming clean practices at home.
– Jock Churchman, Campbelltown, SA
Class trap
Thank you to Jane Caro for shining a light on the inequality in our education system in Australia (“Back to public school”, January 24-30). There is no excuse for the lack of investment into our public school system by successive governments over decades. Meanwhile, private schools continue to cream off public funds for theatres, ovals, laptops and unbelievable privilege, setting up their students to look down on their publicly educated fellows. We can’t continue to exercise this funding restraint to public schools and expect a different outcome! Unless we support the growing divide in education outcomes with some real leadership, we will all suffer the consequences of an ill-educated, resentful underclass unable to find work or suitable housing. We have
been warned!
– Margaret Hughes, Epping, NSW
Class cohesion
Both Jane Caro’s “Back to public school” and John Hewson and Barry Jones’s “A minister for social cohesion” (January 24-30) remind us that Australia has one of the most segregated education systems in the developed world. This means many youngsters miss out on getting to know a range of their peers from different backgrounds. This missed opportunity may lead to a narrowing of their understanding of, and sympathy for, their community as they become adults. Family, religious, social and sporting groups and the like, all have a role in a person’s formation, but it is hard to go past becoming friends with a person who is different for breaking down prejudice. The many years spent at school provides ample opportunity for this. If we want social cohesion, it must be time to look at whether we could have something better than our segregated education system.
– Catherine Crittenden, Summer Hill, NSW
Welcoming party
John Hewson and Barry Jones make a compelling case for strengthening social cohesion. I am old enough to remember that in the 1950s Australia supported migration through the Good Neighbour Movement – a volunteer program that helped new arrivals settle and integrate into local communities. This grassroots initiative built social trust and belonging in a low-cost and distinctly Australian way. If we are serious about cohesion, a minister for social cohesion could do worse than revive this simple plan.
– Ian Heriot, California Gully, Vic
Beloved bible
I remember buying my first copy of The Cook’s Companion when it was first published (Stephanie Alexander, “Writing The Cook’s Companion”, January 24-30). I read it avidly – it was a fantastic “food bible”. We have given copies to our grown-up children over the years, and they use it to this day, as do I. My copy is stained and falling apart; it is well loved.
– Susan Maloney, Turner, ACT
Fox hunt
The editorial decrying the continued destruction of threatened species habitat (“Dead parrot sketch”, January 17-23) is bang-on, but there’s more. Listed flying fox species in Queensland are deliberately killed with the blessing of state government policy. After consulting with six fruit growers, Environment Minister Andrew Powell reversed a long-awaited planned shooting ban so growers can continue to kill flying foxes in orchards at night with shotguns. With more than a million hectares cleared in three years, the bats must visit an orchard or starve (Mike Seccombe, “Environmental protection racket”, October 25-31). Flying foxes pollinate and seed-disperse more than 100 species of native trees but cannot rebuild forest faster than humans cut it down. Shooting listed species – what kind of nation are we?
– Lawrence Pope, Friends of Bats & Bushcare Inc, Carlton North, Vic
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This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on January 31, 2026.
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