Planning Minister Sonia Kilkenny’s move could cost Labor at Victorian election
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.
PLANNING
Why on earth would Planning Minister Sonia Kilkenny even bother to approve controversial developments just before Victoria goes to an election? (“Kilkenny green-lights controversial projects”, 7/10) After all, it could cost Labor votes.
Throughout this state government’s term, Kilkenny has consistently approved developments of “excessive height” against the concerns of local communities. Her approach has served the interests of developers, and it is one of the reasons Labor has become unpopular.
Bill O’Connor, Beechworth
Only one winner from development decision
Why have all these planning laws in place for councils when the planning minister just overrides them and fast-tracks developments? The only winners are the builders and their hip-pockets. They now go to the minister, and they will win with their original plans every time.
Christine Hammett, Richmond
Plea to protect existing classic structures
The Melbourne Assembly project to discuss the future of our city is about to begin, and an early item on the agenda should be the protection of our existing classic structures. Approval has been given for an eight-storey construction on the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets, and now the developer has requested a height increase which would result in a 16-storey monstrosity that would overshadow the iconic structures at the gateway into our city.
Surely, before the government enters into caretaker mode, this application must be refused and this irreplaceable vista be preserved for our and future generations.
Bill Pimm, Mentone
Red gum trees will be a casualty of call
What an appalling decision supporting a housing developer in Nagambie (“Kilkenny green-lights controversial projects”, 7/10). The consequence will be the removal of 50 magnificent river red gum trees. This substantial shaded habitat for hundreds of birds and native animals does not have to be sacrificed for housing.
Does Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny know how much cleared land is available to the east and north of the town, suitable for housing without touching a single tree?
A gratuitous tip for Labor: Don’t waste time, energy and money campaigning in the seat of Euroa, which includes Nagambie. You may not attract a single vote.
Alan McLean, Queenscliff
It’s tough to please everyone
Us: “Councils are too slow – they never approve anything!” Also us: “The minister is too fast – she approves everything!”
Steve Melzer, Hughesdale
Nervous wait until November
Perhaps the planning minister herself will be disempowered in November, after overriding local council objections to over-height buildings. Shame, minister.
Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
Preserve the character of market
As a lifelong resident of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, I have shopped at Preston Market for more than 20 years. Last week, the state government released a call for submissions on a proposed redevelopment with a speedy two-week deadline.
My concern is that the proposed redevelopment will fundamentally change the market’s character. Large retail outlets risk turning a beloved community market into another commercial shopping precinct. The proposed high-rise towers would dramatically alter the site’s character.
We already have Northland. We don’t need another one. Preston Market’s stallholders and community atmosphere are precisely what make it special.
Any redevelopment of the market should prioritise protecting its heritage, culture, independent traders and community atmosphere, not maximising profit. Once its unique character is lost, it cannot be recreated.
Sophia Tipping, Coburg
THE FORUM
We should be so lucky
All political parties have now released their immigration policies (“Taylor in three-way migration battle”, 7/10). They are all coming out with motherhood statements, but it goes without saying that we need the right people coming into the country. The question should be asked who decides who are the right people?
History shows even with some bad elements, our immigration regime has been a success. Without it, Australia would not be the rich country it is.
It should be remembered that when Donald Horne wrote The Lucky Country, it was used as a term of irony not a celebration of greatness.
Peter Roche, Carlton
Increasing trauma
Buried in its migration policy, the Coalition proposes a halving of the number of people coming to Australia under the humanitarian program. Further, it will require applicants to lodge applications
for protection within 30 days of arrival.
Experience demonstrates applicants are at their most traumatised at the point of arrival.
Other changes are proposed, and the common factor is to hurt the most traumatised.
It’s time for Opposition Leader Angus Taylor to think again.
Andrew Hewett, Brunswick
Aged need migrants
Those of us who are aged 70 and above are not impressed by the Liberal and One Nation proposal to slash immigrant numbers.
There is a shortage of suitable aged care workers – the majority of whom are immigrants.
The media need to query Angus Taylor and Pauline Hanson as to how our ageing population will be suitably cared for without these wonderful support staff.
Barry James, Lilydale
Reversing course difficult
Commentators lament that reductions in migration may lead to labour shortages and other negative effects on the economy. Here is a key point that everyone misses. We can always increase migration again. Whereas, once you have granted too many visas, it is very difficult legally or practically to reverse course.
Chris J. Lloyd, Professor of Business Statistics, Melbourne Business School
UK backpackers let loose
I find it infuriating that among the proposed changes to the migration program, limiting the uncapped numbers of UK backpackers to Australia is not one of them. International students and skilled migrants contribute so much more to this country than British holidaymakers who are not required to work in the primary industries to earn their stay. Thanks to Scott Morrison, everyone else gets punished.
James O’Keefe, Prahran
Tearing up Treaty
I share your correspondent’s concern (Letters, 7/10) about the Victorian Coalition’s plan to tear up our Treaty.
Liberal leader Jess Wilson mentions the money that will be “saved” by abolishing the Treaty, but fails to ask, “At what cost?”
In place of the Treaty, the Victorian Liberals have pledged to create a whole new government department, First Nations Victoria. What will that cost?
Governments have repeatedly failed to improve the health, social, and educational outcomes for Australia’s First Peoples.
Under the Treaty, we finally have a mechanism with a good chance of achieving positive change. It was developed through a decade of goodwill and bi-partisan collaboration with democratically elected First Nations representatives. Surely, an approach that has the backing of the group it applies to has the best chance of success.
Why would Wilson risk undoing all that good work, wasting all the resources that went into its creation, and repeat the same old failed approach of “we know best”?
Julia Croatto, Kew
Tram hazards
My wife and I were appalled to read of the tragic outcome for Pauline following a fall on a tram in September 2022 (“Pauline died after a tram fall. Her family still waits on answers”, 6/10). We could not believe that Yarra Trams’ protocol “required the immediate evacuation of the tram” leaving Pauline on the footpath.
The article raises other safety concerns for us as 80-year-olds who regularly use trams. Firstly, the older trams, in particular, often take off with quite a lurch before one has time to touch on one’s myki and find a seat.
Secondly, seats on crowded trams are often taken by young people with headphones on and eyes glued to their phones. While there are exceptions, many young people make no attempt to offer us a seat, even those designated for the disabled. The hazards of public transport use need to be addressed.
Robert Adler, Albert Park
Anger at treatment
I witnessed an older gentleman collapse on a tram. I put him in the recovery position, and called my father (a doctor) who talked me through steps to monitor his welfare. Bystanders alerted the driver and requested an ambulance. It was 20 minutes later that the tram stopped. The driver came and asked the man to get up off the floor and sit on a seat. The man – semi-conscious – did not clear the aisle as requested. The driver then ordered everyone off, including me. I left the man lying on the floor in an empty tram. After reading the experience shared by Pauline’s family, I feel my anger from that day rise again.
Ripeka Walker, Carlton North
US response killed millions
Matthew Knott acknowledges the casualty figures resulting from Hamas’ terrorist attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, were in per capita terms, 13 times greater than the fatalities of 9/11 (“Why October 7 changed everything”, 7/10). He also acknowledges Israel’s response resulted in accusations of it committing genocide, a charge that has been repeatedly levelled at Israel in wars that it didn’t initiate since its creation in 1948.
What also needs to be acknowledged is that the United States’ response to 9/11 was estimated to have resulted in about 4.5 million deaths, and the displacement of 38 million people, but no charges of genocide, nor the level of opprobrium that was promptly meted out to Israel as it yet again was forced to respond to those who sought its elimination.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
Climate hypocrisy
If I were Sitiveni Rabuka, Prime Minister of Fiji, I would be tempted to send Anthony Albanese to The Hague to answer to a higher court for the hypocrisy of Australia’s climate policies (“Pacific leaders demand an end to global fossil fuel addiction”, 7/10).
In 2025, the International Court of Justice said states had legal obligations to protect the climate system and prevent significant transboundary environmental harm. It also recognised that climate impacts such as sea-level rise could impair fundamental human rights.
Surely, you cannot stand on the front line of the climate crisis, express concern for nations facing rising seas, and then continue backing a fossil-fuel industry that is a main driver of the problem?
The Pacific deserves more than sympathetic words and photo opportunities. It deserves action.
Paul Caine, Glen Huntly
Action not words
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said the Pacific region was “unified not uniform on climate issues” (“Pacific leaders demand an end to global fossil fuel addiction”, 7/10). Clever words, but, our atmosphere needs united, uniform phasing-out of burning coal and gas now.
Jenny Smithers, Ashburton
Growth not sustainable
The concept that Australia needs to produce more babies and there should be incentives for Australians to have more children (“My ovaries are nearly at extinction point, but I’m open to bribes”, 7/10) is consistent with mainstream economics that is based on continual growth including of humans. The perpetual growth model, however, is not consistent with a sustainable world. The planet has limited resources.
But economic models do not incorporate this fact. Despite the overwhelming evidence of humanity’s increasing adverse effects on our planet, overall, it receives insufficient attention in our finance-driven economy.
It is clearly in our interests to remedy this situation that drives us to grow, possibly to extinction.
Leigh Ackland, Deepdene
Where is empathy?
As avid reader of the Letters section, I am increasingly in despair. “Stop the world, I want to get off” comes to mind.
Have we gone completely mad? Where is the empathy, the compassion, the care, the will to stand for the greater good? Where have the responsible adults gone?
We all need to take a long, hard look at ourselves and stop this selfish, inward looking behaviour.
Julie Perry, Highton
Resist AI threats
Let’s straighten out the definitions. AI “agents” are computers or machines. They are not being “trained” with someone else’s intellectual property – they are using, borrowing or stealing that content. There must be some guts shown in resisting this imposition.
Any threats of a reduction in investment in Australia if the AI giants don’t get their way should be treated with the disdain they deserve.
Neil Falconer, Castlemaine
Logistical exercise
It sounds as though the new zones at Melbourne Airport for drop-off and pick-up require travellers to navigate new areas (“Travellers up in air over departure of ’70s era drop-off ramp”, 7/10). Surprisingly, the new zones do not align with the arrival and departure halls, plus only the first five minutes are free.
What a joke! Now travelling requires a logistical exercise.
Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East
Good exercise
So you are going to fly off somewhere, sitting still for perhaps six hours or more on your journey. Your body will now appreciate the extra walk to the check-in counters from the new drop-off area at the airport.
John Hart, Bright
AND ANOTHER THING …
Politics
Sussan Ley was Liberal leader for 276 days before being dumped for Angus Taylor, who has been in the job for 236 days. According to my calculations, he has 40 days to prove he’s worth keeping. I don’t like his chances.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Juggling immigration and housing stats is a lot easier than facing up to the elephant in the room: One Nation’s “monoculture” agenda.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Without immigrants, who’ll do all the work?
Peter Rooke, Hawthorn
Plague
Is this the way the world ends? Not with a bang but a whimper of thousands of sufferers from pneumonic plague leaked out from a Russian laboratory.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
I suppose Russian transparency about the death of a young lady from pneumonic plague will be much the same as China’s about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marie Nash, Balwyn
State election
What happens if One Nation wins a sizeable number of seats in the election, and neither the ALP nor the Liberals can form a government in their own right? Surely, the best option for Victorians would be for Labor and Liberals to work together to provide a sensible government.
Russ Newton, Black Rock
One Nation seems to be offering gullible voters a chance to ramp up fiscal irresponsibility in Victoria, as if it isn’t sky-high already.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
The election choice is like a rainbow – red and blue along with green and orange – but oh, for some sense.
Bruce Dudon, Woodend
Furthermore
The Liberal Party finally found a loophole to bump Hughesy from their campaign strategy.
Paul Custance, Highett
Finally
The tomato plants are thriving with the extra hour of sunlight.
George Reed, Wheelers Hill
Thank you, Judith Lucy: mammogram booked.
Robyn Stonehouse, Camberwell
The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.
