In 2010, a group of 25 concerned citizens from the Central Coast chartered a bus and took a journey from the source of the Murray river at Tom Groggin in the Snowy Mountains to the mouth of the Murray at Goolwah (The tragedy of the Murray-Darling river is man made. SMH on line 25 July). We had arranged to meet community groups, local officials and graziers along the way. What they told us and what we saw ourselves was appalling.
The millennium drought was still affecting the river. The Murray mouth was blocked by sand and the Murray-Darling river system was dying. On the way back home in the dry and dusty Riverina, we heard on ABC Radio about the water buybacks, and the whole bus cheered. But there was a sting in the tail in the Basin Plan that included a clause, which stated that a water licence could be transferred to another location.
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
Now what has happened is that many of those water allocations have migrated north and have been swallowed up by several large consortiums, which can on-sell the water at a profit. Many of those small communities downstream we visited are now unable to survive.
Chris Moe Bensville
Illustration: Ron Tandberg
Four Corners showed us just what is wrong with the Murray/Darling/Barwon River systems in the far west but there is one question not tackled in this excellent program: will the pirates taking and using millions (billions?) of litres of river water illegally pay tax on their ill-gotten gains? After all we are all behind the ATO in clawing back taxes from overseas companies – just don't forget the illegal users of water in this country.
Gloria Healey Condell Park
My three-point plan to remedy the abuse of water entitlements by cotton farmers: strip them of their entitlements, disable their pumps, invoke proceeds of crime legislation against their assets. The massive return of water to the river systems would result in the requisite environmental outcomes without cost to taxpayers.
Rod Milliken Greenwell Point
Skewed priorities
Thank you for the concise summary of the issues around coal exploration and mining ("Shenhua coal 'buyout' must prompt mining reform", July 26). There needs to be a re-balancing of priorities in this state. I never imagined a scenario where I would be in agreement with Alan Jones but here I am. How is it still possible that some of the best farming land in the world, in the Liverpool Plains and the Bylong Valley, would even be considered an appropriate place to build an open cut mine in an era of falling coal demand and climate change? It is easy to live in our metropolitan, coastal bubble and forget where our bread, meat, milk, wine and beer come from. Without the land and the people who work it, there won't be any one day … and then what?
Jennifer Dunn Winston Hills
Beyond the Liverpool Plains, precious farmland and water resources remain threatened by coal mines. Prime among them is the Bylong Valley, where the proposed Bylong mine will deplete aquifers, permanently affecting groundwater connectivity. When will Gladys Berejiklian forge a different path and protect the Bylong Valley from the threat of coal mining?
Anne O'Brien Parramatta
The NSW government's decision to pay Shenhua $262 million in compensation for cancelling the Watermark coal mine reeks of kow-towing to the Chinese government. No compensation is necessary and the government needs to refocus its attention on cancelling the Korean company KEPCO's proposed Bylong coal mine. This mine has the potential to cut open more essential agricultural land than the Shenhua Watermark mine. Not only will it cause more than 10 metres of drawdown of an aquifer used by irrigators and cattle farmers, but it will also cause the loss of 319 hectares of strategic agricultural land and nearly 700 hectares of land that is mapped as part of the equine critical industry cluster. KEPCO controls nearly half the available water in the Bylong River water source and intends to redirect this water from irrigated agriculture to open cut mining. KEPCO has bought tens of thousands of hectares of strategic farmland, floodplains, thoroughbred properties, historic properties, homes and facilities in the Bylong region and caused substantial social and economic dislocation. Such lands should be permanently and securely made off-limits to mining activity.
Suraya Coorey Woy Woy
While sitting in an emergency bed in Mt Druitt Hospital for a second day, waiting for an available bed in Blacktown Hospital, I read the editorial about the Watermark mining lease buyback. It is clear the Mining Act needs immediate reform so monies are spent on essential services for the people of NSW and not given to international mining companies for approvals that never should have been given. Please get your government priorities right. (FYI – I have now had my transfer to Blacktown Hospital).
Antony Lewis Mount Druitt
Gittins' call on terrorism as a 'scam' draws long bow
In seeking to downplay the threats society faces from terrorism, Ross Gittins left out deaths from bathroom drownings and ladder falls ("The biggest scam and why we fall for it", July 26). Not to mention all the menacing fauna in our island nation. These and the examples by Ross are pernicious nonsense. There is no comparison between deaths by accident, misadventure or disease with those from terrorists. In Britain, terrorists intended to kill and maim young teenage girls. We need our government and security forces to be vigilant to ensure the deaths of Manchester, Paris and Belgium do not happen here. Such protections are hardly a scam.
Tony Nicod Collaroy
Congratulations to Ross Gittins for applying some overdue common sense and realistic perspective to the home security debate. For decades, conservative governments have used security issues to justify major and expensive cuts to more worthy causes like health and education. This has been happening since Bob Menzies scared the country with his tales of the "yellow peril" threat descending from Asia, and will remain the LNP policy while ever the media sensationalises even the most minor security threat.
Max Redmayne Russell Lea
Ross Gittins is one of my favourite journalists, but he draws a long bow when he simply compares numbers of deaths from natural and unnatural events. Terrorist deaths in the US were also relatively minimal before 9/11. Then the whole world changed. Any suggestion of complacency towards terrorism, which is characterised by indiscriminate attacks on humankind, and Australia's wonderful lifestyle will be shred to its foundations.
Frank Carroll Moorooka, Qld
New line of argument on dual citizenship
I am only 14 years old, but I watch the news. I want to say politicians should be able to have a dual citizenship ("Minister quits over citizenship", July 26). The head of state of Australia is a British citizen and she was born, and lives in, the United Kingdom. I do not see the point that members of the House of Representatives and the Senate cannot be a citizen of another country and serve this country as a politician at the same time. The politicians should be at least able to have citizenship in a Commonwealth country.
Nicholas Hodgkinson Paddington
Type the words "Italian Citizenship Law" into Google and the first link states: "Italian citizenship is granted by birth through the paternal line, with no limit on the number of generations, or through the maternal line for individuals born after 1 January 1948. An Italian citizen may be born in a country whose citizenship is acquired at birth by all persons born there." If this is correct, and there are many other sources which confirm it, he did not acquire Italian citizenship as a result of the actions of his mother but has been one since birth. The powerbrokers in all the parties should know this.
Paul Fergus Manly
Both my parents immigrated to Australia from Italy and were Italian citizens prior to converting to Australian citizenship. Now although both my parents had been Italian citizens and I was born in Australia, I did not automatically qualify for Italian citizenship. I would have had to actually apply for Italian citizenship if I had wanted to become an Italian citizen.
Renato Sburlati Sans Souci
Senator Matt Canavan's claim that the he was unaware until last week of his Italian citizenship is implausible. Surely his mum told him in 2007. Also Italian citizenship is only transmitted via the father so this casts more doubt on his claim.
Tony Simons Balmain
As a fellow dual citizen (Australian/Italian), I find it curious that Matt Canavan didn't know he was similarly placed given that he would have received, via the Brisbane Consulate, offers to vote in Italian elections/referendums/local government as I have during the past few years. I choose not to vote as I was born here over 80 years ago and only applied for Italian citizenship to help my grandchildren if they decide to go to Europe to work. Perhaps with the best of motives, Senator Canavan's mother did the same.
Doug Cadioli Victoria Point Qld
Why can't the parliament vote for a temporary suspension of this citizenship law, reinstate these hard-working politicians and allow three months for all members of parliament to check their citizenship and if an oversight is evident, give them a chance to renounce any foreign citizenship of which they were not aware?
Leo Sorbello Leichhardt
Australia is surely grateful that the dual citizenship epidemic appears quarantined in the Australian Senate and has not spread to the lower House of Representatives. An errant passport on either side of the House would have catastrophic repercussions for either party, indeed the whole parliament. Are we to truly believe this issue is restricted to the Senate. What are they all hiding?
Santo Calabrese Cherrybrook
Shouldn't Canavan resign and his mother be charged with falsifying documents if he did not give consent?
Damien Moore Newtown
"Mum gave it to me". Matt Canavan invoking what should be known henceforth as the Shane Warne defence.
Gabrielle Foster Wentworth Falls
The Sirius is a gem
It is most gratifying to see the Sirius Building get the reprieve it deserves ("Sirius uprising", July 26). Brutalist it might be, but an architectural gem it certainly is. Meanwhile what about that monstrosity at the other end of the Bridge, the completely misnamed Greenway block? A relic of "Early Ugly" functionalism more befitting an East European communist satellite than the shores of Sydney Harbour.
Peter Clark Killarney Heights
Faith schools choice
As an SRE teacher in Punchbowl Public the 30 minutes is not wasted time (Letters, July 25). I have a good relationship with the Buddhist, Islamic and Catholic SRE teachers. Our students come from families that value their religious beliefs and have chosen not to send their children to a religious school. They can understand more deeply the faith teaching that parents have chosen to send them to.
Michelle Lim Menai
Transfixing musician
Australians would be devastated to hear of the too-soon passing of the accomplished Indigenous and blind musician, Dr G Yunupingu ("Voice with the power to transfix", smh.com.au July 26). As was affirmed back in 2008 about his sublime singing, his songs changed the way you breathe. In an industry often dripping with self-absorption, monotonous music and ephemeral performers, Yunupingu's tranquil voice crossed generations and stilled many troubled souls across the nation.
Peter Waterhouse Craigieburn VIC
Our right of passage
Julie Bishop says that the Chinese spy ship is entitled to be off the Australian coast ("Chinese spy ship", July 26). Australian naval vessels are also entitled to exercise the right of free passage through the South China Sea. How about it, minister?
Ross Langford-Brown Randwick
Irrigation scandal is our own watergate
MurrayDarlingBasinAuthoritygate – no. Irrigatorgate – no. Barwonrivergate – no. Oh bugger, Watergate!
Steve Sherwood Clovelly
Between big irrigators, big developers and big casino, it seems that the Berejiklian government is owned by big business. Someone throw Gladys a life-preserver, she is drowning not waving.
Tony Walbran Dee Why
The National Party went to the election as the party for graziers and farmers. How and why have they become the champions of foreign coal and gas at the expense of our food security?
Maria Bradley Coogee
Deposit scheme
While Gladys is enacting legislation to ban plastic bags (Letters, July 26) she should bring back the deposit collection system for bottles that we once had in NSW, and extend it to cans. Responsible governments in South Australia and the Northern Territory have maintained these schemes; inexplicably we did not.
Mark Sexton Oakhampton
Job for developers
So the state government is going to charge a $20,000-per-dwelling levy to fund the infrastructure needed in areas where development has boomed ("70,000 homes hit by levy", July 26). Perhaps a better idea would have been to get the developers, who have made countless millions, to put the infrastructure there in the first place.
Debra Miniutti Ashbury
Right to write
Let's hope for many that being born overseas does not disqualify a letter writer.
Mustafa Erem Terrigal