Who is taking who for a ride on rail duplication?

The real question a letter writer says is being avoided on rail duplication is “who is taking who for a ride here”?

A letter writer says the State Opposition is taking residents for a ride with its North Coast Rail Duplication project commitment. Picture: Jesse Smith/Brisbane

Rail doesn’t add up

REGARDING Jeffrey Addison’s letter (Daily, August 14).

His funding arithmetic on the rail duplication project doesn’t add up.

Some inconvenient facts seem to have escaped his attention and calculations.

The applicable National Transport Funding Agreement agrees an 80/20 (federal/state) funding formula for these developments.

The Federal Government has now reneged on the agreement.

It now proposes to only contribute 50 per cent to the duplication project, short-changing the state by more than $250 million.

The first $60 million of the federal duplication funding will not be available before 2020/21.

This is unlike the Victorian South Geelong to Waurn Ponds rail upgrade where the Federal Government will contribute 80 per cent of the required $700 million funding.

The State Government has already committed to fund 20 per cent of the project as the National Transport Funding Agreement requires.

It is funding the work currently under way.

The State Opposition has decided Queensland taxpayers will fund the federal $250 million shortfall.

But not before 2020/21. Funded how?

The real question Mr Addison avoids and should address is “who is taking who for a ride here”?

ANDREW MORAN, Battery Hill

Brave stance

WATCHING the brave young people of Hong Kong fight desperately to stay independent of China is something the rest of us need to support.

The question now is when will the Chinese tanks roll into this charming city and create another bloody Tiananmen Square massacre scene.

How would the world react if this were to happen?

Would the UN step in and condemn China?

What are the options for the people of Hong Kong?

If the people pull back from the brink will China insist on running the legal system for the country, will democracy disappear and authoritarian type government take its place?

The future looks bleak for them and will the world ever trust China again if they take over the country?

So many unknowns and most likely we are watching the final days of independence for the people of Hong Kong and nothing anyone can do to stop it.

KEITH WHITESIDE, Sippy Downs

No coincidence

THAT turtles are laying eggs on Mudjimba beach in our so-called winter is no mystery.

They are obviously more sensitive to climate change than most Australians.

Scientists have told us that climate change will move many tropical phenomena southward. Some of these moves are benign or neutral to humans, such as the turtle nests, but others are malign.

Those include mosquitoes and all the diseases they bring.

But we have a government that is burying its head in the sand, just like the turtle eggs, over the southward creep of global warming and the need to reduce carbon emissions by discouraging coal developments.

TED WEBBER, Buderim

Using the noodle

THERE was a beautiful photo of Noodle the baby giraffe, from Darren England (Daily, August 15) standing straight like a little soldier.

That Australia Zoo is helping to improve the survival chances of these creatures is encouraging.

Having seen a recent disturbing photo of a magnificent, full-grown giraffe shot and killed in a hunt in Africa, that a local zoo is “on the case” and producing viable babies from its breeding program, is priceless.

Once again, Australia Zoo leads the way in using their noodle.

CLAIRE JOLLIFE, Buderim

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