Wilderness Australia told a Senate inquiry last week that there is no larger unregulated industrial polluter impacting on more Australians than aviation. As the organisation’s project officer, I explained that airport flight paths need noise pollution licences and environmental assessment processes where the proponent federal department is not the approval authority, as currently. The united position of residents and conservation groups on Western Sydney Airport includes a legislated curfew, flight limits and protection of World Heritage areas, as in the US. The Albanese government should establish an effective flight path regulatory framework to control noise pollution impacts for all Australian airports. Otherwise, aircraft noise can only be curbed through the ballot box, as happened with the third runway at Kingsford Smith Airport. Keith Muir, Katoomba
Carolyn Wong, President of the Luddenham Progress Association, says local residents are leaving.Credit: Wolter Peeters
Mukul Desai suggests that just because the Western Sydney Airport was considered for a long time, the residents of western Sydney somehow are all prepared to be discriminated against with 24/7 aircraft noise, while those of eastern Sydney can have a curfew. Perhaps he never partakes of the quiet landscapes of the Blue Mountains World Heritage-listed national park, otherwise he might not be so baffled as to why a noise-free zone is so important there. The new airport could have been built away from populated areas but the apparently unimportant people of the west have been casually sold out by both the Liberal and the Labor parties. Many cities do not operate 24/7. For the sake of good health Sydney should remain so as well. Julius Timmerman, Lawson
I share the concerns of residents near the new Western Sydney Airport, it is simply not fair that ordinary people have to bear the brunt of profit-making airlines. The problem is that noise is measured using criteria which favour the airlines at the cost of the residents. The Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) is a logarithmic measure of noise where each “contour” is a doubling of noise, which is never explained to the public. In any case, it is only a forecast of the noise nuisance, not the actual noise. Ground noise has never been included in calculating noise disturbance from any airport; again, the public are never told this. While I am willing to support affected residents in the western suburbs, I am disappointed that these same residents didn’t support those around Kingsford Smith Airport when they were battling (and still battle) noise. Had governments been forced to use fairer criteria for limiting noise, we all wouldn’t be in the mess we are in now. Bruce Welch, Marrickville
A major issue raised by the residents of Luddenham is the use of reverse engine thrust when aircraft land and the difference experienced from ground-level noise as opposed to in-flight noise (“Airport neighbours set new fight path”, August 12).
It is interesting that the effectiveness of reverse thrust is not necessary to obtain certification of an aircraft. In fact, an aircraft must be able to stop after landing without the use of reverse thrust to obtain certification. The choice on whether or not to use this method of slowing the aircraft is usually made by each airline, except in cases where it might be necessary to clear a runway quickly for whatever reason or an aborted take-off. Max Petrie, Palm Beach
Another financial mess
Surely the people polled who think that the Coalition are better financial managers have short memories (“Coalition extends its poll lead on economic management”, August 12). I think when people say that, they are actually saying that the Coalition is more likely to manage the economy to their benefit regardless of their actual financial acumen. Neil Reckord, Gordon (ACT)
Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese.Credit: Fairfax Media
The RBA is reportedly blaming federal and state spending on putting pressure on inflation. So, is that all inflation? Government spending presumably doesn’t put pressure on prices of fruit, insurance or petrol. Or is the argument that if it puts pressure on some components of inflation then it effectively puts pressure on the total?
The concern is that inflation affects everybody. Yet it clearly affects some more than others. And is it all government spending? What about the spending that provides services or essential infrastructure? And what about the spending needed to relieve cost-of-living pressures? Rather than provide relief, the RBA and conservative economists would rather that more suffering was imposed through higher interest rates.
If government spending must be cut to avoid the RBA inflicting more pain, then be selective in what is cut. Cut spending which goes to those who are less affected by inflation. Don’t cut spending that is intended to relieve cost-of-living pressures. And consider tax increases – tax is effectively negative spending, and increasing it has the same effect in reducing demand. More nuanced problems call for more nuanced solutions. David Rush, Lawson
It must be depressing for the ALP to see the Coalition preferred as economic managers when their relative performances in government indicate the complete opposite. Do those voters polled think that things will be different next time the Coalition is in government? Or is it simply the distorted messages they receive from their chosen information sources? This is something that recurs over the ages, so there must be a PhD in analysing this concerning phenomenon. Alan Carruthers, Artarmon
Have the 40 per cent of respondents who think that the Coalition is better at managing the economy forgotten that Josh Frydenberg and colleagues never managed a surplus and saddled us with the biggest debt as well as gifting many billions to companies who didn’t need it, in their nine years of rule. Dierk Mohr, South Turramurra
Trump is not the answer
Yes, George Brandis, it is shameful that both sides of American politics ignored the valid concerns of the lesser-educated sectors who were left behind by globalisation from the ’90s on (“How Trump weaponised grievance”, August 12). The dog-eat-dog US mentality meant they were just left to suffer real income reduction and hopelessness and blamed for it. Trump has successfully tapped into their understandable dissatisfaction without, of course, offering any actual fix other than voting him in. Did he help them in the tiniest whit during his last term in office? No, he did not; his tariff on Chinese goods just made stuff his constituency could afford more expensive and drove up inflation to boot. Biden’s moves on transitioning to a lower-carbon economy could be presented by Harris as a genuine saviour to those communities, by contrast to Trump claiming they can go on digging up coal forever. But the Democrats have to pitch that to those states in terms they will see as an immediate advantage and a future. Andrew Taubman, Queens Park
Donald Trump Credit: AP
George Brandis is out by decades in crediting Trump for moving identity politics from the left to the right. “Grievance, defensive self-consciousness, victimhood”, xenophobia and bigotry were all front and centre of Hitler’s rise to power and rule. Trump’s rhetoric has mimicked that of Hitler, describing immigrants as “vermin” (despite his own family being German immigrants) and “poisoning the blood of America”. Those supporting this type of political hate and division should be careful what they wish for. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl
George Brandis states that Trump has picked up on working-class Americans feeling their lifestyle is scorned. An oversimplification at best. The past 30 years have seen the destruction of the middle class, the emergence of the working poor and a sense of increasing pessimism for the future as both sides of politics have pursued economically rationalist policies. Services have been privatised at the expense of service, and the benefits of globalisation have not been shared. That is where the resentment is coming from throughout the Western world. Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba
George Brandis lazily equates progressives with “the left”. No wonder “small l” liberals looking to move forward on climate science, corporate greed or gender equality are abandoning the Liberal party in droves. Colin Stokes, Camperdown
Brandis is correct in identifying the poorly-educated, white, rural poor as a group Trump has appropriated to his cause in large numbers. He ignores, however, the ironic cruelty this creates in the context of Trump’s policies, which will benefit the rich at the expense of this group. Wayne Duncombe, Lilyfield
George Brandis ignores the single greatest (and most blindingly obvious) cause of blue-collar discontent. It was the offshoring of manufacturing in the US and many other advanced economies to cash in on cheap third-world labour, all part of the great neoliberal con job embraced by Brandis’ political class. That was the original and greatest disrespect for the working class, George. Jeffrey Mellefont, Coogee
Breaking news, well done Raygun
Much has been made (and mocked) about Rachael Gunn (aka Raygun) and her breakdancing performance at Paris (“Creme de la creme in the City of Light restored our joie de vivre”, August 12). However, Raygun wasn’t just plucked off the streets to represent the nation; she had to qualify. She is also 36 and could never compete with the funky teenagers in terms of dexterity, so she did well to get on the platform in the first place. Also, it looks as if breaking is going to be a oncer in terms of an Olympic Games event. It will now join the list of other glorious abandoned Olympic sports such as croquet, live pigeon shooting, hot air ballooning and composition for one instrument.
If this is ultimately about participation and perpetuating the spirit of the Olympics, then Rachael Gunn has done us all a favour; she has got people talking and laughing about a less-marquee event in a way that probably wouldn’t happen with archery, shooting or equestrian.
In the end, she didn’t win any medals or even any votes, but, dressed like a primary school PE teacher, she wore the green and gold with pride and that is worth celebrating. Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn (Vic)
Raygun breakdancing.Credit: AP
Now the Olympic athletes are leaving the world stage. It’s time for another kind of hero to shine. They will leave us gasping, as they make light of their disability and demonstrate true grit. Bring on the Paralympics! Joan Brown, Orange
What’s all the fuss about Tom Cruise? In 2012, the Queen skydived out of a helicopter. Jo Rainbow, Orange
A growing menace
The Mosman hedge fight really fires me up (“Neighbours fight over hedge of reality in lilly pilly ding-dong”, August 12). I moved here a mere decade ago. Dozens, hundreds of trees in the reserve below now threaten my views of the Manhattan that others call St Leonards and the distant vista of North Sydney my guests flatteringly confuse with a “city view”. Every new leaf further lowers my status. Do you hear me Willoughby Council? I want them gone! Peter Farmer, Northbridge
Taming inflation
Ross Gittins today discusses additional powers that the Reserve Bank might need to better manage inflation (“A new approach is needed to compete with RBA’s blunt tool”, August 12). He suggests a mechanism to temporarily increase the GST. Good in theory, but the legislation controlling that would need to be ironclad because no treasurer would willingly let it revert to the old lower rate once inflation had eased. Ian Morris, Strathfield
To lower inflation, orthodox economics requires a rise in unemployment. This is usually achieved by a reduction in government spending. Peter Dutton and Angus Taylor plan to cut government spending on education, health, welfare and infrastructure and that will slow the economy and put more people out of work. Those who are angry with the government’s management of the economy need to be aware that the Coalition will only make things worse. John Bailey, Canterbury
Boost JobSeeker
The choices governments make are indeed puzzling and potentially deadly (“The price of a life? Don’t tell me, at all cost”, August 12). At present, perhaps the most bewildering decision is the refusal of the federal government to increase JobSeeker despite having a $22 billion budget surplus, and despite the pleas of welfare organisations and the evidence that the increase of the JobSeeker payment in the first few months of the pandemic dramatically transformed recipients’ lives. The Labor government’s refusal to increase JobSeeker is beyond comprehension. Alan Morris, Eastlakes
Rental as anything
Chris Minns’ proposed rental reform is timely (“Minns’ reforms to give rental certainty”, August 12). How though, does he see a situation such as my daughter recently experienced, when she was given notice to vacate after being an ideal tenant for 10 years and weathering the large periodic rent increases, in order for the owner of the unit to sell the property? Once she was out, the unit was readvertised at an even higher rent than she had been struggling to pay but always paid on time. If the reason to evict a tenant is for the purpose of “selling”, and then the owner doesn’t sell, how does Mr Minns intend to address this? Dorothy Gliksman, Cedar Brush Creek
Queuing for a rental property. It’s a landlords’ market.Credit: Paul Rovere
Young people are not the only ones affected by rental hassles. I am in my mid-60s and I have been renting for over 30 years. What I would like to see in any proposed rental reforms is a limit on how much the landlord can increase the rent. With the lack of rental properties around it is very hard to find somewhere else to live if the rental increase is high or just not to your liking. Most of us usually rent because we cannot afford to buy. I would love to own my own home but I left things too late to do that. So, Chris Minns, please include everyone, not just young people, in your rental reforms. Always be fair. Make sure, too, that those reforms are comprehensive. Susan Dean, Ashfield
Good on you Chris Minns. Rental reform is needed. The investor groups claiming investors may go elsewhere may be a good thing: it may make housing more affordable so that more young people can afford to buy. Katriona Herborn, Blackheath
Trouble brewing
As well as taking one’s own coffee machine to LA for the next Olympics, one might also consider packing one’s own teapot and packet of loose-leaf tea, for the same elusive reasons (Letters, August 12). John Swanton, Coogee
Yes to Peter Miniutti about coffee in the US. While holidaying in New York, we used to take the Staten Island Ferry across the water to enjoy a better coffee at the shop near the wharf on Staten Island. An Italian proprietor, I believe. A worthwhile jaunt. Alison Stewart, Waitara
Love is the Drug, but coffee is a close second.Credit: Bonnie Savage
Peter Miniutti describes coffee in the US. I think it is better described as throwing a single grain of instant coffee into a bath filled with tepid water and leaving it to stew for four hours before serving. Optional: a dollop of plastic foam on the top misleadingly called “cream”. The whole concoction is best avoided at all costs. Judy Hungerford, Kew (Vic)
Several years ago when visiting New York, I tracked down a hole in the wall cafe purportedly owned by Hugh Jackman serving good Australian coffee. After hearing my accent, an American customer approached me, and in an ambiguous tone, asked me was I “a Melbourne coffee snob”? Louise Whelan, Chatswood
Coffee? Your analysis of the appalling brews on offer was spot on. In Canada, we refer to it as SBL: Strange Brown Liquid.
John Burman, Port Macquarie
A few years ago while travelling in England, my wife and I despaired of ever getting a decent cup of Java. When visiting Dunster Castle, we hit rock bottom with a beverage that tasted as, I would guess, super-heated dishwater would taste. Now my whole family describes a poor coffee as a “Dunster”. Tony Hunt, Gordon
The nose knows
At the heart of Kate McClymont’s courage is her integrity, her nose for right and wrong. That is what gives her the confidence to face down the dodgy and the criminals who corrupt the organising systems of society. That basic sense of righteousness defines her. We need more like her. Margaret Bowman, Macquarie (ACT)
I had the privilege of hearing Kate McClymont reflect on her renowned excellence as an investigative journalist. As she said, stories she tells often start with answering a phone call from an insider blowing a whistle. Let us hope state and federal governments listen to what Kate says. Peter Mair, Dee Why
I wholeheartedly support all the praise given to Kate McClymont. Is it too early to suggest one of the new Rivercats, made in Australia, be named after her in the future? That way she can leave her imprint on the water daily, without breaking down, in the wake of her other victories across Sydney. Peter Skrzynecki, Eastwood
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