Ward on wrong track on trains blame game

South Coast commuters have been seeing the now five-year-delayed intercity trains run empty, on test, for many months (“NSW’s new trains to miss opening date”, September 2). They are a ghost fleet. Now Coalition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward claims 2024 is becoming “the year of delay for transport projects under the Labor government”.

This is a train set badly designed and commissioned in 2019 by her party, delayed to remedy obvious faults (even too wide to fit platforms) then delayed again in a long and bitter dispute between her government and the rail union partly over safety fears. While commuters cram on old and overcrowded trains. Now Ward blames Labor for her delays? I can smell the hypocrisy from Thirroul Station. Mark Southcott, Thirroul

It seems the entire new section of the Sydney Metro that includes tunnelling under Sydney’s harbour was built in the five years that the new intercity city train carriage system sat parked in the sheds while successive state governments tried to sort out a way to make them work. The cost to the taxpayer during this period is inexcusable. We see these shiny new carriages every day scattered all along the sidings for “trial runs” and we wonder when we will be offered a more comfortable way to experience the daily commute. Frustration is hardly the answer as we continue to cope with the tired old system we currently endure. No Wi-Fi connection in huge chunks of the journey, no charge points, no baggage storage and antiquated toilet facilities. It’s no wonder the roads continue with bumper to bumper peak hour stretches as the intercity rail network offers a facility from another century. Greg Vale, Kiama

Despite all the dramas getting the Chatswood to Sydenham Metro up and running, it turns out I was wrong to suggest in a previous letter that it wouldn’t be operational before Christmas. It seems the new intercity trains and the Parramatta light rail are the transport projects consigned to that category. Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills

Be thankful the new intercity trains weren’t manufactured by Boeing. Like the astronauts, you could be waiting eight months for your return journey. Bob Roobottom, Taree

Bush needs refugees

Originally from then war-torn Syria, our dedicated local GP has moved north, after years of extraordinarily devoted service to the community (Letters, September 2). His patients are in limbo, and his Uralla Medical Centre is moribund.

In that multitude of desperate people in Palestine seeking refuge, there must be GPs (and nurses) who’d love to fill the void, not just in Uralla but in the many other towns lacking a GP, and in the regional hospitals that are understaffed and where their wonderful people overworked to the point of exhaustion. How hard would it be for a bevy of bureaucrats to humanely expedite the process and plonk the candidates and their families on a plane to the peace and promise of Australia? While they’re at it, they might round up quotas of maths and science teachers, uni lecturers, plumbers, electricians, and so on, and offer them free flights to our very own paradise as well. We’ve boundless plains to share, remember. Kent Mayo, Uralla

I’m appalled at the dearth of letters on these pages about the shocking suicide of a desperate victim of the deliberate, bilateral cruelty of Australia’s widely accepted policy of torturing some politically convenient asylum seekers. Appalled at myself for not writing sooner. We have seen the final immolation of any claim to being a just, humane society.
Jeffrey Mellefont, Coogee

Water torture

Everybody needs to play their part if we are to solve the housing crisis (“Water wars starve city of new homes”, September 2). Sydney Water may or may not be playing its part. But there is someone else who is part of the team; the one holding the purse strings. Opposition housing spokesperson Andrew Bragg has threatened that if enough houses are not built, then the Coalition (if elected) would penalise the state government by reducing the Commonwealth funds available to them. How would that help? With less money available, either the houses definitely won’t be built or other services provided to the people of NSW would suffer. The Commonwealth can’t act as if it’s somebody else’s problem. The one who puts up the money is also part of the team. Everybody needs to play their part. David Rush, Lawson

I’ve spent 25 years in the construction industry and have seen the approval time frames for Development Approvals (DA) and services works such as power and water blow out. Even though a project may have DA approval, commencement cannot start until Sydney Water issues its own approval, which in some cases, can take more than six months after the DA has been issued. If you are building near a major sewer pipe, approval of designs for protecting it can take over 12 months. Sydney Water has suffered budget cuts resulting in a decimated workforce that lacks the knowledge and resources to respond to current housing and infrastructure requirements let alone further increased housing demands. Warwick Spencer, West Pymble

Another day, another crisis involving Sydney Water. On one hand, we have the real estate industry suggesting it’s Sydney Water and then we have Sydney Water suggesting it is not the planning authority. What is apparent is that none of the entities involved worked collectively and that ultimately it seems no one was accountable. That’s either an oversight or a deliberate strategy. And yet I’m reminded of all the “good news” stories and media releases with various politicians and the like over the past few years. I’m surely not the only one seeing the cant, hypocrisy and irony.
Ultimately, this entire water debacle is an abject failure of outsourcing, privatisation, corporatising, industry lobbying, an absence of vision and turbocharged greed by our political classes and their enablers at the local/state/federal government levels. All this development going on with not enough water and not enough tradies, while enabling a land boom and skyrocketing prices surge. A sure fire way for a plan to fail. Bernard Stever, Richmond

In defence of Sydney Water, the lead time on infrastructure is probably longer for it than for any other type such as poles and wires or roads. At what point in the development process should it commit money and resources? When an area is nominated for housing, in which case actual roads and buildings are not decided? When blocks are defined, in which case how do you cater for blocks of units that may be two or 20 storeys high? Or when the picture is 80 per cent clear, in which case there will be a delay because it may take months to build the water, sewerage, pumps and treatment facilities? Before all this can happen, the government has to allocate the capital to do the work. Don’t blame Sydney Water. Blame the developers who don’t take the necessary timeline into their plans. Neville Turbit, Russell Lea

Stamp of approval

I read with delight Rob Harris’ report on how Governor-General Sam Mostyn is putting her own personal stamp on her new role (“Pomp is out for GG into selfies, sneakers, chats”, September 2). When her appointment was announced, the usual criticisms surfaced: she was not a bloke, she didn’t have a military uniform and her background wasn’t right. Well, it seems that might be just what we needed. I might even have to change my republican views. Jan Boyd, Sylvania

What a great tribute to Ms Mostyn. She will be a great governor-general. She even took time out from her busy schedule to pen a letter congratulating our choir, Blokes Notes, on our recent achievements at the World Choir Games. Tom Meakin, Port Macquarie

Make Parramatta a housing hub

Parramatta and surrounding areas, the geographic centre of Greater Sydney, should be the focus of increased housing densities (“Suburbia can be the new green home of sustainability”, September 2). The historical Sydney CBD grew out of the greed of vested interests, which undermined Governor Macquarie’s attempts to decentralise the city centre to Parramatta and left a growing city fractured by Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River, served by mainly ridge-bound, congested road systems to areas of narrow, undulating topography. City living means living at medium to high densities that can support mass transportation, cultural and recreational activities and that can provide adequate open spaces and even wilderness. Parramatta and surrounds are better suited for that than the existing middle and inner suburbs. Graham Short, Cremorne

It is not quite true to say, as your correspondent has done, that “both sides of politics have been guilty of treating housing as an asset class, rather than a place to call home” (Letters, September 2). The policies that Bill Shorten took to the 2019 election, including modifications to negative gearing and capital gains rules, would have gone a long way towards making housing less attractive as an investment. The Australian people didn’t vote for him and the Labor Party has been running scared from similar policies ever since, so we are the ones who bear the final responsibility. John Croker, Woonona

Amicable divorce

Great news – the Wests Tigers marriage may go the same way as the ill-fated Northern Eagles merger – to the divorce court (“Wests Tigers owners to discuss O’Farrell tenure”, September 2). Wests have two successful leagues clubs at Ashfield and Leumeah. The Balmain Tigers half of the equation is a basket case (examine the remains of their leagues club on Victoria Rd Rozelle). Balmain’s home ground, Leichhardt Oval, is unsuitable for NRL matches: ever tried to park or get there by public transport? Balmain’s NSW Cup side can continue to play there, and the Wests Magpies can be rebadged the Macarthur Magpies at their Campbelltown base, a vast growth area for rugby league. And the stadium at Leumeah is adjacent to the railway station. Chris Sim, Kogarah

If it came to a choice between Balmain and Wests as a standalone NRL club, then the future would have to be with Wests, given the ever-expanding population of the western suburbs of Sydney. Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga

Census by data

It could be argued that there are other means than a periodic census for our authorities and bureaucracies to find out what makes us tick (Letters, August 31). Our personal data, hoovered up by the tech corporates and others nonstop in real time, could and should be made accessible to our decision-makers for planning purposes. The techs could probably also help out with factoring in our gender and sexual preferences. Google it, mate. Dieter Stuempfl, Bonnells Bay

Lighten up, people

How sad that because of the political optics, our prime minister and his partner have to put off their wedding until cost-of-living issues aren’t as urgent (“PM holds off on tying knot until after election”, September 2). I know people are doing it tough, but seriously, can’t we lighten up sometimes?
John Bailey, Canterbury

According to many letter writers, Albo can’t win. It is apparent that he is attempting to be a civilised leader and to remove aggression from the political debate. This has led to descriptions of his style as “vanilla” and “meek”. I remain optimistic that discernible voters will side with reason over irrational. John Anderson, MacMasters Beach

Water clarity, please

I hope there are advisers strongly recommending that the premier change his position on seeking an explanation for the lack of testing for forever chemicals (PFAS) in the Sydney water supply (“Minns won’t seek explanation on forever chemicals”, August 31). That the various authorities have been aware of the need for testing for upward of nine years and have not done anything until prodded into action until inquiries from the Herald is an unacceptable situation by any standard.
The current Australian guidelines are clearly no longer fit for purpose when looking at the US water quality guidelines. There is nothing stopping Sydney Water from testing to a higher standard than the current Australian guidelines.
To prevent future occurrences of this sort, an explanation is needed, if not an outright inquiry. It is unlikely that this will be the last instance where new chemicals come to light that we should be testing for to keep out of the water supply.
Philip Rosenberger, Ashfield

China threat is real

Your editorial clearly recognises the diplomatic sensitivities related to the region’s changing geopolitical focus (“China bullies Pacific Forum into seeing its world view”, September 1). However, what is not made clear is the inevitability of Chinese hegemony in the Asia/Pacific region irrespective of our disapproval. China’s ever-increasing economic and military power is a fact we cannot ignore. Surely our diplomatic efforts should be based upon a recognition of this reality. Peter Thomas, Rose Bay

Casino solution

The emerging evidence might suggest the business model for mega-casinos such as Star City is in trouble without the turnover from money-laundering and problem gamblers (“Star chases cash to keep afloat, regain casino licence”, September 2). Properly compliant operations might work only in much less costly, smaller premises or in conjunction with associated activities in larger buildings where there is only modest reliance upon gambling cash flow. Hopefully, shareholders and management are turning their minds to this issue. Ross Hannah, Bowral

Ranga management

Bravo Gary Nunn (“What’s in a nickname? Nothing incorrect”, September 2). Last week I celebrated my 50th anniversary of arriving in Australia as an assisted migrant from Britain. Within less than 24 hours, I was already being called a “pommy bastard”, “a whingeing pom” and doubts were being expressed about my interest in personal hygiene. All classic examples of Aussie lingo and Aussie humour, and all delivered with a smile. Just imagine running to the Office of the Independent Assessor over this. As Nunn says, we know what terms are extremely derogatory and context and contextualisation are everything. All that the complaint about Mayor Tom Tate’s “ranga” comment does is to stimulate the bigots who really do seek to offend and hurt. Ken Webb, Epping

Tweet treats

As well as letters to the editor, can we have a selection of tweets to the editor? It would be good for quick summaries of what’s going on. And let’s face it, hardly anyone these days is permitted to finish a sentence in conversation. Mary Julian, Glebe (Great idea; my X (Twitter) handle is @margotsaville.)

Bracket creep

At a recent family dinner, the conversation turned to punctuation; to curly brackets specifically and we wondered what happened to them (little seen today). John Dixon, Turramurra

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