Credit:Illustration: Vintgage Cathy Wilcox
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ROADS AND TRAVEL
Failure to commit to the strictest compliance
Your correspondent (Letters, 10/10) highlights a very real issue with the condition of our road network. I suspect one answer is the result of outsourcing of road engineering and construction and maintenance to the private sector without sufficient government oversight and adherence to national standards (and probably the watering down of those same critical control measures).
The Calder Freeway, particularly from the Western Ring Road to beyond Sunbury, when first completed some years ago, deteriorated within a short period of time with cracked bitumen, potholes and undulating surfaces creating hazardous driving conditions. Peninsula Link and more recently the Mordialloc “Freeway” have also started to fall apart in places.
VicRoads has a series of detailed manuals covering all aspects of road construction. However, perhaps these are just referred to on an ad hoc basis rather than ensuring strict compliance by contractors. There needs to be a commitment by government to ensure that the construction and maintenance of our road network is undertaken with the strictest compliance to standards to ensure a safe (and comfortable) trip for all.
Steven Haby, Hughesdale
Band-Aid solutions rather than good engineering
Re “A nightmare: Dangerous potholes are putting drivers and cars at risk” (Sunday Age, 9/10). This is the look of governments that are more focused on getting elected than funding the services we need. In the case of roads, good engineering management requires them to be resealed every 10 years. When funds are tight, the reseal program is the first to be cut. Without a reseal the surface cracks, water gets into the pavement and the traffic action breaks it up.
Patching the pothole is a Band-Aid treatment. These roads ultimately need to be reconstructed at huge expense. This could have been avoided with proper maintenance in the first place. Much of our transport, health and education systems are being held together with Band-Aids. Things will only get worse as long as we vote for tax cuts rather than long-term policies and planning.
Jeff Moran, Bacchus Marsh
The shock – and expense – of hitting a deep pothole
Driving home to Wheelers Hill from Berwick via Wellington Road last week, at 60 to 70km/h, I hit a deep pothole. There was a loud thud, followed by a loud metallic clunk. Alloy wheels and low-profile tyres do not help but add significantly to the repair cost.
Roger Christiansz, Wheelers Hill
A simple request to our leaders: fix our roads
Driving from Mount Martha to Phillip Island via Berwick, I noticed the deplorable state of our roads. Premier and shire councils, we should have a new logo on our number plates: “Victoria The Pothole State”. No other state would plagiarise it. It is not good enough to just put up a sign saying “Rough surface”. Address the situation. In other words, no more spin or excuses: fix the roads and potholes.
Gerard van de Ven, Mount Martha
V/Line passengers deserve the cheaper fares too
Re the state opposition’s promise to set $2-a-day public transport pricing for trains, trams and buses, but not V/Line (The Age, 10/10). Matthew Guy, Victoria does not stop 40 kilometres from the GPO. There is a fair chunk of land either side of Melbourne with a rail system that Victorians use and which would also benefit from lower, capped fares.
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
To exclude V/Line certainly shows you are city-centric and that you will not govern for the whole state. Was your trip to Warrnambool in May, and your standing beside our train admonishing the government about the age of the current fleet (which has been in service under both Coalition and Labor governments), a furphy on us country bumpkins?
Peter Brown, Warrnambool
THE FORUM
Cleaning up politics
The Age has launched a splendid Citizens Agenda approach to the state election: finding out what Victorians really want from their government, then asking candidates how they will address those needs. No surprise, voters’ top concern is integrity in politics and governance.
It is timely then that the Grattan Institute has just released a report on political advertising (Comment, 10/10), finding that both traditional parties exploit lax legislation especially in election years. Apparently while Victoria has stronger rules than most states to prohibit politicisation of taxpayer-funded advertising, there are no consequences for flouting them. No surprises there, either.
I support the institute’s recommendation for an independent panel to check final campaign material. Hopefully, it will also be independently funded – unlike our IBAC, auditor-general and ombudsman. I eagerly await the rusted-on parties’ responses.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Ignoring the issues
Five of six issues posed by Victorians – in response to The Age’s question: “What do you want political parties and candidates to be talking about as they compete for your vote?“– were bog standard fodder. The question on how to deal with population pressures was novel.
Could it be that those who were questioned reflected back what they thought mattered, and what they should care about, based on the news over the past year?
My vote is driven by how I think particular parties work out how to drive and respond to issues, rather than the issues themselves. As examples, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine were not known issues but governments have had to deal with them. Voting by issues and promises is a very shallow approach, albeit it seems to be the middle-of-the-road, middle-class ideal.
Conor King, Pascoe Vale South
Gippsland misses out
It is very commendable for The Age’s journalists to travel around the state to find out what Victorians want from their politicians. This includes visiting Cranbourne, Broadmeadows, Woodend, Gisborne, Bendigo, Flemington, Tarneit, Shepparton and Wangaratta. Whilst some regions got two towns, Gippsland was not included. Why?
Jenny O’Neill, Sale
Just let it all end soon
Journalists and news outlets, we Victorians have been besieged over and over again about elections. Let it be December tomorrow. Please.
Eva Millane, Box Hill North
The impact on art lovers
I am extremely angry with the Extinction Rebellion protesters who glued themselves to the Picasso painting at the National Gallery of Victoria (The Age, 10/10). Sure they have a right to protest and they did not damage the actual painting, but what gave them the right to spoil, in future, my viewing of art works?
I doubt that I will be allowed to study painting techniques up close, as security guards will be on edge in order to safeguard the artworks on display. Will it affect our gallery’s ability to put on major displays? Surely there are better and more effective ways of protesting.
Judith Dunn, Bentleigh East
Enunciating the urgency
Extinction Rebellion scored a bullseye, with protesters glueing themselves to a Picasso painting. Their aim was to force climate change into the agenda. Viewers at the NGV were strangely offended by an action that Picasso himself would have made. He protested against war and fascism (despite his unacceptable misogyny).
The role of art is to bring ideas and truths to society that it will not confront any other way. And the target audience was the right one. Those affronted are part of a First World that can often afford to rebuild, relocate, reorientate.
Others cannot. Climate change is already dispossessing people of their lands and homes, killing kids through famine, causing wars over gas and oil, decimating animal populations, burning our forests and flooding our streets.
What does it take to enunciate the urgency here? Speaking as a gallery lover myself, I am thrilled the protesters brought this dead cat to our doorstep. How long will it lie there stinking before we get the message?
Maree Coote, Port Melbourne
Next time, in the nude
Upon noticing the photo of the two Extinction Rebellion folk standing in the NGV, stuck to Picasso’s Massacre in Korea, my first thought was that this was another avant garde human art object a la American photographer Spencer Tunick. Perhaps, with Tunick’s work in mind, a greater impact would have been achieved with nude participants, I mused.
Later, on hearing about the angst this worthy stunt caused the NGV authorities – cruelled safety reputation, increased insurance premiums etc – I thought the best retribution against the adhered protesters would have been to leave them in situ overnight instead of scraping them off.
This also would have made good television – SBS might have staged an all-night climate vigil there. Definitely a win-win for the climate and the gallery.
William Puls, Mentone
Please, enough already
I am so over the constant media speculation about the stage three tax cuts. Please stop, at least until the government actually announces a change of policy. And re the Extinction Rebellion’s antics at the National Gallery of Victoria: what better way to alienate potential supporters?
Janice Graham, Camberwell
Triaging the homeless
Re “Luxury flats ‘not suitable’ for homeless” (Sunday Age, 9/10).While the report on housing rough sleepers under the From Homelessness to a Home program says it was mainly successful, it is notable that “48per cent of tenants have been relocated, have received a breach-notice, or are at-risk of receiving a breach-notice”.
One matter really stood out: at least $500,000 of taxpayer money was spent for around the clock security at the Botanic Melbourne apartment building in Southbank with a further $80,000 still in dispute between the Victorian government and the building’s body corporate.
We should be triaging lists of the homeless and disadvantaged and putting our collective resources into those lives that can be turned around. Unfortunately, it appears some people simply cannot be helped and we might have to live with that fact.
Geoffrey Conaghan, St Kilda
Put women and kids first
My son and his partner recently bought an apartment in the CBD. The entire block is being destroyed by one tenant who was placed there during the pandemic.
I have great sympathy for anyone who has fallen on hard times, believe they deserve to have a roof over their heads, and accept that there are people with drug, alcohol and mental health issues without access to suitable treatment facilities.
However, these factors do not explain placing, in a block, a tenant who is dealing drugs, damaging property, allowing his customers to use the fire stairs as a shooting-up gallery, threatening other tenants who complain and generally causing havoc. Surely the needs of women and children who are sleeping rough should come before drug dealers.
Peter Roche, Carlton
The right to a safe home
Good for you, Rita Camilleri (Letters, 10/10). I feel ashamed that our new government is not doing anything about our homeless people. As a real Christian, Anthony Albanese, look into your heart as you go to a warm bed each night with a full belly. Give a thought to those people. I do.
The Mickleham facility is a good, temporary solution until these people can get back on their feet. It has been suggested as a place to house refugees. I have no ill feelings for them, but let us put our own people there first. Maybe spending less money on fireworks at Christmas and New Year festivities would help.
Margarita Smith-Weston, Ringwood
Political and great art
Badiucao’s cartoon (Letters, 10/10) depicting a girl “kite flying” the Ayatollah is a transcendent work of art, and encapsulates the cultural and demographic challenge engulfing Iran. Superb.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Our not so nice sides
The pontificating over moral and inclusive behaviour relating to the Essendon Football Club saga is a farce. Morality is often in the eye of the beholder. One only has to look at the behaviour of Melbourne society during the COVID-19 years to realise many people, including those from the nice suburbs, are not always kind and inclusive. They backed their own self-interest, turned a blind eye to those who were suffering and demonised “the other”.
Joanna Wriedt, Eaglemont
More than ready for a chat
Robbert Veerman says he would “really like to have an adult discussion about religion and football with someone who isn’t a fanatic of football and/or religion, but I can’t find anyone” (Letters, 10/10). I am fanatically anti both of them, so would I do?
Dave Torr, Werribee
The premier’s dilemma
Daniel Andrews has openly declared himself a Catholic, the church that has repeatedly condemned homosexuality, same-sex marriage and abortion. Someone who belongs to the Catholic Church clearly cannot lead and represent a progressive and tolerant government. The Labor Party must therefore make it clear to Andrews that he must choose between his church and his position as premier of Victoria.
Paul Sheehan, Port Melbourne
Congratulations in order
Congratulations to Alexandra Cowen for her excellent article – “After final exams comes a test we couldn’t prepare for” (Comment, 10/10). She expresses exactly what many, or most, VCE students feel during their late teenage years, with the added complication of the pandemic restrictions.
Annie Chisholm, Mount Eliza
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
Politics
President Putin, cut your losses and let the Ukrainian people live their lives free of control, intimidation and retribution.
Helena Kilingerova, Vermont
And here’s me thinking that all the Ka-chings on my phone were eBay sales. It was just Matthew and Daniel buying votes.
Gary Sayer, Warrnambool
Biloela family: tick. Women and kids in Syria: tick. Julian Assange: please get moving, Albo.
Lindsay Donahoo, Wattle Glen
When Linda Burney told Jacinta Nampijinpa Price her comment was a “big statement” (10/1), I think she meant BS.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
Tax cuts
Albo, how to show integrity. Call an election in early 2024 and promise to repeal the tax cuts. Have the same courage that John Howard had with the GST.
Robert Humphris, Malvern
The proposed cuts are taxing me.
Graham Cadd, Dromana
John Howard had core and non-core promises. The tax cuts could become non-core, Albo.
Merv Robbins, Coburg
The government would gain respect if it had the courage to ditch the tax cuts.
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
Furthermore
One does not need to be religious or even believe in God to oppose abortion, just believe that humans shouldn’t kill each other.
Pauline Smit, Doncaster East
If the City on a Hill church is so concerned about potential discrimination, it might be advisable not to practise it.
Kerry Reid, Hampton
What makes a person choose to head two organisations that espouse different values?
Lorraine James, Burwood
I reckon Picasso would have approved of Extinction Rebellion members glueing themselves to his painting and calling attention to human destruction.
Don Stewart, Port Fairy
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