l believe whilst doing all this in the Greater Tamworth area as a council they are using all rate monies from the smaller outer communities showing no concern for their welfare in any form such as road work on the Nundle to Tamworth Rd, no water security for again Nundle. Is this lack of care for all these smaller places due to wet brain or full moon syndrome, or l just don't give a damn

D.Davis, Manilla

Technology Roadmap: a Taylor-made policy to dump solar and wind investment, dump a climate change policy and get into the potentially lucrative hydrogen economy by protecting the coal industry; locking it in as the preferred source for hydrogen production. A Taylor-made policy for Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC).

Taylor says:

HESC, a consortium of Japanese and Australian interests aims to spend almost $500 million , including $50 million from Federal govt and $50 million from Victorian govt, (fits conveniently into 5:1, private sector: govt preferred funding model) to be spent on building a "coal-hydrogen" pilot plant to operate for one year (20-21). It would produce at most 3 tonnes of Hydrogen, using 160 tonnes of dirty brown Victorian coal and emit 100 tonnes of Carbon dioxide, with no attempt to capture or store the carbon, but, "is considering purchasing carbon off-sets to mitigate emissions from the project".

The Australian Government has earmarked $370 million for developing a hydrogen industry; $300 million from an existing allocation to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and $70 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency; two government agencies that exist to fund renewable energy projects.

On the surface, developing a hydrogen industry is a laudable government commitment; after all, burning hydrogen is a clean, green, zero emitter of greenhouse gasses, an irrefutable fact.

Production of the hydrogen can also be clean and green, using electrolysis and renewable energy (solar, wind etc) to split water molecules into atoms of Hydrogen and Oxygen, OR it can be "dirty", using coal fired power stations to produce electricity for the electrolysis of water, OR, "downright filthy", extracting the hydrogen directly from brown coal ("coal-hydrogen") treated with steam under high pressure; details of which many people are wilfully ignorant and which provide may policy loopholes to redirect funds earmarked for clean and renewable energy to the coal industry.

$70 million is earmarked for production of hydrogen from the electrolysis of water; but there seem to be no details on how the required energy should be produced; renewables or fossil fuels? Big loopholes here.

$100 million has already been allocated to the HESC pilot project leaving $200 million.

The HESC pilot stage could not legally proceed further without implementing technology capable of capturing and storing 90 per cent of the released greenhouse gasses. Enter CarbonNet.

CarbonNet is a project run by the Victorian government, funded to the tune of $150 million in public funding from the Federal and State governments. It is to establish a waste-carbon injection site in Victoria (euphemistically called 'carbon capture and storage' by the fossil fuel industry)

$100 million + $150 million = $250 million

And then there is the matter of getting the product to market. In this case Japan. Enter the Hastings Hydrogen Export Terminal.

The final component of the HESC is a new hydrogen export terminal at Hastings. This is where hydrogen produced at the coal facility in Latrobe Valley would be liquefied and transported to Japan on hydrogen transport ships (that are yet to be built).

$370 million-$250 million = $120 million; presumably the govt estimate of what government investment will be required to build hydrogen transport ships. Job done! Huge potential for coal in a developing lucrative hydrogen economy. No need for any other climate policies.

Taylor's proposed technology roadmap (with loopholes literally big enough to drive a coal truck through) is being developed to try and convince a global audience that the Australian Government takes climate change seriously and has a plan. The facts suggest that it is an attempt to justify its slavish financial support for the dirty coal industry rather than developing policies that will address irrefutable climate change or support technology that will actually reduce emissions which will help mitigate the dangerous consequences of global warming.

Presumably Taylor, from his recent comments, thinks that by the end of the year, the HESC project is going to provide enough new technical solutions that will support his Technology Roadmap in favour of a commitment to net zero emissions above pre industrial levels, by 2050, in order to keep the planet from warming beyond what is viable. His chances are zero.

It will convince the majority in Australia who wilfully ignore or don't bother with facts and details, but sure as hell, at a global forum at the end of the year it won't be convincing; just embarrassing!

Jan Kleeman, Donald Creek

Climate change is now an everyday and increasing threat to our health, safety and wellbeing. Devastating bushfires, toxic air quality, sweltering temperatures, extreme weather events and a record-breaking drought are already profoundly affecting the New England region. Lives, home and property have been lost in recent months.

We need urgent action to cut greenhouse emissions to safe levels, to prevent things getting worse.

We are mothers of young children, and we support the newly-launched Climate Change Bill, which will be introduced into Federal Parliament in March. We have contacted Barnaby Joyce MP calling on him to support a conscience vote on the Climate Change Bill and to say yes to climate action.

The Bill is our current best opportunity for stronger climate policy. It proposes a national, binding climate change law with targets, actions and reporting. The Bill's 2050 zero-emissions target is consistent with State Government policies and our international commitments. While stronger targets in the Bill would be preferable, it includes provisions for increased targets and shorter timeframes. A Climate Change Act would also give politicians, businesses, professionals and communities across Australia clarity and certainty.

We urge concerned Australians to support the Climate Change Bill by signing the petition at Climate Act Now (www.climateactnow.com.au). We urge our leaders to listen to their conscience and speak for our children and grandchildren.

It's time to say "YES" to strong climate policy, and "YES" to the Climate Change Bill.

Helen Cameron and Tessa Rainbird, Tamworth Parents and Friends for Climate Action

We thank Premier Gladys Bereijiklian for calling the Special Commission of Inquiry into Ice.

The hearings in northern NSW revealed very troubling stories of chronic delays in treatment, a desperate lack of services and a justice system unable to cope.

Thanks to the Special Commission we now have a comprehensive roadmap for preventing unnecessary suffering and death - with a system based on health and recovery, not punishment.

It's a tragedy that there are no alcohol and drug services for people under 18 in north-western NSW.We are calling on the Premier to urgently implement all the Special Commission's recommendations for the area.

And we ask that the State Government invests an extra $200 million per year for drug and alcohol treatment in the June budget.

This should include a recovery program for children in Lismore as well as an increase in housing and support for vulnerable young people. We have the solutions and the plan, let's put them to use and keep people safe.

Doug Taylor, Director, Mission Communities and Social Impact UnitingTime for change

We welcome your comments and community stories which may be published in the Northern Daily Leader and on our website. Send your letters online to www.northerndailyleader.com.au/community/yournews or email mail@northerndailyleader.com.au