Koalas and coal
Opposing Watermark Coalmine claiming it will help koalas is false. The local koala population is down allegedly 85 percent yet there is no mine. The koalas eat eucalyptus leaves of up to seven varieties yet when I ask council what type is planted along the grazing trails and roadside verges they don't even know.
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Farmers are not taught what eucalyptus trees need to be planted. I even enquired of the national park if they plant eucalyptus trees and they said no they didn't interfere with natural bushlands except removing non natives. From a tree point of view it is clearly time to be proactive. Council and state and federal government can all help by addressing the above issues.
People opposing koala translocation ignore the conservation habits of Kangaroo island and Sea Link that regularly transport up to 2000 koalas to the mainland when food in short supply on Kangaroo Island due to a lack of predators so overpopulation that regularly occurs. Stop using Koalas as a political tool to try and stop a mine and truly address the issues that affect them!
Dominic Meaney, Bendigo
Virgin Airlines ceasing flights to and from Tamworth
How could anyone be surprised (especially Col Murray, Kevin Anderson and Barnaby Joyce) that Virgin Airlines have made the obvious commercial decision to delete Tamworth from their domestic routes.
My husband and I have flown with Virgin many times from Tamworth to Sydney and vice-versa, and on every occasion the aircraft was never more than half full, more often closer to one-third full.
I'm sure if more Tamworthians had chosen to support and fly with Virgin Airlines, who incidentally offered cheaper fares than Qantas. Tamworth would not now be faced with a one airline/over-priced airfare situation.
Kerrie Bryant, Tamworth
Hills of gold
I saw on Credlin, Sky news tonight, the government's decision to allow the building of Wind Farms at Nundle, I have emailed the above group, to register my support for their fight to stop this debacle, my family and I have visited this beautiful region, it would be catastrophic to allow this to happen.
Richard O'Neill, Worrigee NSW
Whitehaven coal mine
The Whitehaven coal mine should be closed ("'Whitehaven Coal faces prosecution for alleged unlicensed water use", 3 July). After one of the worst droughts in history, it's hard to believe that Whitehaven coal has been allegedly illegally pinching the water needed by irrigators and the environment. But given the amount of water used to wash coal perhaps it is not surprising.
With low prices, high emissions and the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis believing coal is in a permanent downturn because of the pressure from cleaner and cheaper renewable sources, the time has come to shut Whitehaven down. A fine is not enough. The government should act.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic
