Evaporation is as high as 90 per cent from an open body of water - a new dam is not the solution. We need a rethink of how we save and use our water.

Relying on rainfall as we did in the past will not give us anything but ongoing severe restrictions. A large city on a small and drying catchment is not a happy scenario.

Lack of a reliable water supply will be our growth restricter.

Water reuse and rainwater tanks are part of a sustainable solution.

Lyn Allen, Tamworth

Living in a local government area where a majority of councillors were dismissive about climate change, I empathise with Gunnedah residents concerned about future gas extraction and the environmental risks it brings ("Council vote split", 20/11).

The groundwater extraction in the Namoi is one of the highest for any basin catchment and the region supports 28 threatened plant species and 66 threatened fauna species.

While there may not yet be any plans for gas extraction, it's better to be prepared.

MidCoast council's Biodiversity Framework is a good example of a council on the front foot.

Perhaps mayor Chaffey could consider a similar approach.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn

Since the introduction of mobile speed cameras it appears less police are employed to patrol our roads. It also appears the NSW Government have modify the role of police away from road safety. Yet at the same time, road fatalities and injury have increased and continue to place a hefty toll on our society.

From my experience on country roads, it is not speeding drivers in modern cars which have put me in precarious positions or concern me. I find general risk taking behaviour of drivers trying to overtake on poor quality roads with blind corners, road rage incidents and driver who appear drug affected or drunk are the things I want addressed.

Last week's announcement that mobile speed cameras will operate covertly will do absolutely nothing to address the behaviours I want addressed. If drivers have to wait 6 weeks to receive an infringement notice, that won't stop the drugged driver speeding past a camera and slamming into my daughter, mother or wife.

Rather than transition the state to rely on covert mobile phone and speed cameras for road safety, how about employing more police and returning a visible law enforcement to NSW roads.

Greg Adamson, Griffith

I am dismayed to read that the Narrabri Gas Project has gotten federal approval to proceed ("Narrabri gets green light", 25/11). The Australian Energy Market Operator's 2020 Integrated System Plan, which is a 20-year energy blueprint for Australia, has been very clear that the cheapest way to deliver energy to Australians is through a combination of wind, solar and storage. Gas may play a role only if gas prices remain really low. However, new gas plants such as Narrabri gas are not economical when the cost of battery storage is falling rapidly. Why proceed with an expensive and unnecessary project when the AEMO has already established other alternatives that will deliver cheaper power prices?

Ching Ang, Kensington Gardens

I find it amusing, to read what some of these global warming fanatics are saying about climate change. In a letter to the Editor titled "Global warming is a fact" Friday 20/11/20 the writer is trying to put the scare on us for something which might be totally baseless/unfounded.

To support his comments about global warming he makes reference to what some scientist are saying and I quote "Scientist warned it would change the climate". At the same time he fails to mention what other scientist are saying that it is total BS and unsubstantiated crap. So, we have two lots of scientist telling us different stories and here we have one writer telling us only one side of it.

Don't forget that carbon is needed on this earth to keep the trees alive which supply us with the necessary oxygen we need to live. Oops!

Has the writer ever worked in some parts of Australia where the temperature reached levels way above the current levels while telling us that the end of the World is near. I have, and I recall working in some areas where for some days the temperatures reached 128 degree in the shade in the old scale and where we only worked from 4 in the morning until 8 AM as we couldn't even touch the tools for being too hot, or cooking your eggs and bacon on the back of a shovel after leaving it in the sun for a short period of time.

Tony Aceti, Attunga

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