Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank, SA

Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, seems to be blaming bureaucrats in NSW for delaying the Dungowan Dam (NDL 19 December 2021). He maintains that politicians have said that Dungowan Dam is going to happen and that 'government is run by the people represented by politicians.' Has Mr Joyce forgotten that elected governments make laws and bureaucrats are paid to implement those laws? Large impactful infrastructure, like dams on rivers, must be assessed under state and federal law. In NSW there is the Environment Planning and Assessment Act, Water Management Act, Fisheries Management Act, Biodiversity Conservation Act and at the Commonwealth level there is the Water Act, Murray-Darling Basin Plan, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act - to name a few. In early 2022, construction of the new pipeline between Dungowan village and Calala water treatment works will commence. This is the 'shovels in the ground' project that will help to save water and improve Tamworth water security. The process to assess a new dam on the already stressed Peel River must be conducted carefully and consider the many adverse impacts. Meanwhile, less expensive, more sustainable alternatives must be considered to give the best value for public investment. It is time that the proposed Dungowan Dam stopped being used as a political football during a federal election campaign.

Inland Rivers Network president Bev Smiles

As we now have some new Members elected, l honestly think a lot of ratepayers in our rural and smaller towns such as Moombi-Limbri and Nundle-Manilla to name a few will see some respect and return for the rates paid to TRC since 2004 in the way of water security, fire hazard reduction and better roads. Sir as far as the position of mayor goes, l do not believe the last two elected would have won most popular. In saying that l do believe those standing in Mr Betts and Mr Webb fall into that area as they had to wait for numbers. Sir, regardless of such as a ratepayer in a small community - instead of warming chairs and making a big noise they should get out and see and hear what ratepayers want for their monies, like clean, heathy towns as there is more to the council then Tamworth alone. They have two years to prove their worth.

D.Davis, Manilla, NSW

Was Gregory Daley's tirade against climatologists (Climate change, 23/12) a practice run for upsetting the more scientifically literate members of the family around the Christmas lunch? If Gregory were my uncle I would have gifted him a copy of "Dr Karl's Little Book of Climate Change Science" in hope of making next year's conversation more informed.

Lesley Walker, Northcote, VIC

Recent news from The Australian Energy Market Operator announcing a draft plan indicating that the phasing out of coal for producing Australia's electricity could take place very much quicker than before anticipated is extremely pleasing, but I think politics will most likely stand in the way of any real, urgent action. On the one hand we have Prime Minister Scott Morrison reluctant to make any move on coal because this would upset Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and on the other hand we have Labor leader Anthony Albanese tying hard not to repeat the problems that took place at the last federal election with coal and all of its associated ramifications. Coal surely must be phased out as quickly as possible but as politics stands at the present time I cannot see our two major political parties giving strong consideration to what I see as essential, the plan announced by the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank, SA

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