Letters to the Editor - August 6

The many, many people who have fought so hard to protect this prime food-producing land from environmental destruction feel devastated at this short-sighted decision.

How could the Environment Protection Agency approve an open cut mine that will be dug hundreds of metres below sea level right next to St Vincent Gulf?

To me, this is environmental destruction, not protection.

Added to that, having a huge tailings dam so close to the coast poses a great risk of toxins entering the gulf in an extreme weather event.

Another concern is further pressure on the River Murray.

Fresh water from the river will be needed to be added to saline bore water to process the ore body.

Yet another ugly legacy of this mine will be a huge dump containing waste rock that will remain once the mine is finished in 13 years. There is no requirement for rehabilitation of this mess.

I ask that investors in the Hillside mine think about whether they really wish to be involved in this project; one that will change the beautiful, agriculturally-significant YP.

Anyone praising the idea of genetically-modified potatoes ('With steak and chips, you still need science', Stock Journal, July 23) must have missed the published information in many books questioning the genetic modification of food staples.

I distinctly recall United Kingdom research done at the Rowett Institute where rats were fed potatoes genetically engineered to produce their own insecticide.

The study raised serious questions about the safety of all GM products on the market, but the research was stopped, and no further testing was done.

It seems to me that we now live in a world where if there's a few billion dollars to be made from a GM patented potato or other food variety, then just watch ethics go out the window?

No wonder organic food is so popular.

Distinguishing between local, state and federal governments was once an easy task, but today it is becoming virtually impossible.

Evidence clearly indicates that the three tiers of government - local, state and federal - are no longer required, due their duplication of services, their questionable decisions and behaviours.

Pick up any daily newspaper and tax and rate payers are regularly informed of a litany of contentious and deeply concerning activities: deficit budgets, programme overspends, high wages and perks, misuse of government vehicles, lack of consultation, spiralling rates/taxes, inappropriate behaviour of elected members, flip-flop decision-making, too much red tape and wasting time on trivial issues, at all three levels of government.

Application of common sense decision-making and paying greater attention to important and pressing issues, rather than constantly dwelling on matters which have little or no impact or benefit for Australians, need to be given a higher priority.

Removing one level of government and tightening up and bringing into line the remaining two is vital, if Australia is to recover financially and socially from the coronavirus pandemic.