Letters to the editor 26/03/25

ENERGY CLAIMS 

Dear editor,  

Mr O’Brien says the Coalition’s “balanced energy mix” will deliver “cheaper energy bills”. I think the voters are entitled to ask by what advanced mathematics he can show that replacing the cheapest form of power – solar panels – with the most expensive form – nuclear – will give cheaper electricity, especially to the householders whose solar panels would be turned off to allow the proposed nuclear power stations to run around the clock. 

Ian Lowe, 

Marcoola  

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BOARDWALK EXTENSION 

Dear editor, 

 
Noosa visitors often comment “None of this happened by accident” and they are 
correct. The same can be said of the excellence attached to the Coolum Boardwalk. It 
did not happen by accident but by careful thought and combined effort. 

 
Visitors and locals alike love the amenity of the Coolum Boardwalk, stretching south 
from the surf club to Point Perry. 

 
Excitingly, the opportunity exists in council’s shoring up of the First Bay escarpment 
for the boardwalk and its designed themes to stretch farther south to Third Bay! 

 
So far, I can see no ambition to achieve a boardwalk-themed ‘Three Bays’. In fact, I 
can perceive a desire to just get in and get the project done: community input not to 
be sought. 

 
Imagine, if you will, a themed boardwalk, traversable from beach to bays, anchoring 
in the visitor’s mind how good it is to be in Coolum. 

 
Coolum Beach has already become a nationwide lifestyle destination: it’s houses 
near unaffordable due to it being the new little Noosa.  Coolum’s Boardwalk is better, on 
most measures, than Noosa’s. 

 
Think of the visitor-nights and local economic activity spinning off Coolum excelling 
at what it does best. When the Nambour to Coolum bike trail through the old cane fields starts (or ends) at Coolum Beach, the destination needs to be worth the journey. 

 
Come on council, let’s grab this chance to send the boardwalk southward to Third 
Bay. 
 

John A. 

Coolum Beach. 

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FIXING  E-BIKE SAFETY 

Dear editor,  

An easy solution for Sunshine Coast Council to increase road safety for e-bike and e-scooter users would be to make them legal to use on suburban roads, providing safe passage for pedestrians needing to walk roads with no footpaths. 

On suburban roadways with the current posted speed limit of 60 kmph, reduce the posted speed limit to 50kmph. Do it on all council suburban roads, not just a select few.  

On roads with a centre line, create actual segregated bike way lanes suitable for e-bikes and pedestrians who need to walk on the roadway. 

This would be an important road safety issue, reducing the risk of interaction between electric bikes, scooters and road users, and making policing  easier.  

And one more thing could be a simple change in e-bike regulations, making riding an electric vehicle on any roadway by a child under 15 illegal. Any crash or accident they are involved in, all medical and repair costs would entail that their parents or adult supervisor is 100% responsible for those charges. 

 
Colin Caudell,  
Coolum Beach.  

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ENERGY CONSULTATION  

Dear editor,  

I gather from the Independent candidate for Fairfax, she is anti-nuclear because of some supposed risk, despite a huge number of countries safely operating nuclear power, and because there has been no consultation with the people of Fairfax.  

I understand she supports wind and solar.  

Is Ms Wiig also concerned that there has been zero consultation with people in regional Australia, who have their lives turned upside down by solar and wind installations, particularly wind turbines, with no consultation? 

Where is the justice for people in regional areas who are suffering ill health because wind turbines have been placed near their properties with no consultation? 

There are numerous documented cases of the damage to the health of people who have to live near wind turbines, yet the ALP, Greens, and Teal Independents still persist in building more and more yet strangely, never in their electorates.  

Des Deighton, 

Coolum Beach.  

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LEFT WING 

Dear editor,  

Boy does one tire of the misers decrying left wing ideology. If you get your “knowledge” from the internet, your description of left-wing ideology is totally warped – completely devoid of facts and a vector for misinformation.  

Left-wingism is things like public hospitals where most of the future is born. It’s the awareness of the fact that the “economy” exists because of the natural environment. Its people having the space to be whomever they wish to be without hurting anyone or being hurt. It’s an acknowledgement that monetary policy is a tool that brings in the tide that lifts all boats.  

It doesn’t impinge on individuals’ freedom – it enhances everybody’s freedom. 

Left-wing “ideology” will give us all a place of greater safety. If you will let it!  

Dylan White,  

Coolum Beach. 

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TARIFFS? BUY OZ  

Dear editor,  

At least we know where we stand on tariffs with our American fair-weather friends while avoiding increasing our cost of living by imposing retaliatory tariffs.  

In an increasingly ambiguous world, we need to replace many imports with our own Australian complex manufactures to lift our competitiveness. 

Rather than whinging and finger pointing, we must get on with the job of creating highly skilled jobs. 

Harvard University’s ranking of Economic Complexity reveals Australia’s appalling 1995 ranking declined from 53rd to an abysmal 102nd by 2022, sandwiched between Senegal and Yemen. 

We need bipartisan support to create more competitive Australian-made products rather than short-term political nitpicking. 

During WW2, when many manufactured imports had to be replaced, Australia rose to the challenge because we were unified. 

We need the same joint commitment from our leaders so we can buy excellent Australian products, not just out of a sense of patriotism, but because coordinated government, private, and community support makes them superior to foreign offerings. 

Garry Reynolds, 

Peregian Springs.  

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FUEL PRICES  

Dear editor,  

The global price of oil is at a record low of $65 a barrel, presently. With 42 gallons [Imperial] in a barrel and 3.8 litres [Metric] in one gallon, there can be, potentially, almost 160 litres of refined fuel from each barrel. If you divide $65 by 160 litres, this equates to 40c a litre. Americans continue to pay about a quarter of our price for their fuel. 

Why then in Australia, is the present price of fuel, the life-blood of all commerce and business transactions requiring road transportation, almost five times the cost of oil?  

Half of our retail fuel cost is being paid in Federal Government excise and State G.S.T., which is added to the wholesale price of fuel, as a result of political impositions to increase government coffers. This profits wholesale oil companies, fuel retailers, the State and Federal Governments and transport companies, forcing up the cost of living and consequently, inflation. 

The cost of fuel for motorists adds to the cost of everyday goods and services we need to function adequately, directly or indirectly. No one is exempt.  

Politicians remain silent about the great fuel rip-off, while motor engines continue to burn. Their taxing regime takes full advantage of the retail costs, impacting inflation. In Australia, we are also plagued by the tyranny of distance, a contributing factor in the equation. Or is it greed with impunity? 

E. Rowe,  

Marcoola. 

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OZ DOGE? 

Dear editor, 

The Opposition, following USA’s lead of a DOGE (Department of Govt. Efficiency) is now in place, just asking if it will be governed by an unelected Billionaire as per USA style? 

Margaret Wilkie, 

Peregian Beach. 

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