I refer to the article by Dr Rosemary Hollow, National Parks Association ACT president, (Letters, August 21) commending the NSW government on keeping the balance between native and introduced animals in Kosciuszko.
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Dr Hollow has clearly not read the constitution of the association of which she is president which states: "The aims and objectives of the association shall be: (a) the promotion of National Parks and of measures for the protection of fauna and flora ... in the ACT and elsewhere".
NPA's policy, as shown on its website, states that: "flora and fauna - feral plants and animals - should be eradicated from national parks and conservation areas and close monitoring maintained to ensure they do not intrude from adjacent areas".
The membership qualifications state: "A person is qualified to be a member if: (a) the person subscribes to the aims and objectives of the association".
This appears to be at odds with the view put forward by Dr Hollow.
Deidre Shaw, Kambah
Credit where it's due
An almost excellent editorial (August 25) but Watt didn't invent the steam engine. He invented the separate condenser for the Newcomen piston steam engine and the Watt governor to control the engine's speed and power. This was later improved by Porter.
When you see old steam engines operating, that's the thing on the top with two balls swinging around.
John F Simmons, Kambah
Help the Afghans who helped us
The article "[Afghan] ambassador pleads for help" (August 19) is a timely reminder of those Afghans left behind at the fall of Kabul and what has happened since.
The Department of Home Affairs appears to be making it hard for those already in Australia wanting to re-unite their families, especially those who managed to get across borders to Pakistan and Iran and who are seeking split-family visas.
The department has a requirement for copies only of identity documents that have been certified. Making a copy and having it certified by whom in refugee camps? How? And then having it sent where? And by what means?
They are families deeply at risk because they are related to people who worked either for the former government, or the former allied military forces. Forty one of our soldiers died in Afghanistan providing protection for its residents. Let's continue that protection with quicker issuing of their split-family visas.
Peter Graves, Curtin
Has sport come of age?
Australians have universally accepted "our" Matildas without regard to ancestry, cultural heritage, appearance or sexuality.
Such normalising of diversity as an enduring everyday characteristic and strength of Australia warrants recognition as a mark of social development.
In particular the sexuality of our new, biggest sports stars is seen to be irrelevant to our regard for them, and way "offside" for commentary.
How refreshing. Especially in light of the recent Israel Folau controversy in another code.
Hopefully, the Matilda-phenomenon is a harbinger of a cultural change that firmly boots such archaic discriminatory attitudes back into the sin-bin of history.
That would truly warrant a national holiday.
Richard Manderson, Narrabundah
It's going to be a long summer
The fiery summer in the northern hemisphere is a reminder to Australians of the danger ahead. No one wants devastating fires or floods.
Yet, a huge public investment puzzlingly committed to a few nuclear submarines of doubtful defensive value that won't be built any time soon takes precedence over stabilising the Earth's climate and adapting to global heating that's locked in.
Incredibly, protection of Australian citizens is playing second fiddle to too many other agendas.
Nobody has the political will for urgent action anything like proportionate to the scale of the emergency that we are facing.
Jim Allen, Panorama, SA
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