Reference letter ‘Council’s gamble with ratepayers’ dollars’ MNW February 15.

Okay. You’ve got me Rex (Koerbin). I’ll have another go. If the statement that “larger aircraft means cheaper fares” is a myth then answer me this. Why, relatively speaking, are airfares around the world and domestically cheaper than ever? Why is air travel now within reach of people who once upon a time could never afford air travel? Why did Boeing and Airbus invest billions coming up with wide body aircraft such as the 747 and the A380?

Would it be that they saw that if they had larger aircraft, the operators costs would be less and therefore they could attract more travellers to fill their seats by passing on those savings and therefore increase their revenue?

Why, 20 years ago was it dearer to fly from Sydney to Coffs Harbour than it is now? Is it because they now have competition and run the Dash 8 - 400 (Qantas Link) and the Embraer and the 737 Virgin Blue? Get them at the right time you can travel for about $110 return! Competition and larger aircraft mean cheaper fares a myth? Methinks not.

And again they go on with the “we don’t have sufficient passengers to fill the SAAB services”. Is that because Regional Express (Rex) will charge as much as $800 per person return to Melbourne or Sydney?

Right now, at the time of writing this, there are three or fewer seats left tomorrow for Merimbula Melbourne at $200.75 one way. But they have other seats it seems, and more than three of each, at $375.75 and $410.85 one way! There are no return seats available at any price.

So where does everyone get these “only half full” figures from?

It’s all smoke and mirrors and everyone knows it.

Airport users don’t want improvements if they think the charges will go up to them as a result and other people might get interested in the place.

Again I say, good on you Bega Valley Shire Council. You need to have infrastructure and improvements before growth occurs, not after and it’s also how to facilitate growth, it doesn’t work the other way around. Places prosper when the transport servicing their area is easy to use at a reasonable price, well managed and well maintained.

One other thing - you state that “there isn’t one airline putting up its hand to offer larger aircraft let alone two.” Make some calls. No one’s saying they wouldn’t either. And also, and you may be able to clear this up for me once and for all, does not Rex have or did have until very recently some sort of exclusivity deal for Merimbula Airport?

I’ll buy out of this now but anyone who wants the truth, get on the internet and do some searching for yourselves, the truth comes up soon enough on sites that don’t have a barrow to push for their own interest one way or another.

People told Charles Kingsford Smith that there was no future in aviation.

Sydney Airport was a paddock once!

Peter Bamford

Bald Hills

Future of Pambula hospital rests with the State

I write in response to Neil Rainbow’s letter in the 15 February edition of Merimbula News Weekly.

The $160.1 million of federal Government funding for the new South East Regional Hospital based in Bega was not and never has been contingent on the closure of Pambula District Hospital.

There seems to be an attempt at deliberate confusion of state and federal governments’ responsibilities regarding the Pambula hospital. The future of Pambula hospital is the NSW Coalition Government’s responsibility, and is completely out of federal Government control.

The federal Government put forward a proposal for the reform of the health system that would have ensured that the Commonwealth had a greater say, however the new NSW Coalition Government under Barry O’Farrell rejected any further extension of Commonwealth involvement and control.

The situation in relation to Pambula hospital is therefore purely a decision for the NSW Coalition Government.

All decisions relating to the Pambula hospital have not been influenced by federal Government funding arrangements to any other project.

I have consistently advocated for the retention of services to the fullest extent possible, until we can get the new regional hospital up and running.

Mike Kelly

Federal Member Eden-Monaro

Calicivirus for Tura

A number of Tura residents have been advised that the BVSC is about to release rabbit calicivirus disease in specific areas of Tura Beach.

This is a particularly inhumane way of controlling the rabbit population by affecting the lungs, gut and liver of the rabbit, causing acute hepatitis by precipitating a widespread blood clotting mechanism.

Rabbits less than three weeks old quickly become immune and 40 per cent between three and six weeks old also become immune. Survivors pass on immunity thereby making future offspring extremely resistant to the virus as quoted by the CSIRO.

Testing has been carried out on 33 different animal species without any sign of infection (what are these animals?). What about all the others? This is the same CSIRO who allowed the virus to escape in the first place.

There is a small but sensitive ecological area within Tura hosting native

marsupials, lizards, geckos and swamp rats, wallabies and young kangaroos, also a wide variety of birds, all of which are partial to eating carrots which is the vehicle used to carry the virus.

One has to wonder if this decision has been made by a totally uninformed tertiary orientated employee veiled in their individual ego. The question is: if this virus is so safe for all but rabbits why do the handlers of it have to take such precautions when doing so? Surely a little more common sense should prevail and after all we are talking about a mere half a dozen rabbits.

Our rates at work?

Graham Smith

Tura Beach

Microbes and

phosphorus

I mentioned in a previous letter that worms and cows have similar digestive systems. Perhaps you read that comment and asked yourself, what I meant.

Cattle belong to the ruminants. They have very big stomachs that use yeasts and other microbes to digest their plant food intake. For that purpose their stomach (fourth stomach) has a neutral base and does not use enzymes to digest their food. In contrast the monogastrics

have only one stomach and produce many enzymes and provide a rather acidic environment in that single stomach to help digestion by these enzymes in the stomach.

Worms use the same process as ruminants. Worms and ruminants employ microbes to digest their food. After the digested food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, the microbes are absorbed by the body as well as the digested food. This is referred to as metabolism.

In this world of limited resources, we have reached peak phosphorus. That means that the limited supplies of it are coming to an end. The major deposits of it are in Carolina, USA, Egypt and there have been rumours of some deposit in Queensland and some in Canada.

What peak phosphorus means is that phosphorus as a fertiliser will become very expensive and we will have to start looking for other ways of adding it to soils. And this is where microbes come into the picture.

Phosphorus has a specific frequency and thus can be attracted by an antenna.

Some plants have such antennae in the form of hairs on leaves or stems.

Worms will also attract phosphorous and tests will prove that worms in compost will seriously increase the phosphorous percentage in the resulting humus.

To increase the phosphorous level in soils one must go organic in practice. Rotational practices in gardening will become the norm and composting the cool method (using worms) will have to become a general practice. Gardening will not be easy in future. For the urban terrorist, my suggestion is: Compost, compost and more compost. Use worms endlessly again and again.

Good luck.

Vries Gravestein

Pambula

Mitt Romney’s Planet

The front-running Republican Presidential Candidate, Mitt Romney, is a Mormon. The Mormons have a Third Testament, apparently dug out of the ground by Mormon founder Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon was written on sheets of gold but God told Mr Smith not to show the gold leaves to anyone.

The Mormons believe that Jesus lived in America.

They also believe that when you die, you become the God of a Planet of your own.

Maybe he sees becoming President of the USA would be a good training ground for his after life?

David Kindon

Merimbula