Corners cut on aged care

The Department of Health's website points GPs (but not the public) to an alternative pathway for aged care residents to receive Medicare-funded mental health treatment, via the Chronic Disease Management program.

However, the rules for this alternative pathway require the residential care provider to have prepared a multidisciplinary care plan, with the involvement and approval of a GP.

The department says that residential care providers are obliged to have care plans in place for their residents anyway, but the real rationale for the requirement is cost control.

Providers are required under the Quality of Care principles to provide high-care residents with certain allied health services, on the basis that they are funded via government aged care subsidies to provide these services.

The thinking is that making the provider's care plan a precondition for Medicare-funded Chronic Disease Management services will help prevent double-funding.

By making the provider the primary gatekeeper for Chronic Disease Management services, the department has placed aged care residents at the blunt end of its campaign for correct practice.

The task of preparing a proper multidisciplinary care plan is technically complex, and facilities lack incentive to formally acknowledge the high incidence of depression amongst residents.

Cost minimisation is the main reason aged care residents are excluded from access to mental health treatment under the Better Access Medicare program.

Paul Feldman, Macquarie

Every year at this time all Australians celebrate Australia Day. All, that is, except the 3 per cent of the population who are Aboriginal ("Lamb ad in poor taste says critics", January 14, p.17)

The recent Meat and Livestock ad is a total success as people are talking about it.

Reasonable people are praising it for what it said – we are multicultural, (although I prefer to say "cosmopolitan", as there can only be one Australian culture); we are very lucky to live here and Australia is now a significant part of the world's economic and political spectrum.

Others are not so positive and feel it does not accurately portray what happened over 200years ago.

Aborigines keep referring to January 26 as "invasion" day. It is no such thing. It celebrates the day civilisation reached our shores and the settlers transformed the lives of the 700 odd tribes roaming the country into a civilisation of which they, and we whites, can be proud.

The "Lamb Ad" did a great job of portraying we are a country of many nationalities and cultures.

Trevor Willis, Hughes

Australia Day. A day to gather as a nation to celebrate our wonderful country and our traditions such as giving everyone a fair go.

It seems especially sad then that the Meat and Livestock Association has appropriated this day to encourage us to eat more lambs.

Somehow the idea has been born that it is the Australian way to sit down to a feast of young sheep. As Sam Kekovich, the buffoonish Lambassador, said last year: "At the end of the day, Australia Day is about a bunch of people coming together around a barbecue, over some lamb, taking a deep breath, and treating people the way you'd like to be treated. Lamb just brings people together."

Oh really? People will always eat animals I guess, but why is it so quintessentially Australian to do it without the slightest shred of compassion for the unfortunate victims of our self-indulgent pleasures?

How much better if instead more of us chose a kinder cut of meat, or Heaven forbid, even left the animals off the plate entirely?

Graeme McElligott, Isabella Plains

I visited Canberra last weekend and made a visit to the arboretum, one of Canberra's best tourist attractions and obviously one of it best kept secrets.

On previous visits we have been driven to the arboretum by family members who know how to get there.

On this occasion we drove ourselves, with friends, and got hopelessly lost. Driving out from Civic there is not one sign indicating where to find it.

It is just pot luck.

In our case we overshot the turn-off and, in order to get back to the arboretum, we had to double back to the city and come out again.

Just not good enough, I complained to the staff at the arboretum and was told that they already know of this problem and that the ACT government has not bothered to put up any signage and do not seem interested in doing so.

Errol Grace, Fountaindale

I support Ron Gray's suggestion (Letters, January 17) that the native Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneum) be planted along Northbourne, for all the excellent reasons he outlines.

As well as being a local native, it is the "Liberty Tree", planted at the National Arboretum by Jon Stanhope on UN Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011.

A project of Civil Liberties Australia, the Kurrajong takes pride of place near the kids' play area at the arboretum.

An avenue of Liberty Trees along Northbourne Avenue, on the way to the National Parliament, would be symbolic of what we aspire to.

Dr Kristine Klugman OAM, Civil Liberties Australia president, Fisher

Saturday's Canberra Times made me shudder as it dawned on me that here we were just two weeks into 2017 and the developers' rape of our once beautiful city was already in full swing.

The articles spruiking the Geocon development at the old NRMA site and QIC's plans for another massive development linked to the Canberra Centre ("Centre to be left in the shade", January 14, pp. 2-3) are just the start of the wholesale sell-off and over development of Civic as this government's mates cash in on the "opportunities" afforded by the tram and a lack of any overall plan or standards being applied to rampant development.

I moved to Canberra almost 60 years ago in wonder at its beauty, potential and amenity, which flourished under the careful guidance of the National Capital Development Commission and the Department of Works.

Everywhere I look now saddens me; has there ever been an uglier building in our suburbs than the shed housing the emergency services in Bindubi Street — who on earth approved this monstrosity?

What about the massive apartments behind Anzac Parade, the most sacred road in Australia?

I wonder now if those good citizens who went so blindly to the polls and re-installed the Developer Party, sorry Labor Party, might now be having second thoughts about their choice?

Colin Smeal, Holder

The Barr travel shenanigans highlight again how narrow sectional interests use our money, and why more transparency is necessary.

Ian McNamee is very likely correct in noting that is "where the deals get done". But a key question, as yet unanswered, is "who benefits from the deals in net terms?".

There is a good argument that the cost to the government (really us) of the games staged in Canberra exceeds the benefits to the community.

What is inarguable is that since the community is paying for Mr Barr's trips he should at least publicly declare all of the trips (as Mr Rattenbury reportedly does) and who meets with Mr Barr.

Bruce Paine, Red Hill

Way to go, Barr! I haven't been able to see my beloved Carlton in over 20 years. Evidently all I have to do is join your party, dream up some reason to be in Melbourne and watch my Dark Navies every week. Where do I sign up?

Mark Dixon, Kaleen

Westpac has launched a "Hello Bump" campaign in which babies born in 2017 will get a $200 bank account.

I assume the bank hopes this will be the beginning of a nest egg that will lead to a mortgage with the bank in two or three decades.

I object to this flagrant exercise in boosting the population growth rate.

We are not living sustainably with the population we have. We need to stabilise our numbers, not increase them.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW

The header "Congestion choking delivery economy" (January 16, p.37) was like reading an updated reprint from 50 years ago masquerading as today's news. The subhead: "Our 'smart city' ambitions are facing serious roadblocks, writes Caroline James" is nothing new either.

This rephrasing of the basic problem, the escalating logistical inefficiencies within major cities, is surpassed by the obstructionism which those who would implement the equally long-standing solutions, decentralisation and railways, face.

The solutions are expensive - in the short term. They go by one name — infrastructure.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Some Curtin residents are concerned the scale of a proposed shopping centre redevelopment is too large for the central square ("Curtin call to reduce size of development", January 11, p.1).

Public response for the preparation of Draft Master Plan, Master Plan and for the developer stressed the importance of scale and for no additional shadowing of the square.

The Development Application for Mrs Haridemos claims few people sit or linger in the central square in winter and that the proposed building, predominantly the commercial section, would shadow the courtyard progressively from noon on June 21, lengthening further from 2pm.

Its wall height adjacent to the square is the equivalent of three residential floors. Documents note "ground floor with mezzanine" which may be why the commercial section is so high. The height could be reduced by 2m, satisfying the developer and lessening the shading of the courtyard. On the wall facing Strangways Street the floor height of the commercial section is the equivalent of three residential floors. The reduced height of the ground floor still would comply with the waste collection standard of a 6m overhead clearance.

Jeremy McGrane, Kingston

The Canberra Times editorial of January 12 is a timely reminder of the need for all Canberrans to engage more keenly with the planning and heritage issues they face as custodians of the future of this unique city and National Capital.

Governments today are generally more attentive to public opinion, especially when it represents a broad demographic and is well informed.

Besides residents' associations and community councils there are many community organisations quietly working to inform planning debate and protect Canberra's amenity and heritage.

Examples are National Trust (ACT), Friends of ACT Trees, Lake Burley Griffin Guardians, Canberra Woodland and Wetlands Trust and The Walter Burley Griffin Society. Inevitably perhaps, many of those best informed about these issues, and most actively engaged, are time rich retirees.

There is a special need for time poor younger Canberrans, the future guardians of their city, now busy with careers and family, to consider joining such organisations.

One easy and enjoyable way would be through the many heritage walks and events during the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival from April 18 to May 7.

Trevor Lipscombe, Campbell

PRAY, WHAT IS THIS?

At the opening of Parliament the Lord's Prayer would have been recited with little regard for the words: "Forgive us our sins and those that sin against us" and "Lead us not into temptation and save us from evil" ("Kevin Andrews charged taxpayers $2000 to attend prayer breakfast", CT online, January 14).

Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

NEW TROUGH IN OFFICE

Did John Lloyd's office makeover also include a new trough? ("Perks of office: public service boss's $9000 office makeover", January 17, p.6).

Raeline George, Kingston

FOLLOW LEY'S LEAD

Former minister Sussan Ley believes she has done nothing wrong and has resigned. Following in the steps of such a "laudable" act, could the PM and all of his ministry also please resign? They probably believe they haven't done anything wrong either. At least we could then start with a clean slate.

Peter Dahler, Calwell

Are we now to have Susan Ley replaced by Arthur Sinodinus? Are we now recycling disgraced ministers after they lie low for a while? Our memories are not that short, MrTurnbull. Is ethical talent in that short a supply in your government?

Kris Sloane, Ainslie

HEADS SHOULD ROLL

Were the public servants responsible for the welfare/taxation record problems inept? If so they should be downgraded or sacked. Did they set the procedures up to embarrass the government? If so they should be charged.

Ed Dobson, Hughes

WIDE BERTH

Dear Eric Hunter of Cook (Letters, January 17), if a column has Amanda Vanstone's name attached to it I don't read it. Saves me a lot of time and doesn't put my blood pressure up.

Jan Gulliver, Lyneham

PLEASE GO, PAULINE

So Donald has invited Pauline to his inauguration. I just hope she goes and stays as long as she likes. Perhaps Donald will invite her to join his cabinet and then she need never come home.

E. R. Moffat, Weston

CARDS PLAYED RIGHT?

Fairfax seems to be doing a good job trying to flush out questionable spending of public funds by politicians. There may be room to explore the spending habits of officials, hundreds of whom have official credit cards. The public needs to be assured all the expenditure via those cards is fully audited as well.

Brian Smith, Conder

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