Vic Market does not make a profit and maintenance costs run at $1 million a year, says Robert Doyle. News flash: it is there for the people to use and enjoy. Sure, the sheds need to be upgraded and the infrastructure improved, but the council's proposed revamp of this community facility and tourist attraction is ill-conceived, inappropriate and money-grabbing. It will remove the market's uniqueness and identity. The council has already begun to up rents to unmanageable levels, causing traders to leave and thereby decreasing opposition to the revamp. A wander down the once vibrant fruit and vegie Shed A tells the story. It is 70 per cent empty.
George Greenberg, Malvern
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Don't destroy our much-loved Queen Vic
Having seen Prahran and South Melbourne markets turned into glorified supermarkets, I am concerned about the plans for the Queen Vic. Over the years, there has been an observable reduction in fruit and vegie stalls as flea market and boutique activities encroached. Most customers just want to be able to buy cheap, fresh market produce. Will that still be possible, post-development?
Paul Spinks, Alma
Learning to live with an apartment tower
Almost every Saturday for the last 20 years, after filling my shopping trolley with provisions, I soak up the atmosphere – eating my lamb borek – at the Queen Victoria Market. Robert Doyle tells us, "If you do nothing or you have a minimalist approach to renewing this market, it will go under". The market renewal plan looks great. Heritage buildings will be preserved, car parking will go underground, significant community spaces and gardens will be created, and more trees will be planted, as well as better facilities provided for traders. The sticking point seems to be the proposed skyscraper adjacent to the market (and I am grateful its height has been reduced). But if the market's survival depends on it, then I am happy to eat my borek looking up at a tower.
Mick McMahon, Abbotsford
Will the tower have enough car spaces?
The approval for the Queen Vic Market tower should ensure that there are enough car parks for all residents within the tower's footprint before they go fluffing around with the height. This seems like a garbled compromise to me.
Campbell Laughlin, Rowville
The long, bleak shadow over our streets
Congratulations to Planning Minister Richard Wynne for his decision to slash 60 levels off the height of a tower on the fringe of the market. Mind you, approving a 42-storey tower nearby, coupled with the gleeful comment by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle that "success is the art of compromise", suggests that, again, too much has been conceded to developers and their backers. Perhaps Mr Wynne might knock off 15 levels from the 30-storey skyscrapers approved in Moonee Ponds and Box Hill.
Cramming more people into apartments on smaller perimeters of land in areas that are already struggling to cope with traffic congestion and overcrowded public transport is not a sensible solution to rapid population growth. Nor, I suspect, is it a great opportunity for investors looking to increase their wealth. Respected architects, urban planners and research all tell us that sky-high living is harmful to our urban fabric, makes people more detached from street life, and increases feelings of alienation and social isolation. Skyscrapers also utilise more energy to construct and need more heating and airconditioning. They also cast long, bleak shadows that reach out into our streets, neighbourhoods and future generations.
Liz Jovanovic, Moonee Ponds
THE FORUM
Using all our food
Wasted food ("Millions could survive on food we throw away", 12/7) is wasted nutrition. Food grown for humans should be treated as such before any consideration is given to converting it into energy, composting or feeding it to livestock. FareShare cooks 5000 meals a day from rescued food – which would otherwise end up in landfill – for people trapped in food poverty.
A sub-standard pumpkin may not make the supermarket shelves, but it is perfect for soups, casseroles and curries. Imperfect fruit is ideal for jams, purees, pies and crumbles. Milk on its "use by" date can be converted to yoghurt, and bread can be frozen or converted into bread crumbs. FareShare collects vegetable seconds, which would otherwise be fed to pigs or ploughed back into the land, direct from farmers. As a civil society, supporting our most vulnerable people with nutritious meals should be our first priority.
Kellie Watson, FareShare, Abbotsford
Win-win, healthy flying
Three cheers for Air India for its decision to serve vegetarian-only food in economy class (The Age, 11/7). It will serve food which will: cost less; cost the environment less; improve health; cause less cruelty to animals and, for many vegans and vegetarians, improve the quality of their travelling experience. Sitting close to people who are consuming the bodies of dead animals, no matter how they are cooked, can be a source of revulsion. Not to mention the ongoing odour of the eaters afterwards.
Judith Crotty, Dandenong North
Call it what it was
It is unlikely that the French government or French undercover agent Christine Cabon will apologise for the 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, such is the weight of French officialdom and the international community's unwillingness to rock the diplomatic boat. However it was an act of terrorism for which the French Government should be held to account.
When Cabon distances herself from conscionable involvement in the attack, which resulted in the death of photographer Fernando Pereira, by saying she was only playing a role and acting along the lines of her duty to the army and "partitioning" (selective myopia), she describes a de-personalising process. The disparity between our outrage/response to contemporary terrorist acts and those over the attack on Rainbow Warrior is instructive. The magnitude of this offence lives on, not vindicated in time, accepted only by the force and finality of its placement there. It is time to re-ignite our outrage over this unacceptable state-initiated violence.
Ian Hill, Blackburn South
It's all done for show
It seems as though the City of Melbourne's bollards (The Age, 12/7), along with many security measures at airports, are designed to show that "something is being done" rather than to have any practical benefit. Just as potential aircraft terrorists have moved on from exploding toothpaste tubes and deadly assaults with nail files, those who intend to mow down pedestrians with motor vehicles will move on to "non-bollarded" areas in the CBD or suburbs. The money wasted on bollards would be better spent on mental health and deradicalisation programs.
Mike Puleston, Brunswick
Just a woman's lot
It is deplorable that there were 243 reports of harassment of Muslims, with women bearing the brunt of Islamophobia over a 15-month period (The Age, 10/7). However, I suspect that cases of harassment of women in general would number in the millions. In my teens and 20s, harassment and threats were a daily reality: on the street, on public transport, at work and when I was out with friends and shopping. I do not recall collaborative reports being made or any media fuss. Age eventually brought relief. Perhaps the current discussion could be broadened to include everyday harassment of all women.
Vicki Webb, Woodend
Whiz them in and out
The growing rate of antibiotic resistance in the community (The Age, 10/7) may be one of the unintended consequences of Medicare's promotion of bulk-billing clinics. Bulk-billing promotes a culture in general practice of "quick fix" consultations. It is easier, and vastly more lucrative, to prescribe an antibiotic than to explain the alternative options to immediate antibiotic use. The Medicare fee for a standard consultation is the same for a six-minute consultation as for a 19-minute one. There is often a trade-off between quality and price, with quick prescribing winning over a nuanced discussion with the patient about optimal care. What a powerful incentive to promote patient "through put" over quality.
Lynda Court, Glen Iris
Rudd reinvented
It seems rather naive for Jeff Kennett to label Malcolm Turnbull a failed leader based on current policies and inability to unite the party. Tony Abbott is a loose cannon, scorned, hellbent on revenge; Kevin Rudd reinvented. Perhaps Mr Kennett can invite Mr Abbott to join him in his wee dram of whisky to calm the waters. Mr Kennett is also "horrified" with the new taxes on banks and superannuation. As the former chair of beyondblue, he would know that such organisations would not exist without the generous support of government funding and the need for such taxes into the future.
Peter McIntosh, Ballarat
The party is doomed
Malcolm Turnbull says "the party is Liberal, not conservative". Well, Mr Turnbull, that is what you made us believe when you took over as prime minister. Since then, you have reversed any liberal ideal you might have had and also been attacked for being too liberal. So, while the judgment on you – which face is really yours – is still outstanding, the party has shown that it is "ultra-conservative" and willing to shoot down any liberal ideas. As such, it is doomed
Dieter Liebrich, Kingsville
PM's "sense of reason"
Criticism of the Prime Minister for clarifying that the Liberal Party should occupy a central, rather than a politically conservative, position seems misguided. The very words "liberal" and "conservative" are traditionally separated ideologically, so it would make sense that any party calling itself "Liberal" should hold such self-descriptive views. When a populace becomes polarised, it leads to extremism. This is to be avoided at all costs. Well done, Prime Minister, for having a sense of reason.
Jim Palmer, Warrandyte
Overrun by oBikes
I think that bike sharing is a great addition to our city. However, the recently launched Singaporean company oBike is causing havoc for those who use public bicycle parking bays (The Age, 11/7). Overnight, hundreds of bikes have been dropped across the city, taking up precious bicycle parking space and leaving limited options for commuters. Surely if oBike noticeably increases the number of bikes in an area, it should also be responsible for producing enough parking bays to house them. This precious public resource should not be freely utilised by private business.
Lauren Trethowan, Richmond
Pointing the finger
Cricket Australia is a marketing organisation that sells the game of cricket to generate a profit. However, to generate such profit, it must have employees to promote. So where are we today? Basically the employer has no employees, and so cannot deliver on its contracts. Unless Cricketing Australia opens up to real discussion and finds a fast fix to this standoff, it is subject to lawsuits from multiple sources, including sponsors and the media who have invested large amounts of money into this sport. The players are not to blame; they are justified in their action. They are only ensuring that they do not fall into the hole that a whole lot of us do.
Andrew Connell, Newtown
Go Aussie, Aussie
The chairman of Cricket Australia dislikes collective bargaining. Could someone please advise him he is not in charge of a mining company where his bonus was probably partially tied to the number of employees made redundant. He is dealing with cricketers who are more important then he is and who are well aware of their worth. Go, cricketers.
Shirley Videion, Hampton
Sheer warmongering
As the niece of a Korean War veteran who was killed in action, I find sword-rattling by Australian politicians about North Korea strangely disturbing. Three hundred-plus Australians were killed in Korea and thousands of Koreans lost their lives. Cities were destroyed and the countryside was ruined. My family suffered the loss of a beloved uncle, brother and son. The loss echoes down the years. Australian families were deeply hurt and many, many Korean families were torn apart. Lest we forget.
Anne Ramsay, Essendon
Doubts about Junior
Is Donald Trump junior claiming he would not have used damaging information about Hillary Clinton had it been provided to him by the lawyer with links to the Kremlin? It makes no sense.
Garry Meller, Bentleigh
AND ANOTHER THING
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Sport
How much longer do we have to read/hear about the tedious Bucks saga? There are other clubs in the AFL.
Roger Vincent, Fitzroy, SA
What is it about Carlton fans? First Goodes, now Oliver. Can we expect a campaign against redheads?
Brian Fletcher, Brighton
Is the Pat Cash who's coaching Coco Vandeweghe the same one who, 30 years ago, said women's tennis was "two sets of rubbish"?
James Meehan, Malvern East
If millionaires can make huge "loans" to cricketers, why can't they support starving children and the homeless?
Alan Hart, Maldon
David Peever, former managing director of Rio Tinto, and now chairman of Cricket Australia. Say no more.
Leigh Plews, Elsternwick
Filthy lucre has turned the gentlemen's game into a grubby commercial industry.
Yaroslav Dudinski, Sunshine
Politics
Turnbull: "Why are you doing this to me?" Abbott: "Because I wanna do you slowly, mate."
Chris Trotter, Sandringham
Have another scotch, Jeff. And a beer chaser or two. Stop when you make sense.
Bart Mavric, Moonlight Flat
Turnbull hitches a ride in Trump's car and Macron's plane. Can't he afford a taxi?
Val Pollard, Woodend
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold" (T.S.Eliot's The Waste Land).
Keith Hallett, Gismore
Melbourne
It's difficult to believe concrete blocks would move 30metres in a 40km/h collision. We need Mythbusters to test this one.
Dave Barter, Hawthorn
What's the difference between dumped bicycles and dumped shopping trolleys? Nothing.
Leonard King, Bundoora