WHILE the cost of defending Australia seems to be a necessity for some, I reckon our best defence is our location in the Pacific region.
No one would expect a nation of 26 million people to match the same defence spending as the US, which has more than 300 million people pay for their service or buy their submarines.
Much smaller Pacific islands are receiving military aid and financial assistance just because of their location, when they have very little to give in return.
I reckon we should do the same, to be a strategic military location for our allies, to repair and service their ships, aircraft and land based armoured vehicles, provide the fuel and provisions required at secure locations to house, feed, and train an army, to spend their money here.
For some to say this will make Australia a target for presumably the likes of China, I reckon China will be so busy supplying us with almost everything needed above. We will become an asset for them as well, "there will be no war", greed will be the ultimate winner and Australia rather wealthy.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Ensure your insurance matches
A RECENT contributor who wrote of his concerns regarding the cost of his home insurance increasing to just under $1500 from $1100, seemed rather upset. However, he should be so lucky.
Mine went from $600 to $4500 over a five-year period, which I managed to reduce by valuing my house at what I could replace it for and paying the first $2000 if a claim was lodged.
I have found that by looking around and talking to others, insurance companies claim they value your property by using an algorithm that I found increases the value dramatically, but this value doesn't come as an agreed value; it's just an agreement to replace your house, or pay you for what they can replace your house for.
As an example, my house is a reasonably modest, single-level brick veneer house with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a three-car garage that their algorithm valued at $1.4 million, but I know I can replace it for $600,000. Don't be trapped into believing that because your house and land may sell for over $1 million that you should insure your house for the same amount.
Name and suburb withheld
Time to check your pool fences
WITH spring bringing warmer weather, Royal Life Saving Australia is asking all owners of backyard pools to check their pool fences and pool gates as a matter of urgency.
Children under five are curious and fearless, and their love of water puts them at risk of drowning.
Tragically, every year in Australia we lose on average 20 young children to drowning, with half of all drowning deaths in young children occurring in backyard swimming pools. The majority are aged just one year old. This is because the risk of drowning triples at the age of one year, when children become more mobile.
We know that eight times the number of children who die go to hospital after a non-fatal drowning incident. That is more than 150 children aged under five each year, some of whom will be left with life-limiting disabilities. While active supervision is the best protection against childhood drowning, no parent or caregiver can watch a young child 24 hours a day. Ensure that you have a functioning and compliant pool fence and working gate as an additional barrier between young children and water for all those moments when life intervenes - the phone rings, the doorbell rings, another child needs your attention - can literally be life saving.
Wet weather conditions can wash away topsoil and weaken fences. Check no fence posts have come loose from the ground. Make sure the gate is still self-closing and self-latching and is never left propped open under any circumstance. Pack pool toys away so they are not an overwhelming temptation, and empty portable pools when not in use. It is also a good time to brush up on CPR skills ahead of summer.
Checking the pool fence, pool gate and the area around the pool is secure, including no furniture or structures that little people can climb to access the pool, could prevent a tragedy. Keep watch and protect the littlest members of your family.
Justin Scarr, chief executive officer, Royal Life Saving Society - Australia
Battery of green option coming
I READ with interest John Tierney's opinion about nuclear being one of the best electricity generating options ("Nation in danger of taking wrong turn with energy, again", Opinion, 10/9). I beg to differ.
By the time nuclear power generation plants are built, there will surely be cheaper solar set-ups and cheaper storage batteries that most free standing houses will have, like the number of people owning mobile phones.
There is much research and development in trying to find the least cost storage battery for homes, and surely some companies will come up with something much cheaper than what is available in today's world. Even now Origin is trialling a low-cost battery to see how good it is and if it works there will be more development in that type of battery. Even now there are situations where solar and battery power are cheaper.
Agner Sorensen, Teralba
ZEST FOR RENEWABLES
EXCELLENT news that 73 per cent of folks in the Hunter (and across Australia) have a preference for renewable energy ("Strong support for renewables over nuclear in the Hunter, says survey", NH 17/9). Rolling out clean, cheap renewable energy with battery backup is an excellent way to bring down power bills, tackling climate pollution and cost of living too. Surely government support to speed up the process, particularly to reduce upfront costs for households, would be a vote winner.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Cut red tape for productivity
AUSTRALIA'S productivity fell 0.8 per cent in the last quarter. Reforming taxation and government red tape is an easy way to improve productivity. A good start would be to do away with one level of government. Federal and state governments, or federal government and local councils - take your pick. Don't expect anyone in government to suggest it, as nothing beats self interest.
David Hoar, Newcastle
CFMEU's options are limited
DISGRUNTLED members of the CFMEU continue to strike and vow to abandon the Labor government at the next election. That raises the question of who they are going to vote for. The Coalition hate the union and would rather see it abolished all together, and I cannot see them supporting the Greens, so the independents must be their choice. As a retired member of the CFMEU I would advise caution; be very careful of your choice as it may come back to bite you.
Darryl Tuckwell, Eleebana
Standards matter, even in a crisis
IN the ongoing frenzy to find a solution to the housing crisis we now have the Productivity Commission arguing the rate of construction could be increased if we lowered standards. It suggested that the regulation requiring dwellings to receive sunlight should be scrapped. Recently a Californian court case also found that jail cells need not have sunlight even though the inmates suffered from lack of vitamin D.
