Clover’s grand plan risks becoming an eyesore and more

Malcolm Knox raises issues with the proposed Sydney Town Hall Square (“Pigeons will love it, Clover. Will we?” , August 15), arguing that public spaces around the world are becoming less attractive and are problematic. The lord mayor says the square will be as “grand” as any overseas. This aspiration is implausible due to the small size proposed (4500 square metres), while the benefit of the open space must be measured against the losses through demolition. There is the loss of the convenience of the Woolworths store, the loss of the charming Coronation Hotel and the loss other cafes that now enliven this part of the city. All the new square offers is a fountain said to mist passersby in hot weather, movable tables and chairs, and a clump of trees. There will be no bus shelters at the bus stops, no covered or escalator access to Town Hall Station, no public restrooms or an underground connection with the Metro. Unless the design provides more public benefit, the project should be abandoned. Ian Ferrier, Paddington

I admire Malcolm Knox’s article for its frank disclosure of the false mythic utopianism far removed from the reality of squares in Europe. Unlike in Sydney, Italian piazzas, created many centuries ago under different circumstances, were enclosed by three- to four-storey buildings of uniform height and reached through a jumble of narrow streets and laneways from which pedestrians emerged from confined darkness into a bright sunlit space under a wide blue sky. In Sydney, that same experience will be unrepeatable. Direct to the north of the square is a 243-metre bulky tower blocking the sun, and the Town Hall itself to the west blocking the afternoon sun. Philip Drew, Annandale

I think many Sydney residents will agree with Malcolm Knox’s opinion about the usefulness of the planned Town Hall square in this day and age, which may become another dumping ground for discarded e-bikes. Maybe Clover wants to be the town crier? The original grand plan for the square was also to close Park Street to traffic and include it in the square – without this part of the plan, knocking down the Woolies block makes even less sense now. The council also has a major conflict of interest as it will be approving its own DA, with no independent scrutiny and evaluation of the DA. Given the huge cost of the square to ratepayers and the years of major disruption it would cause to traffic, light rail and train services etc, maybe it is time for the NSW premier to step in and overrule the lord mayor. Joseph Palmer, Newtown

A few years ago in the Herald, a prominent European architect visiting Sydney was interviewed about the design of civic squares. One aspect of his ideas which has stayed with me was that the most important aspect of the design was the edges of the square, not its centre, because it was around the edges that people gathered to meet, eat, drink and converse. Jim Pollitt, Wahroonga

One word in Malcolm Knox’s reality check on the proposed Town Hall precinct makeover caught my eye. Perhaps if Mayor Moore took a moment to switch her gaze from her far and visionary horizons for the CBD to consider the state of the once celebrated Sydney Square, she might reconsider her notion of what comprises civic pride. Those seeking a quiet moment in that leafy enclave will need to compete for seating unadorned with the calling cards of passing pigeons and other bird life. Would it be too much to ask for the council to dust off its high-pressure hose? And if it’s an enduring monument the mayor seeks, then what could be more practical than diverting some of her midtown war chest towards unifying Hyde Park’s two halves with a pedestrian arch? What a triumph that would be for our long-serving and rightly popular city guardian. Bradley Wynne, Croydon

At the moment, the best things about Sydney Square are the Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building, the pavement artists and the buskers. The worst things about Sydney Square are the mattresses of homeless people decorating the pavement along the east side of the QVB, the Christians singing songs of praise outside the Town Hall while avoiding contact with the aforementioned homeless people, and the horrendous dog on the wishing well. I sure hope the dog goes, the homeless people go and the Christians go. And what are the plans for the poor old Queen? Michael Hirschhorn, North Rocks

What a doom and gloom piece from Malcolm Knox about the new Sydney Square. How lucky we are to have Clover making so many good things happen in our city. The square will be a highlight opposite the Town Hall along the wonderfully revamped pedestrian-friendly George Street. Jim Stone, Lane Cove

Taylor misses big picture

I realise that PM Albanese’s remark about “taking over” New Zealand was meant to be funny (“PM failed. For Taylor, it’s worse”, August 15) but, like his other gaffes about relationships with women and Melon-gate, they revealed an insensitivity as to their potential impact unbecoming of one who holds the nation’s highest public office. Similarly, as Peter Hartcher suggests, Angus Taylor’s propensity to join with Pauline Hanson to exploit such pettifogging irrelevancies rather than promote his own positive nation-building plans casts a shadow on his judgement about what really matters. It is little wonder many voters are looking elsewhere for more insightful, perhaps more conventional political leadership. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne

Thank god for Peter Hartcher’s analysis of the melon situation. In my experience, old men do creepy things around young women, to do what, I’m not sure. I can’t even glance at angry Angus without feeling like calling security. The only angrier person in the room is Pauline. Just to lighten the mood, can someone ask Pauline who the PM of Tasmania is? Sue Dellit, Austinmer

‘Pauline problem’ persists

George Megalogenis feels that John Howard neutralised Pauline Hanson 30 years ago (“Second act”, August 15). No, I don’t think Howard did. With the support of the Labor opposition, Howard initially put Hanson on ice, but when faced with the prospect of losing far-right voters, he cynically pivoted, turning the Liberals into One Nation Lite. Then came the “Tampa election” and his “we will decide who comes into this country …” speech and the Liberals’ shift further to the right was made permanent. Howard’s opportunism actually created the “Pauline problem” we face today. Which is pretty much par for the course for Howard, whose ideological meddling in Indigenous affairs, housing tax, school funding, marriage laws, refugee policy, privatisations, etc are responsible for most of the social ills we face today and a structural deficit that just won’t quit. Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn

Toll of war

To the “brutal forgotten war that is tearing Myanmar apart” (“The forgotten war”, August 15) we should add the forgotten war in Sudan, the forgotten civil war in Yemen, the forgotten insurgency in Somalia, the forgotten lawlessness in Haiti, the forgotten displacement of millions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the forgotten food insecurity and violence in Chad. There are more. No doubt the response to these forgotten catastrophes will always remain reactive, expensive, and tragically late. John Bailey, Canterbury

Count Binface gets the vote

What a shame that Count Binface, the alter ego of scriptwriter and comedian Jonathan Harvey, didn’t win the Clacton byelection (“Reform’s Farage began a political farce. Binface missed his chance”, August 15). I would think Westminster needs some sharp humour with Britain in its current woes. And who’s to say Harvey couldn’t contribute to debate in the House of Commons? One need look no further than Ukraine, which has as its president Volodymyr Zelensky, a former entertainer and comedian. Filling Westminster with lawyers, businessmen (it’s mostly men), uni lecturers and party apparatchiks is hardly representative of the British population, so more entertainers and writers are needed, if for nothing else to sharpen the debate and wit in our parliaments. Rodney Crute, Hunters Hill

Forget about trying to get a visa for convicted criminal and anti-Islam provocateur Tommy Robinson and invite Count Binface instead. He seems to encapsulate the current state of politics here and in the UK, and would look fabulous on stage alongside Pauline and Barnaby. He might make more sense than many politicians I could name and give us a laugh. What’s to lose? Lance Dover, Pretty Beach

When I heard that Nigel Farage wasn’t going to “attend the count”, at first I thought that meant he wasn’t going to bring Binface a cup of tea and a cucumber sandwich. Ross Duncan, Potts Point

Stop sign for street sale

Yes, Geoff from Woonona, Peter from Ashbury, Elizabeth from Wahroonga, Nola from Kiama and Graham from Cootamundra (Letters, August 15), buying a street has to be the last straw. What an excellent range of sensible arguments to stop funding elite, entitled private schools. It’s getting tiresome. Our governments need to take action. Lisa Williams, Dulwich Hill

As taxpayers have invested large amounts of money in private schools to build swimming pools, tennis courts, etc, would sharing with nearby public schools offering the same use of their facilities be a fair-go solution, with no public road needed? Margaret Wilkie, Peregian Beach (Qld)

A number of your correspondents suggest withdrawing all public funding from private schools after Redlands’ latest development plans were revealed. All three of our children attended private schools, and I pay my taxes like all other citizens. Private schools should receive taxpayer-funded support to the extent that Gonski determines simply because they are teaching Australian school students, and that is what my taxes contribute to. They are no more or no less equal than any other school students. And for those who will disagree and say the private schools receive too much money – take that up with ex-PM John Howard, who distorted the system during his term in office. Dale Bailey, St Leonards

Under threat

I, too, feel the dread Tony Wright discusses, with the threat that the H5N1 bird flu might kill 50 per cent of these amazing creatures, perhaps driving some species to extinction (“These diving dinosaurs have defied death forever, but now face their greatest threat”, August 15). As I walk through the trees around Nowra Creek I wonder too at the impact of the changes our species has made to our ecology that has placed birds under such threat. Is it the loss of habitat, the chemicals, the disruption of the chain of life? Whatever it is, I cannot imagine how sad it would be to lose the sounds and sights of birds. Birds are but one part of the web of life we learnt about in school, and without that beautiful complexity I wonder how we can go on. Colin Hesse, Nowra

Trust the anecdata?

So often, people preface opinions with ″⁣I was a … for xx years″⁣, with the assumption that their expert opinion cannot be challenged. In every situation, people see happenings from different points of view, coloured by their own knowledge and prejudices. Especially with health matters, the expert is your own GP, not Dr Google. We are fortunate, here in Australia, that it is easy to obtain a second opinion by a registered GP. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland

Halfpenny on the money

Kate Halfpenny, what a wonderful article (“Hey, Juddy, yelling at Albo from the wealth bubble is a bit rich”, August 15). Complete agreement, the wealthy yelling about how the tax changes affect their second, third or fourth properties are not worrying about how someone might buy their first. Steven Lee, Faulconbridge

Kate Halfpenny’s article strikes me as being the “full quid”. Trevor Wootten, Petersham

Hughesy and cry

Dave Hughes (“Dave Hughes to campaign for Liberals in Victorian Election”, August 15) exemplifies the old saying “if you don’t vote Labor when you’re young, you don’t have a heart. If you don’t vote Liberal when you’re old, you don’t have over $10 million including a multi-property taxpayer-funded investment portfolio”. Derek Elmes, Faulconbridge

Divine design

Agnostics and atheists do not need to keep searching for empirical “evidence” of God’s existence (Letters, August 15). In Christian theology, the name Emmanuel – meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) – affirms that God has already made Himself known. Jesus Christ embodies God’s presence among humanity, fulfilling prophecy and offering divine guidance, comfort and salvation. Hendry Wan, Rosebery

Your correspondent says decisively everywhere there is a lack of traces of our Christian God. But we humans function pretty well, so someone is running the world’s complex puppet show. We hunger, explore, create, suffer, think, forgive, love, so there has to be a higher force working it out. People come and go and everyone gets a chance at it. Mary Julian, Glebe

Atheists have their own credibility problems. How did life begin? How did DNA gradually acquire the perfect genetic code? How did lobe-finned fish evolve into developed humans? God deniers would do well to study textbooks on human anatomy, biochemistry and ecology. Everywhere we look there is strong evidence of perfect design, not random mutations. Creation by God is simply the only logical model to believe. Peter Juocys, Rooty Hill

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