Letters to the editor || Mobile black spots; Urban sprawl; GM crops; Koalas and Shenhua

Mr Coulton announced there would be four new "base stations" under Round 5 of the $380 million program.

Also read: Digital agriculture will underpin the future of farming

The following is a list of the four locations and what service is actually provided (which are not base stations, as stated).

Small cell is a miniature version of mobile network technology used to boost coverage in urban areas.

Telstra has reworked the technology to deliver 4G data services and 4G HD Calling cells to selected areas in small towns where supporting infrastructure exists and says these small cells have a capacity to cover up to three kilometres.

However, in reality it is lucky to do 600 metres.

How can a small cell help anyone if its limited to around 600m?

For starters, the small cell near us at Kickabil is on the Collie-Dubbo Road, as far as 25 kilometres from the Newell Highway, and is lucky to benefit two people because of its location.

In the discussion papers on Mr Coultons page, it is says the purpose of the cells is to:

It seems they do not take heed of their own advice. The Inland Rail corridor is proposed to go through the Kickabil area and this whole area is a major black spot.

Why would a small cell be placed on the Collie-Dubbo Road (nowhere near the corridor) when it will be essential for communications to be operational for the construction and the operation of the Inland Rail?

It's like putting a bandaid on a shark bite.

KAREN WILSON, Woodlea, Balladoran.

The Save Our Voices media campaign on local matters (which promotes the role and importance of local media in rural and regional communities) should focus on the historic Hawkesbury Valley, as it is being carved up by developers at an alarming rate.

This fertile area north-west of Sydney has its council allowing tracts of farming land on the river's west to be sliced into suburban estates with no thought of infrastructure.

The latest rates gainer on the table is the 185-hectare Jacaranda development, to be dissected into 580 blocks ranging from 1000 to 4000 square metres.

Also read: Right to farm under the microscope in Australian Farm Institute report

Its neighbouring suburb of Glossodia has about 385 houses and is approximately 9 kilometres from the closest commercial supermarket. All roads to North Richmond or Windsor are single lane.

The developer's carrot of $23.2 million is two dual lane roundabouts on single lane feeder roads to enable as many as 1200 extra vehicles to turn local roads into parking lots.

These roads will remain single lane though increased from six to nine metres wide.

It will also extend and refurbish the local community and pre-school centres.

The developer, who has not factored in additional shops or medical facilities for this elitist enclave, is also the recent purchaser of the Peel family's Hambledon Park beef property at North Richmond

Hawkesbury City Council is calling for opinion submissions by March 28 on its website.

Local media, because of lack of staff, do not have the means for investigative journalism. The majority of Hawkesbury residents are unaware of this approaching disaster.

Decisions of this magnitude should be in the hands of state government. Sadly our local member is happy for Council to decide on these issues.

"Progress" is inevitable, however, infrastructure must come before this happens.

VIKI THOMAS, Freemans Reach.

Roundup tolerant GM cotton and canola are both exempt from the NSW moratorium on genetically manipulated (GM) crops and have been grown in the state since 2000 and 2010, respectively.

On July 1, NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall will also end the GM moratorium on all other crops.

In doing so, the Minister is effectively sacrificing the state's right to say 'yes' or 'no' to future commercial GM crops.

NSW Farmers has backed his decision, despite the clear trade risks of future GM releases ("GM crops are a matter of choice", The Land, March 11, p29).

Suppose, for example, the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) in Canberra licensed commercial GM wheat, saying it would not affect public health or the environment. It might be deemed safe for those aspects, but the OGTR does not assess market impacts at all and the state Agriculture Minister would have lost the power to say 'no' to a new crop, regardless of whether it might affect wheat markets and trade.

It makes real sense to keep the state's discretion to say 'no' to disruptive GM crops in the future to protect valuable and discerning markets.

BOB PHELPS, GeneEthics executive director, Emerald, Victoria.

Professor Mark Krockenberger of the University of Sydney, a member of the Koala Technical Working Group Meeting held by Shenhua, was absolutely right when he was reported in the Northern Daily Leader (March 17) as saying the Watermark Coal Mine should "either plant trees 10 years ago or delay mining for 10 years".

The subject of the meeting was a long-ago permit for a rail loop which, if carried out now, would destroy a core koala habitat.

Dr Valentina Mella, of the University of Sydney, had studied the area since 2015 and stated that 25 koalas, including four breeding females, had been documented in that time, leading her to believe that it should be classified as a core corridor and therefore not be destroyed.

Also read: Caroona Coal Action Group's Susan Lyle slams wait over Shenhua Watermark mining application

How much does the mining company really care about koalas and their habitat, or even about their threatened extinction?

The last time koalas faced extinction was in 1924 when two million koala pelts were exported from Eastern Australia. In the 1800s they were eye-witnessed as abundant.

Today, the loss of habitat due to mining and other land clearing for development is making life hard for koalas. One main problem is that man and koalas both prefer fertile land, so the prospect for koalas looks very bleak indeed.

RON WEBSTER, Tamworth.