They also inhibits the natural flow of the mall. The sooner they're removed, the better for everyone.

IT'S fantastic to finally see upgrades being progressed on the Batman Highway, but has anyone noticed the unsightly state of Batman Bridge?

This bridge, being an iconic symbol of the Tamar Valley, truly needs a lick of paint.

It's has to be nearly 30 years since its last coat of white.

THE Highland Lakes Road reaches the highest point of any highway in Tasmania - 1210 metres - at Pine Lake, 30 kilometres south of Deloraine. Pine Lake freezes over in winter, but just at the moment is in the midst of a riot of soft summer colour.

Besides being the only place where a highway passes through Tasmania's unique pencil pines, Pine Lake's meadows are ablaze with flowering richea scoparia.

These prickly but beautiful flowering plants were famously photographed by Peter Dombrovskis in the Walls of Jerusalem, west of Pine Lake.

For folk who are not likely to put a pack on their back and climb up to the Walls, now is an excellent time to visit Pine Lake and get a roadside glimpse of a beautiful part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area's flowering alpine landscape.

IT IS unbelievable that yet another monstrous hotel has been proposed for the CBD in Launceston. It is too high, too ugly and will add yet more vehicular traffic to an already congested area.

RUSSELL Langfield's letter (The Examiner, January 19) typifies much of the ill-informed debate on climate change. The world is not about to end as he claims.

Climate change has been happening for four billion years on this planet. There have been periods of much greater heat (the Cretaceous period and more recently the so-called medieval warm period) and cold (the last ice age) and even the mini-ice age from the mid 1300s to the mid 1800s.

Global temperatures fall and, as they are doing now following this period, temperatures are rising, even in the Arctic. The big problem the human race faces, ironically, is the number of humans on this planet, now approaching eight billion, putting pressure on the planet's resources. This has nothing to do with climate change.

I THOUGHT Mona Foma was exciting and very creative. But this year half in Launceston only.

What about Dark Mofo having a couple of Launceston events this year too?

It gives the city a boost in mid winter and the artists get to play an extra performance or two. Good for everyone.

MANY times I've written to The Examiner stating that the only way to rid the estuary of the mud is to remove it all together.

Now whether that means pumping to sites around Launceston or taking out into Bass Strait where it can be spread over a large enough area as to not cause more problems is a matter of money.

But be warned the river's natural flow pattern will bring silt washed as far as Rosevears back up the river if you remove enough from the Launceston area. All the other measures such as the sewage, stormwater, stock access to river banks will help in the long-term but they also require cash and won't make any more than a minor difference without the present mud being removed.

WANTED - older persons to nominate for a state Parliament seat next election.

Several candidates running in each electorate with a successful candidate in each is the only way to secure representation for all Tasmanian Voters.

I mean no disrespect to you Bob (The Examiner, January 14), but do you live in the area (Invermay) where the waste processing centre will be housed? Probably not, but I do. It is very frustrating when people want these sorts of businesses in a residential area as long as it is not theirs.

I mean would you like it on your back doorstep? I don't think so. I have lived through the Humes/Holcim time. Just because they were there for some time, don't think it was plain sailing for them because believe me it wasn't.

There were a number of issues with them which they had to address over the years. This business is going to be worse. There are more than noise and dust issues related to this business - traffic, water, vibration - the list goes on. Yes, they say they have done studies, but what is written on paper does not equate to what will actually happen.

It's disappointing, with Invermay becoming an educational and sporting centre, that it remains a dumping round for these types of businesses. Move it out of the city.

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