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Rob Adams (Comment, 22/7) reminds us why mandatory height and building form controls are critical to the sense of place at key locations in Melbourne. If those carefully considered controls are made discretionary, we are in trouble. The sanctity of the Shrine of Remembrance has been protected by mandatory height and building controls since its completion. As Melbourne and St Kilda Boulevard grew in density and height, so those controls have been tightened. The sense of place here is not just seen, it is felt.

Similarly, this is the experience of the arrival sequence at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets. It is a key, largely pedestrian-experienced ″gateway″ to the heart of Melbourne. A ″front door″ where one is led along the handsome processional St Kilda Boulevard 60 metres wide. The antithesis of arrival down Kings Way.

On the approach to Flinders Street at the crossing of Princes Bridge the city skyline is revealed and the Yarra serves as the entry forecourt to the ″front door″. Walking onwards, the human scale of Flinders Street Station and Federation Square, the latter replacing the ill-considered former Gas and Fuel towers, enclose the approach and work in unison with St Paul’s Cathedral and Young & Jacksons to anchor arrival.

The height and siting of buildings beyond is critical to the gateway function and experience. As Adams explains, they have been in place for decades. Remove the mandatory controls here and where, in other Melbourne locations, will the valued ″sense of place″ be lost next by the arbitrary introduction of discretionary control?Tim Biles, urban planner, Collingwood

Towers set to dominate Arden precinct

Hawthorn residents are up in arms about a new 16-storey development in their area (″MPs join fight against Hawthorn tower proposal″, 22/7), but this pales in comparison to the 37-storey development recently approved by the acting planning minister, Nick Staikos, in the Arden precinct of North Melbourne.

The planning and consultation process for Arden, an identified urban growth area has taken more than a decade. Yet the higher of the two Arden Village Towers, the first major development in the area, exceeds the discretionary height guidelines by more than 50 per cent. The towers will dominate the Arden Street oval and what has been, until now, a low to medium-rise area. They will overshadow the forecourt to the new Arden Station and the new planned public space. Worse, they will set a precedent for developers, who will be encouraged to aim for excessive height. The needs of the Arden community have been forgotten. We need to do much better than this, or soon the most livable city will be nothing of the sort.Peter Hogg, North Melbourne

THE FORUM

More than the pay

After 15 years teaching in an independent school, I recently moved to a regional government school where I have seen some striking differences. First, there is a far greater proportion of students with additional needs and/or challenging behaviour in the state school in which I now teach. Second, I’ve been dismayed to experience that the process for obtaining funding for students with additional needs is way more onerous compared to what is required in the independent system. This disability inclusion funding is desperately needed to employ our incredible education support staff, without whom it is impossible to effectively teach.

I went on strike this week with my colleagues in the Victorian government education system and I thank Education Minister Ben Carroll for the latest pay offer, but here’s the thing – it’s not just about our wages.

Processes such as disability inclusion funding applications need to be made simpler, so that teachers, education support staff and school leaders can be freed up to do what they do best – supporting the learning and wellbeing of our students.Kat Beaton, Beechworth

Different values

Why is it that politicians – state and federal – seem to get their pay rises with no problem and on the generous side, too?

Other workers, in this case the state-employed teachers whose importance to the community is invaluable, are reduced to almost begging for decent remuneration and conditions. Such disrespect is disheartening.Helena Kilingerova, Vermont

Like, who’s counting?

Waiting at a bakery counter I overheard a young woman ask about a certain type of breadroll followed by “Can I have, like, four of them?” The response from the counter assistant: “Certainly. Exactly how many “like” four do you want. Three? Five?“

Absolute gold.Bruce Crowe, Sunbury

Scourge of a word

I’m so with your correspondent (Letters, 23/7). Unfortunately, it’s not just children. I had to turn off Race Around The World as participants and judges peppered the conversation with ″like″ until that was all I could hear. A scourge indeed.Carol Fountain, Mentone

Flick over this page

British psychoanalyst and psychiatrist Wilfred Bion, decorated for his leadership as a tank commander in France during WWII, once observed, “Truth is as important to the mind as food is for the body – without truth, the mind decays.” Such a relevant insight for the world today with our traditional American ally’s contemporary President Donald Trump’s consistent untruthfulness, and about whom One Nation leader Pauline Hanson – who displays a consistent incapacity to understand the complexity and depth let alone cause and effect of serious social problems – says, “I am on the same page.”

Here’s hoping a sufficient number of voters will understand the dangers to Australia were Hanson’s One Nation Party to ever gain governance.Jennifer Gerrand, Carlton North

The crime is real

Someone should tell One Nation leader Pauline Hanson that family violence is ″real″ crime that needs to be addressed with the full force of the law just like any other criminal offence (″Hanson takes aim at child support, DV ‘holiday’ leave’ ″, 24/7).Jan Storey, Beaumaris

Wrong message

There have been many initiatives to tackle sexual abuse in organised sport in Australia, especially in youth competitions: education for administrators, coaches and families, systems for raising complaints safely and encouraging young people to call out coercive and predatory conduct. But the booing of Collingwood footballer Isaac Quaynor, the target of a homophobic slur last year, on his return to Adelaide, sends a very clear message to all young people: if you call out sexualised conduct, you will be vilified.

I hope the Adelaide supporters who booed him understand they are cultivating fertile ground for the perpetrators of sexual abuse in sport, and may have undone much good work in creating safety in sport for our children.Sebastian Harvey, Carnegie

AFL must act

The booing by Adelaide supporters of Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor, the victim of a homophobic slur in last year’s final between the two teams, truly is a new low, or a reflection of their pack mentality. The AFL must act.George Djoneff, Mitcham

Chaos and resurrection

One Left faction Victorian Labor MP has said about Jacinta Allan’s leadership, ″If there is a challenge and she digs in, that is complete chaos″ (″Premier pins hope on anti-organised crime plan″, 24/7). The MP should have added, if there isn’t an immediate successful challenge, giving a new premier the chance to resurrect and revitalise the government before the November election, that is certain defeat.Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills

Clearing the air

I came home from a run this week with my clothes smelling like I’d been at the pub. In the winter, when every second house cranks their wood heater, air quality drops and getting outside for some exercise doesn’t seem so healthy. But rather than banning wood heaters, what if we did a buyback? Launceston City Council did that in 2001, which significantly improved air quality and health outcomes. Victoria has an energy upgrades program that provides a discount for getting rid of older heaters such as gas or wood, for reverse cycle airconditioners.Grant Morgan, Hurstbridge

Hal is among us

Very disturbing that an Open AI model escaped its test environment, attacked another system and proved problematic to ″recapture″. In Stanley Kubrick’s classic movie of 1968, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Hal 9000, the super computer assisting the mission, assumes scary control over its human masters. For readers unfamiliar with the movie, please track it down. There are scary parallels.Ray Bannister, Somers

Let’s work together

Colour me surprised that the Business Council is against a new court that might make it easier for workers to claw back underpayments and actual rights (″Labor pledges new court to settle workers’ job, pay issues″, 24/7). Isn’t it just time we stopped all this? The union isn’t the enemy, any more than business is. Surely there’s space for us all to work together, so nobody needs to be disadvantaged.David Jeffery, East Geelong

Is Don is good

The article (City Life, 23/7) on the uncertain future of the Don Bosco Youth Centre captured the unique value of a space that offers so much without asking for anything in return. My own experience with Don Bosco, however, goes far beyond its recreational activities.

Late one evening, my car broke down along Sydney Road. As traffic streamed past, a young Sudanese man staying at the centre noticed I was in trouble and walked over to assist.

Seeing the problem was beyond a quick fix, he fetched the local pastor, who arrived with a toolkit to help inspect the engine. When we realised the car was not going to start, they offered to bring me a meal while I waited for assistance.

I was struck by their quiet generosity and immediate willingness to help a stranger amid the noise and rush of Sydney Road. Don Bosco is clearly more than just a haven for local youth; it fosters a culture of deep compassion, community, and neighbourly care.

It would be a tragedy for our city to lose a place that quietly delivers such profound public good.Tim Singleton Norton, Reservoir

The mind of Trump

Apart from Donald Trump, does anyone have any idea what Donald Trump is doing, what he’s done, what he’s going to do, or why he’s doing it?“Ron Mather, Melbourne

AND ANOTHER THING

State affairs

Victorians should enjoy the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. After all, we have donated an estimated $380 million of our taxes towards the event thanks to a “false start” by the Andrews government.Kevan Porter, Alphington

Why don’t the teachers join the building unions? It seems Jacinta Allan gives them anything they want.Lindsay Donahoo, Wattle Glen

It must be galling for underpaid teachers to see government money being handed over to underworld figures involved with the Big Build.Graeme Russell, Eltham

So many people out there would welcome a 28 per cent pay rise.Andrew McFarland, Templestowe

Maybe we, the parents who want our children to attend public schools and their children, should go on strike for better funding for our schools. Anyone?Fiona McHugh, Preston

Furthermore

The pandering by Anthony Albanese to Donald Trump has achieved little as we are hit with higher US tariffs. A relationship reset is needed.Tony Delaney, Warrnambool

I can’t help comparing AI with cane toads. The release of cane toads to help solve a problem didn’t go well. Let’s hope that AI can be contained.Gretel Lamont, Aireys Inlet

I’m not a supporter of either side, but I thought the booing of Isaac Quaynor by the Adelaide crowd was an absolute disgrace. They tell us to “call it out”. Well I’m calling it out.Tim Habben, Hawthorn

It will be interesting to see if the AFL learnt from the Adam Goodes saga or will sit on its hands at the crowd booing of an individual player.Arthur Pritchard, Ascot Vale

Surely, Barnaby Joyce’s barking was designed to stop the political questions, rather than the dog’s wandering.Jacki Burgess, Port Melbourne

Finally

Oh Pauline, if only it were all so simple.Jane Sullivan, Kew East