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Power to the people

Yes, we need more housing. Much of it needs to be affordable. All of it needs to be liveable. As long as developers are in effective charge of town planning, we will get more and more apartments built on small blocks, reaching to the heavens in search of bigger and bigger profits, failing both the affordability and liveability objectives.

Contrary to the opinions of some, residents of Hawthorn, Kew, Arden and elsewhere are not against more housing in our backyards. We welcome it. Just not to the extent of overshadowing and loss of privacy due to excessively high buildings, and losing precious open space such as is currently threatened in Box Hill.

To achieve that, it is essential that town planning returns to both legislated and effective control by local and state governments so that community wellbeing interests are returned to planning and the profit motive that hinders good planning decisions is eliminated. Developers have no place in planning decisions.Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn

Rethink housing needs

Re the article ″Meet the home owners who are perfectly happy to see their property values tumble″, 24/7), increasingly this is the message we need to drive home in our pursuit to house Australians affordably and with security of tenure. The challenging objective of both national and state governments should be to urgently develop and realise a non-market housing sector in which households of all make-ups on a range of incomes have alternative options to securely live in collective forms of ownership as co-operative and social housing based on income capacity to pay. Housing as a cherished social commodity and not as an investment pursuit with fiscal benefits of owners and renters are explicitly tenure neutral.Henk van Leeuwen, Elsternwick

Retaining heritage

Rob Adams’ excellent analysis ″One building threatens unique CBD″ (22/7), also highlights what is important about our inner-city heritage activity centres. The fine grain and narrow frontages of older buildings have enabled a diversity of activity and independent shops to survive.

These valuable assets, including start-ups or quirky businesses cannot survive higher land values and redevelopment patterns. This is why planning changes and any new development in these areas needs to be very carefully considered.Sally Vivian, Carlton North

It’s goodbye, actually

I am reminded of that great speech from the film Love Actually, with a little paraphrasing and a little quoting: Australia is a great country and has had a long relationship with America, but “I fear that this has become a bad relationship” and “a friend who bullies is no longer a friend”.

Vale our long friendship with America.Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg Heights

Another certainty

Deaths and taxes used to be the only two certainties in life. Now it seems we can add Donald Trump’s tariffs to that.Mark Kennedy, Sebastopol

How to reset nothing?

Your correspondent (Letters, 25/7) calls for a ″relationship reset″ with Donald Trump, but that assumes there is one to reset. When policies and tariffs can change overnight, how do you deal with someone so unpredictable? The Trump administration has little interest in long-term partnerships or diplomacy. No country is immune from that reality.David Milner, Port Melbourne

Credit to Husic

Ed Husic deserves credit for speaking up on issues that matter to Labor’s base and the broader Australian public (″Husic has taken on the role of the ALP’s conscience″, 24/7).

His steadfast support for a 25per cent tax on gas exports – a policy backed by 60 per cent of Australians, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Council of Social Service, the Commonwealth Bank and politicians across the spectrum – has been particularly commendable. With such a powerful majority, Labor has an opportunity to ensure Australians are properly compensated for our resources and for the climate damage multinational gas companies cause. Husic shouldn’t be the lone conscience in the Labor Party backing this fair reform.

Right now, the Albanese government is sitting on its hands while our climate bill keeps climbing (″Labor leaders stare down the push for green agenda″, 24/7).Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn

Fix the fees, Labor

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and the Labor government should be covered in shame over the continued gross overcharging of humanities students’ university fees. Isn’t four years enough time to fix this appalling state of affairs?Laurie Bebbington, South Yarra

Power imbalances

Not unusually Pauline Hanson seems to be confused about an issue. Losing one’s cool is not the same as being the perpetrator or victim of domestic violence. Most relationships suffer occasional (or frequent) discord. Having an argument where both parties express anger or frustration is not the same as being the victim of calculated or persistent domestic abuse. A ″two-way″ argument usually does not involve leaving one partner with a feeling of dread waiting for the next outburst. Domestic abuse, indeed any sort of abuse, relies on an imbalance of power so that one of the participants is at a disadvantage, either physically, financially or psychologically andwith the knowledge that the abuser will use that power if they choose.Cheryl Day, Beaumaris

A woman’s lot

Columnist Gary Nunn (Comment, 23/7), a middle-aged,white male, writes about how he feels upon growing older and being judged. He has to dye his greying temples. He doesn’t know just how hard it is to be a girl-woman in life. At 12 or so we start to menstruate, which is a bloody pain, (forgive the pun) and it goes on for about 40 years.

In between time, there’s falling (or failing) to fall pregnant. There’s the changed body shape, the mood swings and don’t even mention the labour pains. Then one comes home with a new baby and you wonder what you have done? Sore breasts, sleepless nights, but by golly you love this baby to bits.

So you handle bringing up a child and begin to feel quite happy and self-satisfied and together, and that’s when menopause kicks in. More mood swings and sleepless nights, more body changes, hot flushes, the need to tint your hair so you can become the sexy gal you once were, but never will be.

You cope with all this as women have always done. Maybe you have the pleasure of grandchildren and nothing prepares you for the absolute joy this brings. But then comes being a senior, older, not much wiser, but enjoying life because you are free to swear, look daft or just do as you want.

At 95, I wouldn’t change being a woman for all the money in the world. A life full of joys and some sorrows, ups and downs and just living, because life is tricky.

As the song says, To Life!Myra Fisher, Brighton East

Bring on Toto

Illustrator Megan Herbert (25/7), hits the nail on the head again with her cartoon. Toto for prime minister I say.Robin Jensen, Castlemaine

Dining v saving

“Gen Z are dining out more than any other generation” (Good Food, 24/7): How does that fit with saving for a house deposit?Bernd Rieve, Brighton