But nothing could be done as Google Maps cannot be used to spot trees according to him. So the trees are gone. The birds are gone. Stonnington appeared to have little interest in saving the trees.
What protection do trees have and their benefits to the environment when up against developers, swimming pools, sheds and the like.
Name withheld, Glen Iris

Repair takes decades
The destruction of suburban canopy trees exemplified by the situation in North Balwyn is widespread. It is the norm in Balwyn and North Balwyn for the original modest houses with their large gardens and mature trees to be bulldozed and replaced by McMansions with minuscule open space.

Virtually every block sold is moonscaped and it is rare to see any trees left for protection. In the rare cases where council acts on the illegal destruction of a mature tree and requires a replacement to be planted, it can take decades for that immature tree to be capable of removing the amount of carbon that its predecessor did.

The world is facing an existential climate crisis with the widespread destruction of its forests and it is imperative that local councils play their part by enforcing the local laws protecting canopy trees and dramatically increasing the penalties for wilful buyers and developers who seek to flout the laws.
David Crawford, Balwyn

Bulldozed for monsters
Having lived there myself, I am really sorry for the loss of trees in the “leafy” eastern suburbs. But don’t cry for me Boroondara, come and have a look at the Mornington Peninsula, especially in the Sorrento-Blairgowrie area where vegetation is disappearing as fast as you can say McMansion and the beach atmosphere has all but disappeared. Perfectly fine homes are bulldozed and every bit of greenery removed to make way for border-to-border monsters.
Paul Speelman, Blairgowrie

THE FORUM

National pride
While there is obviously a deep disappointment that the Matildas will not be playing in the Women’s World Cup final against Spain, I suspect the bigger narrative is how this humble team of formerly unfamiliar players suddenly became household names and unified a nation in the throes of impending political division.

Judging by the almost mind-boggling TV ratings, water-cooler conversations, popularity of fan zones and humorous scenes such as patrons cheering on an international flight after the penalty shootout against France, the buzz of national pride has been almost on par with the 1993 announcement that Sydney would host the 2000 Olympic Games.

There is often a nasty edge permeating soccer, both on the field and within the supporter base, but it has been refreshingly absent in this women’s competition which has provided a haven in which whole families can participate. The right action now is to get behind the Matildas’ campaign for bronze in their upcoming third place play-off against Sweden.
Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn

Glowing report card
I hope the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) is taking notes at how well Australia has hosted FIFA’s Women’s World Cup. Australia has gone Matildas crazy supporting the team, stadia have been packed with spectators paying to watch the games live or on screens, and Wednesday night’s semi-final was watched by up to 11 million Australians — almost half our population.

Australia will show more when she stages the games for third place and the actual cup. With such a glowing report card, FIFA should seriously consider Australia and New Zealand when considering who should host the men’s World Cup in 2030.
Dora Houpis, Richmond

On the map
Matildas, it’s OK! You got to such a high level – you beat France, proving you are the equal of a traditional soccer country. You put Oz on the international football map. You gave it your all, and who could ask for more? You are still a fab team and you have my unqualified admiration.
Jan Dwyer, Rosebud

As it should be played
Australia’s success in the Women’s World Cup has created enormous interest and appreciation of the game. However the one thing that stands out to those of us who are already keen football followers is that there is none of the staging, faking and coercion that is such a feature of the men’s competition, particularly in the English Premier League. We have not seen players go down screaming in agony when only the slightest of contact has been made, the diving in the penalty box, nor the overt gang pressure on the referee.

It is a pleasure to watch professionals playing the game as it should be played.
David Parker, Geelong West

The wrong sort
I went to Federation Square to watch the Matildas, thinking the crowds would be families and young adoring fans. Wrong. Sadly, I discovered the flare-throwing hooligans had discovered women’s soccer.
Ron Mather, Melbourne

Lack of respect
I was settling down to watch the Matildas play England from my mother’s home in the west of Scotland. I was excited for the game and also to listen to the Welcome to Country with my mother who hadn’t ever witnessed this very special cultural ceremony.

Instead, my mother heard nothing of the Welcome to Country as the BBC commentators talked throughout the entire welcome. I was appalled. They showed no respect whatsoever for either Australia or First Nations culture. Worse than us losing to England.
Delia Forrest, East Melbourne

Who would negotiate?
Lidia Thorpe wants the Voice referendum axed and the monarch to be involved in treaty negotiations (“Thorpe tells PM to axe Voice referendum”, 16/8 ). With whom should he negotiate? The minority splinter group/s from the Uluru Statement from the Heart (namely Thorpe and her ilk) or the mainstream group/s who will be part and parcel of the Voice to be set up by parliament?
M. Leah Billeam, Portarlington

Keeping it succinct
There has been much debate in parliament, and on TV and radio about whether the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a one- or 18-page document. Speaking at the acceptance of the Sydney Peace Prize in late 2022, Megan Davis urged Australians to read the whole 18-page document. She now recommends we read just the one-page summary. So what?

It is irrelevant. As the prime minister has made clear, the referendum is solely about the Voice and not about the Uluru statement. The referendum proposal does not mention sovereignty or makarrata. It is not about treaties, or reparations, or truth-telling. All of that is for another day.
Peter Fenwick, East Melbourne

The need to listen
During my time working as a general practitioner, I was fortunate enough to have a number of working visits to the Gove Peninsula stationed at Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory. On one occasion when working at a local community medical clinic, situated not far from the bauxite mine site, I noted that the children from the community were not attending their routine health checks. That afternoon, I decided to visit the small community and see if there was a reason for this “boycott”. An extremely helpful woman by the name of Dorothy took some time to explain the problem as the community saw it.

The central issue hinged on the fact that despite repeated requests regarding the pumping out of the septic tanks, the requests had gone unheeded. The result was that half of the houses were uninhabitable due to seepage of raw sewerage. The community reaction to this failure to be heard was to withdraw from broader community engagement – including health checks. The feeling was: the powers that be don’t care about us; no one listens; why engage with them in other programs?
The following morning, I met with the town engineer to raise the urgency of the issue with him. I am pleased to say that by the following day, the septic tanks had been pumped out.
I am also pleased to say that at the next children’s health check clinic, all the children from Dorothy’s community presented at the clinic.

To me, this is a classic example of what can happen in regard to outcomes, when people’s voices are heard. To me, that is what the Voice is all about.
Michael Sargeant, Chirnside Park

A step too far
Niki Savva is wrong to suggest that postponing the referendum on the Voice would be Albanese’s “Rudd moment” and wreck his leadership. In fact, by postponing, Albanese could still ensure a Voice to parliament and enhance his leadership. His big mistakes were insisting that the Voice be enshrined in the Constitution and tying recognition of Aborigines in the Constitution and the Voice together in just one question.

Most Australians will support recognition in the Constitution and even the federal opposition supports a legislated Voice but, as the polls show, Australians are not ready for the Voice to be included in the Constitution.
Peter Martina, Warrnambool

Big enough
In all the recent discussion about housing, I keep hearing the expression “quarter-acre block”. Does it refer to the house size, or the land? Judging from aerial photographs of new housing estates, the houses seem to be almost the same size as the block, and with a garden not even big enough to plant a tree in. Of course, there isn’t a verandah, to keep the sun out in summer, and let it in during winter.

Why have young people been encouraged to burden themselves with debt and the misery that often goes with it to live in an oversized house with oversized council rates? My family lived very comfortably in a modern, cleverly designed “row” house on a block 7.1 metres x 32 metres. It came complete with a two-car garage, a large living area, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a garden nearly the same in area as some “quarter-acre” houses. It was always full of light but despite all that, we couldn’t see into our neighbours’ homes.
Jeff Newman, Ivanhoe East

Plenty of incentives
Shane Wright (Analysis, 17/8) describes rent controls as “a financial fantasy” and quotes Grattan Institute claims that rent freezes would in effect “blunt the incentive to build more housing, leaving us with fewer, poorer-quality dwellings”. Wright doesn’t explain how this incentive-blunting would work.

Rent freezes don’t diminish income. Instead, landlords can’t raise the rent because they feel the market can bear it. It’s unlikely rents would be frozen forever.

If we want to look at an actual freeze, look at wages, which were effectively frozen under the Coalition. Workers don’t get to lift their salaries whenever they’re in the mood, and the vast majority have no idea when their next wage rise will be.

They still have an incentive to work. It’s called money.
Floyd Kermode, Preston

An open mind
Hannah Vanderheide, (Opinion, 15/8), it’s all very well to have fixed views about how much childcare you will be doing as a grandparent. What will you do if your daughter has severe post-natal depression and can’t look after a baby, or if your son-in-law is violent and your daughter has to leave the home, or if both the parents are drug addicted?

None of these are uncommon situations, and for normal grandparents there is no question about assuming a large role in the care of a grandchild. And most grandparents would never even consider a payment. You never know what is around the corner.
Julie Smith, Soldiers Hill

AND ANOTHER THING

World Cup
We still love you Matildas. Nothing changes that. Thank you for capturing the hearts of our nation. Thank you for changing our nation. That is a feat greater than any FIFA cup.
Kerry Millman, Langwarrin

The Matildas brought the whole country together in a way that politicians have repeatedly failed to do. We thank the Matildas for their magnificent contribution to social cohesion.
Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW

So, no holiday! Just dies lacrimarum.
Max Nankervis, Middle Park

Ah well, if we can’t get a day’s holiday, can we at least get a few hours off one Friday afternoon?
Jan Newmarch, Oakleigh

’Tis better to have anticipated and lost than not to have anticipated at all!
Joan Segrave, Healesville

With AFL commentators relying very heavily on never-ending mindless stats to read a game of Aussie rules, it was very enjoyable to listen to World Cup commentators reading the game by observing what was happening in front of them.
Patrick McGrath, Riddells Creek

Daniel Andrews
I don’t think Dan Andrews is particularly concerned over his personal ratings falling. After all, he is most unlikely to stay in politics until the next election.
Alan Inchley, Frankston

I normally support Daniel Andrews’ party in preference to what the Liberals have to offer, but his actions on integrity have reduced my enthusiasm.
John Hughes, Mentone

Furthermore
Could The Age please put any further Rupert Murdoch love life news in the comics section?
Rick Whitelaw, Anglesea

A well-thought-out and wisely crafted piece on leadership by Niki Savva. I particularly appreciated “Dutton is aping Tony Abbott”. Succinct?
David Allen, Bayswater North