Credit: Badiucao
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NDIS make a difference
The article ″One in six boys now on NDIS″ (15/8) reports that 16 per cent of six-year-old boys rely on it. As a grandmother of one such boy it has made a difference in his life to have access to early intervention. The initial cost for us was around $2000 for the psychological assessment, then a paediatrician’s appointment and assessment after GP referral. The child is being reviewed by paediatrician every six months and a new GP referral is required every year .
The conflict comes when a child starts school; you have the NDIS goals and funding and plan, then the education system has its own assessments and goals. Our experience is the state education system in Victoria and NSW is under resourced to be inclusive of these children.
There is obviously a great need for early intervention for children with delayed development. Services for these have been under resourced for years. The question is how this is delivered in a cost benefit way with evidence-based therapy. Can I suggest government early intervention centres in each state and not private therapy companies.
My family and I pay taxes and Iwould like this money spent on developing our young children to reach their potential in preference to giving money to the US for our commitment to AUKUS for nuclear submarines we may never see.
Margaret Forster, Aberfeldie
Injecting centre
Victoria’s only medically supervised injecting centre in North Richmond has been operational for seven years. It has facilitated more than half a million visits, 10,000 safely managed overdoses without a single fatality, and 170,000 wraparound health and social support services accessed onsite. Similar facilities must be opened in metro and regional areas to reduce the number of preventable drug deaths.
Judy Ryan, Abbotsford
Roundtable benefits
Congratulations to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Labor for at least trying to gain a consensus on productivity (″Chalmers spruiks roundtable″, 16/8).
Ruling out any tax changes not already taken to the recent election has not satisfied vested interests. Companies like gas exporters and individuals building their super balances don’t want to lose their concessions.
It’s hard for the government to pretend that tax will not be on the agenda, especially on the third day. The theme then is ″Budget sustainability and tax reform″. The rationale must be that it’s about tax reform overall, not specific measures.
There is plenty of scope for reform, to maintain living standards without raising taxes overall. The committee of treasurers have good ideas, including on approval processes and competition reform. Various groups will champion investment in infrastructure and capital works, upskilling the workforce and better use of AI.
The roundtable will influence the government’s agenda, rather than produce detailed policies. That’s a good start, given reduced national wealth due to COVID, and the headwinds of new tariffs, a growing defence budget and costly climate action.
That our living standards will increase because of improved productivity is possible, but unlikely.
John Hughes, Mentone
Deal maker v patsy
So, Vladimir Putin gets the red-carpet treatment, while Volodymyr Zelensky gets a dressing down. Is Donald Trump really a deal maker when it comes to the Ukraine conflict, or a pro-Russian patsy?
Matt Dunn, Leongatha
Give Trump the prize
Can someone please nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize so that he stops his reality TV approach to trying to get peace in Ukraine. The so-called getting of a ″deal″ negates long-held international laws, let alone the principles of democracy and sovereignty of a nation.
Vera Lubczenko, Geelong West
Alaska bombshell
Donald Trump should trade Alaska, which was formerly part of Russia, for Ukraine’s total sovereignty including Crimea. That might strengthen his bromance with Vladimir Putin.
Roger Christiansz, Wheelers Hill
No laughter here
Yes, Donald Trump is indeed a never-ending source of the bizarre and disturbing (Letters, 16/8).
Unfortunately, his performances fail to include the requisite sit-com laugh track, and of course the Benny Hill theme as he exits, stage right.
Ken Richards, Elwood
No roads scholar . . .
I’m sure there will be many letters about this, but sorry Nick Reece (Comment, 15/8), everyone knows you must walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic if there is no footpath; ie the right side. It’s for safety and just commonsense really.
David Parker, Geelong West
. . . the right is OK
Your correspondent (Letters, 16 August) should rest easy. He is not breaking the law by walking on the right on a road without a footpath.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece is wrong when he says that the law tells us to walk on the left in that situation. Section 14 clause 238 of the Road Safety Rules he mentions, clearly says that a pedestrian “must, when moving forward, face the approaching traffic that is moving in the direction opposite to which the pedestrian is travelling”. It also states that they must “keep as far to the left or right side as it is practicable to do so”.
William McDougall, Woodend
Dysfunctioning remark
Australia is just one of many countries that have or are about to recognise the state of Palestine. Sussan Ley’s criticism of Anthony Albanese over Hamas’ reaction smacks of relevance dysfunction.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Tourism ad not to rue
Embracing the kangaroo in our latest tourism advertising is very clever and effective. Since Skippy, (c1960s) on TV, our native animal has reached all the corners of the world and exclaims ″Australia″.
Recently, I arrived in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, central Asia. Scary, yes (a hermit nation) as it’s known as the City of the Dead. In a deserted airport at 2am, the police heard my accent, lit up and said kangaroo. I sailed through customs.
Richard Pentony, Hawthorn
The wrong message
Absolutely shocking choice of grand final entertainer by the AFL (″Unfathomable’: Women’s groups slam AFL for booking Snoop Dogg″, 16/8).
Did the AFL stop to think about the message it was sending? Or doesn’t it care?
Elaine Carbines, Belmont
Score review needed
So Snoop Dogg will sing ″family-friendly″ versions of his songs at the grand final. How could any version of ″I’d choke her, slap her around ...″ be acceptable? And the AFL’s reason is to ″bring a new audience to AFL football″. The AFL has lost its way. A score review of the decision is needed.
Keith Gove, Hawthorn
The very talented Snoop
According to your correspondent, (Letters 16/8) Snoop Dogg is a “genius in reinvention and a masterclass in marketing”, but people love him for his authenticity? That is quite the talent.
Peter McGill, Lancefield
Testing time in Europe
It’s hardly a good time for Europe. (“Wildfires cause death and destruction”, 15/8) Not only is Vladimir Putin expressing a desire to make Russia great again, they’re having to contend with the ravages of climate change. The question is, have they resources to repel both threats? With an unstable climate triggering fires, droughts and flash flooding, the economic output across the region is suffering. It’s going to test European unity and the resilience of its citizens in ways they haven’t faced since WWII.
John Mosig, Kew