A loss of trust?

People must realise that the damage caused to the rivers of Launceston is irreversible and in its present condition only further degradation can be expected.

The call for more water down the gorge, more dredging and floodwalls is long in the past and to see a future for our river is no longer a feasible option.

Time and money, (lots of money) has been spent to no avail while our rivers have decayed at an ever increasing rate.

Almost 60 years ago poor engineering practices were let loose on the South-Esk river close to Launceston the penalty of which is a far more serious issue than could have been imagined at that time and rather than an admittance of this crime, Hydro formed a whole department in order to compile counter claims against the criticisms which have been many forthcoming over the decades but each year brings the picture into focus of the irreversible damage Launceston is now suffering.

The call for more water down the gorge could do nothing for the dying Tamar, natures design was for an annual flow of 30 –40cumecs and this seemed to work fine for a couple of million years forming the Cataract Gorge but amazingly destroyed in less than 200 years by industrial vandalism at its worst in a very blind spot in history which Tasmania is still struggling to shed the shackles from on other fronts.

It is now estimated that should the natural flow be reintroduced it could take between 7 and ten years for any beneficial result to the Tamar Basin would be noticed due to the now solidified clay base material that has compacted in and around Royal Park transforming this once visible area into a graveyard for rotting boats and a vision of mass decay.

It is not simply bad luck that is causing Launceston’s great pain today but the outdated system of care still in vogue promoting a knowledge base within the city left wanting as can be witnessed with no more than a short drive in any direction to see a call of distress, every suburban park is a witness to the lack of pride and care, the shabby buildings and in too many cases, speechless architecture that quickly draws down the level of a once pride bearing city that begun in the 19th century an housed some of the most remarkable architecture of its time but today the lack of planning standards the character has been changed significantly and no longer reveals the charm our forefathers worked so hard to leave in trust.

Geoff Smedley. Launceston.