We don't want a new TAFE. Just imagine what that $7million could have done to bring our old, much-loved TAFE up to modern standards and reinvigorate it to provide all the courses it once did.

Brenda Montgomery, Bega

After my retirement from the CSIRO I moved to Mallacoota because of unspoiled beauty, tranquillity and the national park. 

The flying school proposal for Frogs Hollow states that the Mallacoota Airport is 8km out of town. However it failed to state that the flight path is over a part of the township of Mallacoota, about 500 meters away from my property. This proposal will create a lot of noise from low flying aircraft.

The coastal township of Mallacoota is surrounded by a national park designated as a “World Biosphere Reserve” combining undisturbed natural habits supporting rare and significant plants and animals. It is also a popular holiday destination. Thousands of holiday makers may stay away because of constant aircraft noise.

In addition there is an added risk of bush fires from burning cigarettes dropped from an aircraft or of an aircraft crash. Aviation statistics show that in 2015 a total of 227 aircrafts were involved in accidents. Around 20 per cent of fatal accidents resulted from loss of control (around 45 aircrafts a year). In 2014, the flying training accident rate was more than double that of any year in the previous eight years. It is not a question if a small plane crashes and creates a major fire - the question is when. 

I experienced the major bush fire in 1983 called “The Ash Wednesday” bushfires. This fire nearly killed me. I burnt my eyes badly due to burning debris or burning ash plus radiation from the fire. Shortly later I lost my sight. About 15 hours later after the fire had passed I heard voices. I screamed and I was found. Unable to see anymore I was rushed to the Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital. My eyes were badly burned and they have not fully recovered even after a few operations and years later. 

There is no doubt that global warming is due to air pollution and it has increased the risk of fires considerably. Just look around at how many fires we have already had. In winter! It will get worse as time goes by. 

If a training plane crashes and starts a major bushfire what kind of insurance is proposed? $500million or closer to $1billion? In addition, our national parks and bush are priceless. They are not a suitable place to train pilots! The flying school proposal should be rejected as the above stated risks outweigh the benefits.

Wolfgang Kluenner, Mallacoota 

If ever there was a case for retaining the monarchy, it was demonstrated by the events in Canberra recently.

Can you imagine the squabbling among this lot of self-serving, back-stabbing cretins over who would be president? The only one who came out of last week's debacle with a modicum of dignity was Julia Bishop, but she got no support from her misogynist colleagues.

Republicans regularly bleat that Australia shouldn't have a foreign head of state because we're "grown up" now. You think?

Every country needs stability. Long live the Queen. And her heirs.

Lindy Marshall, Verona

Meredith Coe tells us (BDN, 17/8) that according to Old Testament law Israelites had to “sacrifice animals in order for their sins to be forgiven”.

But once Jesus came along, “no more animal sacrifices were needed anymore as Jesus’ blood was a better sacrifice”. Better!

Surely animal and human sacrifices are equally primitive and absurd?

Paul Strutynski, Buckajo