Can I ask you, what can we city dwellers do to help take away your pain and grief? We can't rebuild your home, we can't help with the infrastructure of the area, but surely we can help you on a grass roots, one to one level. Could we visit you and bring you something to cheer your hearts? I wouldn't want to get in the way of any local businesses, but is there a way in which we can help, practically, emotionally, physically?

If a car load of lassies came down for a few days, could we help you? If we came down with some treats would you like them. I make home made chutney, jams, pickles, fruit cake, fabulous soups (and am modest as well). Could we bring comfort with us in the form of books, make up, toiletries, home made frozen meals, toys, dogs stuff. Some new bed linen, towels, paintings, cups and saucers, mugs, kettles, toasters.

Having just turned 80 I don't have a lot of baby bits and pieces, but do have lots of second hand children's books and games.

Could we bring some flour, sugar and butter with us to make you some delicious cakes and scones with a cuppa. Can we bring you some teapots (I collect them and would love you to have some of them.) Could we bring you the odd bottle of wine, with some nibblies to go with it.?

Please don't think for one moment that we in the city have forgotten you, even though the media has moved on with other headlines. And please accept our heartfelt sympathy for your terrible losses.

No Kristy, this wasn't "disappointing", it was outright fraud. It was infuriating and mind numbingly arrogant and yet another fail to add to this government's ever growing list of failures.

With all due respect for you and the wonderful work you do, can you please stop hitting these appalling politicians with a wet feather. The mindset of the LNP is taking full advantage of the position they hold without so much as a hint of the values of honesty, decency, fairness etc. My hope is the voters will look a lot closer at who is doing what and not fall for the lies and deceit of the promises that will inevitably roll around come the next election.

The proposal to give trees cut or bulldozed down for fire control lines in national parks to the logging industry (BDN, 21/2) stems from the collaboration between Forestry Corporation the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Rural Fire Service (RFS) under the RFS's section 44 control.

While the RFS's use of logging contractors could explain why so many large trees have been pointlessly killed, in most instances the need for these aggressive actions could have been avoided - if public forest management was based on credible science and aimed at enhancing the potential to control fires and protect lives and property.

This is not the case because the RFS, FC and the NPWS reject the scientific research, funded by the RFS, that demonstrates their management does not aid in controlling fires. Similarly these agencies also reject the science demonstrating forests are drying out quicker and species composition is changing to drier 'ladder fuel' forests.

The environment groups led by the Great Southern Forest group also reject the science that the aforementioned agencies reject.

Hence the NPWS can claim long-footed potoroos and the smoky mouse are protected in the South East Forests National Park. Like the koalas that used to be in the park there are no records of these species over the past 20 years and like koalas they are probably extinct. Trusting those who put the environment last is a recipe for disaster and will increase the fire threat to all plants and animals including people.