Freight train danger
People wonder how motorists could miss an oncoming train.
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They might be big, but they aren’t always eye-catching. Different issues can occur in the daytime or at night.
Freight train companies seem reluctant to install, and have to maintain, lighting along the entire length of their trains.
I only regard lighting as part of the solution to their problem. Side lights might not be all that effective at catching your eye in broad daylight anyway.
Rail freight locomotives on regional lines should have side lights like those we see on road trucks. The addition of a rotating beacon on their roof would distinguish them from road trucks. That would avoid any misunderstanding about who has right of way.
This combination might make the engines hard to miss, but the freight rolling stock has a different problem. I liken it to the stealth of a brown snake.
Following a snake through grass is very difficult. Their bodies, being of uniform shape and colour, make the perception of movement very difficult. You can see the head or the tail move easily enough, but the bit in the middle can be very deceiving.
Similarly, freight trains that have uniformly, dark-coloured rolling stock don’t always catch the eye. Their movement can go unnoticed, even while crossing the road directly in front of you at night.
One simple, low-maintenance solution for trains might be to paint the front half of each wagon, tanker and shipping container tray with a light coloured, reflective paint.
The other half should be dark so that it creates a stark contrast. A moving freight train would automatically present a flashing effect to approaching traffic during the day or at night.
The perception of movement might happen much sooner for motorists, especially when relying on their peripheral vision during daylight.
Chris Dwyer, Kyabram
Australia’s rural collapse
Farmers across the Murray-Darling Basin — the lifeblood of Australia’s food and fibre production — are under increasing pressure.
Government changes have reallocated 3200 gigalitres of irrigation water to environmental flows, much of it unmetered and flowing out to sea, creating dire consequences for regional food production.
The Gannawarra region alone is losing $1.3 billion annually — and these impacts are expected to worsen.
The reduction in water availability for farm use is severely affecting food and fibre production, directly influencing the current cost of living for Australian households.
As more farmers are forced out of the industry due to ineffective policies, the situation at the supermarket is set to deteriorate, compromising the nation’s reliable and safe food supply.
Environmental water flooding is now real and with no on ground mitigation work in sight, it will continue to disrupt rural communities’ livelihoods.
Water that could be used to secure our future is instead wasted, and the effects on businesses and families are profound.
With no immediate action, rural communities continue to shoulder the burden of poor management decisions.
The disappearance of rural services is another blow to farmers.
From the closure of bank branches to a lack of medical and dental services, rural Australians are increasingly being forced to travel longer distances on deteriorating roads just to access the basics.
The loss of vital infrastructure is leaving our agricultural sector more vulnerable to both economic and logistical pressures.
The policies that seem to punish rural Australians are piling up.
The Federal Government’s decision to end live sheep exports by 2028 will wipe out an industry worth $84 million annually.
The VNI West Project, which would see a 500 KV transmission line installed across pristine farmland, shows the prioritisation of metropolitan interests over rural communities.
Adding insult to injury, primary producers, who are also the services’ volunteers, now face a staggering increase in the Fire Services Property Levy, with landholders seeing hikes of more than 100 per cent, some accumulating into the tens of thousands of dollars.
These are just the latest in a series of decisions that have left rural Australians feeling abandoned.
If politicians are serious about national security and our agricultural future, they need to start prioritising the needs of rural and regional Australians.
It’s time to stop ignoring the crucial role farmers play in feeding our nation.
Geoff Kendell, Cohuna
Stop the buybacks
Since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has constructed water-diverting and storage facilities to ensure survival during droughts, maintain food security, and protect against floods.
Australia is a country of droughts and flooding rains. Time and again, it has been proven that we are not immune to the trials of drought and the deficiencies in our food supply chain security.
During periods of flooding, we have witnessed the collapse of major infrastructure systems, threatening housing, human safety, and exposing flaws in our food supply security.
Australia's population is growing at 2.68 per cent annually and is projected to reach about 48 million by 2048.
Simultaneously, we are reducing our food production capacity and food security, inflating food prices, and increasing national debt without economic or social justification.
Tanya Plibersek, a key figure in the federal ministry, holds significant influence and resources to execute water buybacks, under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, a move that appeals to ill-informed, environmentally muddled voters, especially those in Sydney and Melbourne inner-city electorates.
However, beyond political career building, there is no compelling urgency to buy back water from Australia's food production base.
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is approaching a critical review, set to be finalised by mid-2026. The findings from this review will determine the necessity, urgency, and economic impact of water buybacks on all Australians.
Until this review is completed, and the science is authenticated, buybacks should be halted.
David Farley, Narrandera, NSW
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