Whatever Premier Chris Minns tells us about the NSW budget being unable to pay for extensions to Sydney’s metro (“Future metro rail extensions kicked further down track”, August 13), it remains true that it is far cheaper to fund the rail system than pour money into the road network. Sydneysiders need to move around so let’s swap much of the road funding and put it into rail. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls
The state government is sensibly looking into joining the new Western Sydney Airport metro to St Marys with the existing metro at Tallawong. Pity then that the two metro systems won’t be interchangeable because some expert rail boffin decided that the WSA metro trains should be 30cm wider than the existing ones. It might not be too late to change back to the original size metro cars, which have ample room for passengers with luggage. Why do we not take time to plan carefully before committing to spending billions of dollars on major infrastructure projects? Lance Dover, Pretty Beach
Leppington railway station is not far from the terminal at the new airport. Google AI suggests a cost of between $160 million and $1 billion to build 10km of heavy rail in Sydney, depending on whether the build requires tunnels, etc. The land is flat, so no tunnels would be required, and we already have the rolling stock, but let’s say it’s the upper price: $1 billion. The airport cost is quoted at $5.3 billion, and the metro from St Marys is costing $11 billion. The associated roadworks will come in at around $6 billion. Around $22 billion all up. But we don’t have a further $1 billion for the logical connection to the existing rail station at Leppington that is just 10km away? Spare us. Brett Jack, Bonnyrigg Heights
Jeremy Leibler predictably lays the entire blame for the present slaughter of Gazans at the feet of the Palestinians, and correctly on Hamas who are responsible for triggering the latest round of hostilities (“Statehood without reforms will bring more repression”, August 13). However, what caught my attention was the often-made claim blaming Hamas for indoctrination of children with hatred. Just a moment of reflection will make it clear to him that the thousands of children with maimed limbs and the orphans of innocent civilians will find it easier to fuel hatred for an Israel they hold responsible. While the innocent victims killed are an unforgivable crime, the cataclysm facing their surviving children, siblings and kin are fertile grounds for generating hate, the fruits of which will unfortunately further poison our world and make Israel more unsafe. Wounded hearts are not a place that easily allows love to dwell for its perceived enemy. Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy
Jeremy Leibler is right, recognising a Palestinian state before the terrorist groups are disarmed, and before proper democratic safeguards are in place, could be a grave mistake. His message is reinforced by the lessons of 1948, when the UN recognised Israel before the Jewish paramilitary organisations (Irgun and Lehi) were disbanded. In fact, they were never disbanded, but were integrated, along with the more moderate Haganah, to form the IDF. Even today, 77 years later, Israel does not have effective safeguards for human rights and is unwilling to stop its own citizens from establishing illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Worse, the Israeli government has approved these illegal settlements. The Israeli prime minister stands accused of corruption in Israel, and is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Recognising a Palestinian state now would be no worse a mistake than recognising Israel in 1948. However, we can learn the lessons of history and provide Palestine with guidance on the establishment of a robust democracy, with safeguards for human rights and respect for the law. We should also pressure Israel to work towards the same ideals. George Rosier, Carlingford
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