Mike Hutchinson's letter about Snowy 2.0 (October 28) was thought-provoking for two reasons. First, the cost, which has blown out from $2 billion to $25 billion (double that if you include transmission costs to make it work).

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Secondly, how the federal administration has sidelined engineers from major project decision-making. The causal link is obvious. I agree with this prognosis, and would add that other specialist disciplines have also been excluded, namely, economists, ecologists and geologists and so on.

Gone are the days when federal multidisciplinary research bureaus analysed project proposals before they got the green light. "Generalists" ("apparatchiks" might be a more apt label) now dominate the process.

Astonishingly, some commentators have made light of the cost blowout. They argue that if you amortise $25 billion over 150 years it will cost Australians $5 each. This is pure sophistry.

Tension between economists and engineers can balance practical feasibility and economic efficiency. Geologists and ecologists can also avoid gross investment errors.

Unfortunately, as Donald Horne warned in The Lucky Country, Australia suffers from anti-intellectualism and mediocrity among its political and business leadership.

We have always had world-class scientists and technocrats (Sir Mark Oliphant, "Nugget" Coombs and Professor Georgina Long, to name but a few). We just need business and government to make better use of them.

Patrick Cox, Narrabundah

Disregard for Dickson

The Dickson Residents Group's public meeting to discuss the Tradies 13-storey Dickson development recently approved by ACT planners revealed what matters and what doesn't in our Canberra.

What doesn't matter is: the rules (buildings exceed the allowed height by seven storeys); the facts (the approval made egregious errors); experts (criticisms by authorities from Transport Canberra to City Renewal were disregarded) and commitments (the Squash Club's 99-year lease was annulled). Nor do citizens' views matter - more than 200 objections were completely ignored. What does matter? Obviously, money and developers' ability to influence planning decisions.

I was not alone in feeling frustrated and disgusted at what our planners allow and what our government connives at.

Peter Stanley, Dickson

The leaseholders of Big Splash are walking all over the ACT government and showing their disdain for the people of Canberra by putting up such a pathetic excuse for a family restaurant. The ACT government is to blame for this debacle. They are responsible for the lease and the variations they have approved which invariably favour developers.

What next? Will Geocon erect an inflatable pool in the foyer of........

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