Letters to the editor, The Daily Advertiser, June 3, 2022

These drivers haven't long been given their licence and I wonder whether they realise that it is an offence to exit without indicating. Did their driving instructor/s not tell them perhaps? And there are a high number of fully qualified drivers that fall down in this department as well.

Russell Breed is right that feral cats are wreaking havoc on our wildlife ("Greens should use newfound clout to act on feral cats", May 31). In fact, the history of some attempts to get legislation to help prevent this devastation is interesting.

In 2016, a Greens candidate for Brisbane City Council proposed a $6.5 million program to have 20,000 cats a year desexed free of charge.

Two years later the council introduced a program to subsidise these operations. In June last year in Tasmania, Greens attempted to introduce the Cat Management Amendment (Mandatory Confinement) Bill 2021 to protect wildlife by ensuring all domestic cats be subject to mandatory confinement. It was rejected by the parliament.

But later that year in Victoria, the Knox City Council successfully passed similar cat confinement laws. Eight of their nine councillors are independent.

So it seems Greens and independent politicians can worry, and try to legislate, about a range of concerns simultaneously. And sometimes agreement can be reached.

Maybe it's a good sign for our environment.

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What do Beethoven, Ernest Hemmingway and Dave Hughes have in common?

The composer, writer and comedian all developed haemochromatosis - also known as iron overload. Globally more than 15 million people inherit the gene mutations that cause one of the proteins in the lining of the intestine to malfunction and too much iron to be absorbed.

The hereditary condition that is passed on from both biological parents is simple to detect and treat but if undiagnosed or ignored can lead to serious and life-threatening illness, including liver cancer, diabetes and heart failure.

One in seven Australians carry a mutation of the defective genes and one in 200 Australians have an increased chance of developing the disorder, but few know about haemochromatosis.

Early symptoms of fatigue, weakness and joint pain are 'ironically' confused with iron deficiency and other illnesses.

A standard blood test of iron levels will not detect haemochromatosis. It requires testing of serum transferrin saturation.

Unfortunately, most of those affected aren't diagnosed until aged in their mid-40s and already suffering ill health.

Once diagnosed the treatment for haemochromatosis requires regular removal of blood known as a venesection and in most cases the blood can be donated to help others.

World haemochromatosis week runs from June 1. Over 90 well-known buildings and landmarks around Australia and many others around the world will be illuminated in red to raise awareness about the condition and prompt people to get tested.

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