ON Sunday November 12 in 2000, my wife and I, both Newcastle Knights supporters, drove to Sydney to give support to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who were once again returning and playing in the NRL. We walked into Sydney Town Hall and were lucky to join in with people like George Piggins, Frank Hyde, Andrew Denton, Jack Gibson and, of course, John Sattler ('Legend of the game', Newcastle Herald 21/3).
The speakers were all dyed in the wool Souths supporters and spoke well. After the speeches were over we decided to go to Chinatown for lunch, so off we went. Not being Sydney folk we walked around the town hall not really knowing just where to head off to, and who should we come upon but John Sattler sitting quietly by himself? I introduced my wife and I and we had a good 10-minute or more talk about the Knights, South Sydney and even his time at Kurri Kurri. We discussed just what we three wanted from the day's march.
John Sattler was one of the nicest blokes you would want to meet. He talked to us as a regular mate would have. A genuine nice bloke. RIP John Sattler.
Wal Remington, Mount Hutton
Race pain isn't a memory just yet
SUPERCARS chaos continues. Eight days out from the race and the barricades were still up on sections of the track. Confused drivers were not sure which roads are open or closed, one way or two, and so most seem to just make up their own rules. There were pedestrians walking on roads because the footpaths were still unavailable, zebra crossings being ignored, and from 6am until 11pm every night, a cavalcade of punters in various vehicles trying out the track for themselves at high speed.
In this highly pedestrianised area, it is a miracle no-one has been hurt. Most amusing and terrifying though, is seeing car enthusiasts driving the "track" and filming at the same time with their smart devices. Perhaps not very smart.
Natalie Reynolds, Newcastle East
Premier pitch won't help worst off
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is trying hard to woo the low income earning parents of school aged kids of NSW with his Kids Education Fund at the forthcoming election with a scheme he has borrowed from Canada. It was considered to be a total failure there, in that low income families were at a disadvantage, but the 20 per cent of parents who are in high income bracket families and also have their children in private or church schools are the ultimate beneficiaries. Mr Perrottet has children who obviously will attend church schools because of his professed beliefs, so he is the type in the box seat to take advantage of the scheme although he has said he wouldn't do so. Still, you have to ask: is Mr Perrottet a visionary premier, or just another politician out to change the system at the expense of the ordinary tax payers of NSW?
Brett Cutler, Thornton
More than Medowie wants school
PAULINE Pietsch, ("Medowie school doesn't add up", Letters, 20/3): back in 2011 when Kate Washington was campaigning for a public high school in Medowie, the then member for Port Stephens, Liberal MP Craig Baumann, countered by saying that he had been campaigning for a public high school at Medowie for 15 years and drew a commitment from the then Liberal opposition that the site would be shovel ready in the next term. We all know what the result has become 12 years later.
I believe the figures supplied by Ms Pietsch are somewhat cherry picked. The catchment area for a Medowie public high school certainly would extend well outside the township of Medowie, Salt Ash for example would be included as would Karuah, Lemon Tree Passage, Tanilba and all other communities on the Nelson Bay and Tilligerry peninsulas.
Fred McInerney, Karuah
Secular system must fill the gap
MEDOWIE needs and deserves a public high school. Due to Australia's unique apartheid-like education system, Medowie's non-government schools have no legal obligation whatsoever to accept a child seeking enrolment - they owe an education to no child except those they deem 'worthy'.
These schools can pick and choose who they will accept based on carefully vetted application processes. Conversely, public schools have an obligation to provide an education to any child who seeks enrolment - even those rejected by, or expelled from, non-government schools.
Medowie high school kids are in my opinion currently denied the right to a free, secular and non-discriminatory education within their community.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Climate silence on fish kill
LAST week in the Menindee region, millions of dead fish could be seen floating down the Darling River. The very thought makes me green about the gills. According to the Department of Primary Industry, "this event is ongoing as a heatwave across western NSW continues to put further stress on a system that has experienced extreme conditions from wide-scale flooding." It seems the federal government is intent on ignoring the climate elephant in the room. But it hasn't stopped them allocating $368 billion towards a fleet of eight underwater white elephants.
Anne O'Hara, Canberra
Track record speaks for itself
PERSONALLY I find it incredulous that the state government is still in with a chance of winning the election after the iCare disaster, the Sydney stadium knockdown and rebuilt and the absolute disaster of overseas built, ferries, light rail and trains. There was also the four-year delay in bringing in the new trains, the privatisations that have been a disaster for taxpayers, the bungled handling of COVID, bushfires and the floods; the various grants that went overwhelmingly to Coalition seats, and the council mergers. Don't forget cuts to TAFE, and the disaster that is regional health.
The budget deficit in NSW this year is around $110 billion, projected to rise to $160 billion next year. In Queensland it is $120 billion this year but expected to fall next year. Some NSW ICAC hearings are ongoing, and social housing languishes. After the past 12 years, do we really want four more?
Marion Trevillian, Fennel Bay
Supercars experience lacks gloss
SIMON Walker mentions a swim during Supercars ("Super charged", Weekender 18/3). I'd love to know, was this swim at a beach in Newcastle, when helicopter views showed the three beaches were all but abandoned except for a handful of people on beautiful autumn days?
Mr Walker, I have to wonder: if you were one of these lucky few at a Newcastle beach when Supercars were there, can you please tell me how you felt, knowing something wasn't right on this beach?
In my opinion the only "super-charging" here is the number of people who have had a gutful of this Supercars event running in the heart of Newcastle.
John Sylvester, Barnsley
SHORT TAKES
WHEN was the last time anyone was heard reminiscing about the motor racing last weekend? Who won? What were the key moments of sporting excellence? All vanished, like so much bull dust in the wind. With the exception of a few motoring enthusiasts, no-one cares. And yet residents and business are still barricaded behind obscene cages. Get rid of it.
Chris Dullard, Hamilton South
JAN Phillip Trevillian, ("The rich aren't that hard done by", Letters, 21/3), your earnings are in the low income bracket. Perhaps if you were earning the same as a lot of tradespeople do these days or worked for yourself your returns would be better. As for me and my partner we have the benefit of being DINKs (dual income, no kids) with 10 years left to work if we so choose, $3 million is possible, but I'll be happy with two.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
SHORT TAKES
CAREFUL Peter Moylan, (Short Takes, 18/3), last time I heard someone publicly enquire about the business case for Newcastle's light rail, they were mocked mercilessly by both former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, and former Transport Minister Andrew Constance for daring to ask.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
AN interesting news day on Monday: an arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a former SAS soldier charged with war crimes. Leaders expect soldiers to face the destructive boredom and horror of the battlefield where rules of survival and emotion take precedence over everyday morals. Will the ICC, which the Yanks reject as being too political, be indicting any Australian PMs for war crimes enabled by them?
Peter Ronne, Woodberry
GRAEME Kime ("Submarine cash isn't best spend", Letters, 18/3) appears to be the only one not to serve. I only note this because he derides millennials for their imagined unwillingness to enlist.
David Jennings, Edgeworth
RAY Peck's analogy to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy regarding climate change was entirely appropriate, ("Douglas Adams was on the money", Letters, 17/3). To my mind though, an even more appropriate comment about humankind's blindness to what's happening to our planet comes from Monty Python's Galaxy Song, which concludes with the memorable "And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, 'cause there's bugger all down here on Earth".
Dr Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
DAVID Wilson, ("Where does Supercars cash go?", Letters, 20/3), wants to know where the money from the Supercars event goes to. You only have to witness the conga line of caterers trailers heading for the freeway after the event to give you the answer to that question.
