Once again, people who swim at Newcastle pools have to fight for what should be part of council's regular duties. Maintaining and repairing the lovely pools in our area is councils' responsibility. It's not a political football to be booted around when an election looms. I'm among many people disappointed that not one Newcastle council pool is open through winter. Lake Macquarie council can manage this but no, Newcastle council wants to build a restaurant near the baths. Swimming is such a great gentle therapy that keeps people out of hospital. People of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities can enjoy the pool. It's a wonderful social space as well. This is where Newcastle council needs to invest: in us.
Industrial Drive's name no longer reflects the route it takes. Time for a name change which mirrors the transformation of Newcastle and the suburbs the A43 passes through. University Drive at Callaghan at least signals Callaghan Campus.
Everyone reading Jackie French would be beyond horrified. Any elderly Australian is consigned to this "dark ages" life of cruel, extreme suffering ("They promise care, but the phone just rings and rings: ghost providers put elderly at risk", Newcastle Herald 3/6). Thanks to Ms French, our society's leaders now know the right action that must be taken, starting now.
How dare WIN Network treat the good people of Newcastle and the northern region with such contempt. You need to reverse your appalling decision regarding our news programs. Hands off our NBN News and hands off our wonderful, hard-working NBN staff.
I agree, Ian de landelles ("Liberals ask wrong question if Abbott's answer", Letters, 3/6). I'd say there's no path to government for any party which refuses to accept the scientific reality of anthropomorphic climate change. That's both One Nation and the Coalition. Australians are not that anti-reality.
Among us is a remarkable group of women you never expect to meet - yet when you do, you are truly grateful they are there.
I'm talking about the nurses who staff the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at John Hunter Hospital.
Highly skilled and dedicated, with a caring sense of humour that can calm even the most frantic parent, they provide world-class care and support to families during the most difficult moments of their lives.
I cannot adequately express what these women did for my family. Having spent Mother's Day in the NICU, I witnessed firsthand the commitment their work requires and the sacrifices they make.
We are fortunate to have them in our community, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for all they do.
Why has the Labor Party lost touch with the working class? I think it's because none of the Labor ministers have been part of the working class.
One Nation has now taken Labor's place because they understand how to communicate with the working class.
Most Labor ministers came from a union background, with no working experience in the work force.
Apart from forcing up wages without considering the repercussions, and forcing socialist ideological conditions on the people as a given right, all because of a mandate to govern that in my opinion was won by lies, that just about sums up who they represent.
Will they change? I have to wonder, how does someone who is self-righteous eat humble pie, ask for forgiveness and make amends for being an ass?
While we can agree with wage rises to keep pace with cost of living, are we prepared for the consequences?
The winner, the government, gets about a third of that in tax. Inflation swallows the rest, and as a consequence we have business under pressure from the wage rise. Employers ultimately increase costs, their customers reduce, and they stop employing people.
In a flagging economy we need a government that regulates the market to get incentives into many struggling industries to stimulate productivity. Otherwise, AI replaces those jobs. Until we align policies for a strong economy, we put our standard of living on the downhill slide. If the government refuses to change, they will do us harm.
I am totally disgusted with WIN TV changing the NBN news to a 30-minute bulletin at 5.30pm and introducing Sydney news at 6pm. We travel a lot and have watched news from all over the country.
We have always been glad, whenever we get home, to watch the local news. The NBN news readers are such a blessing. It is amazing to see news in places like South Australia, where Sydney news is what is broadcast. At this rate, most of the country will be watching news only from Sydney. In view of this decision we will not be watching NBN news. I know quite a few of my friends will also watch another channel. Bring it on, Channel 7. I hope that, if they receive enough complaints, WIN will reverse this decision.
Readers may recall a prediction I made a few years ago, after popular NBN news reader Paul Lobb was suddenly sacked, that NBN News could eventually be replaced with Nine News from Sydney.
Now we learn that the present one-hour format with local, national and worldwide coverage is to be replaced with a half-hour bulletin with local content shown just before the Sydney-based Nine News.
I have to wonder if the announcement that the new format is to be pre-recorded an indication that its preparation, production and presentation will be done by the Nine Network instead of NBN?
If so, will this eventually see the demise of hosts including Natasha Bayersdorf and the closure of the NBN newsroom?What a devastating end this would be to an outstanding 64-year TV news service to viewers in the Hunter and northern NSW.
