IT is apparent that having hazardous industrial facilities and residential communities in close proximity comes with its own set of challenges. As Michael Parris reported in Saturday's Newcastle Herald ('Blast fear', Herald 12/12) an outwardly desirable, high density proposed residential development reutilising heritage buildings has been rejected by planning authorities on safety grounds, due to its proximity to Wickham Oil Depot, pictured. Helen Douglas (Letters, 12/12) is hopeful that Orica will do the right thing by the community and relocate its ammonium nitrate storage facility away from residential communities.
The risk assessment process takes into account the likelihood of an incident happening and the severity of consequence should the incident occur. It is a useful process for the comparison and ranking of alternative projects from a safety perspective. As a society, however, we need to determine what level of consequence for the worst-case scenario we are prepared to accept in a specific proposal. For the planning authorities, the likely consequences of an explosion at the Wickham Oil Depot on the proposed residential development is unacceptable; for Helen Douglas, so is the potential of a Beirut-scale explosion at Kooragang not far from her residential suburb.
With this thought in mind, I think it is prudent for the Newcastle community to be aware of a proposal to establish a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) import and processing facility within Newcastle Harbour. The project proposal is listed on the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website as "Newcastle Gas Terminal", a state significant infrastructure project. The thought of bulk LNG tankers entering Newcastle Harbour and decanting their contents is of considerable concern. From my observations this type of activity is normally undertaken in a remote location at the end of a long jetty.
My concern is that state significant projects can be fast tracked through the planning process and may not receive the timely and rigorous scrutiny that is warranted. I believe the federal government's ill-conceived and unnecessary gas-led recovery plan has already seen the NSW government bullied into supporting gas projects as a trade-off for funding for clean energy projects. The Narrabri Gas Project received a large number of community submissions, mostly objections, and yet won approval.
To hopefully avoid the Newcastle Community from being railroaded into accommodating a facility that unacceptably compromises safety, I urge concerned community members to monitor the progress of the Newcastle Gas Terminal Project, be informed and have your say.
Allan Evans, Lambton
Don't blindly follow the leaders
SO a bunch of former Australian prime ministers have put their hands up publicly to say they have no qualms about getting a COVID vaccination when they are available. Bully for them.
Are they out to impress the general public? Do they think Australians cannot make up their own minds? Do they think that if it's good enough for me, a lofty pollie, then you ordinary folk have nothing to be worried or concerned about? I would disagree.
There are sceptics who believe coronavirus is a hoax. Most don't, and realise the need for a vaccine to stop the spread. I believe, however, we mustn't pin all of our hopes on one yet because it is far too early. There is big money involved and the question is, can we completely trust governments and drug companies?
The PM who falsely claimed asylum seekers were throwing their children overboard cuts no ice with me. Can we trust the moneyed Mr Harbourside Mansion? Kevin07 was catchy but Kevin20 leaves me empty.
Just because a lot of Australians are cautious doesn't mean they are into conspiracy theories. I believe they are being responsible for not wanting to be injected with something that may harm them. I think it's too early to do away with masks and social distancing.
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
Can of worms is the status quo
GRAEME Kime (Letters, 14/12) misunderstands the very minor measures proposed by the NSW government to decriminalise drugs. Rather than "opening a can of worms", the reality is that full decriminalisation as adopted in other places, notably Portugal in 2001, has not resulted in significant increase in use while greatly reducing harms and saving the government around 13 per cent of the money it spent on enforcement.
It may seem counterintuitive to Mr Kime but the fact is that prohibition does not curtail drug use, while handing over a lucrative, untaxed supply chain to criminals. They have no recourse to law, so you get the drive-by shootings and other violence common in some areas of Sydney just as Al Capone and his gang used to conduct Tommy-gun battles in the streets during alcohol prohibition. While alcohol abuse is a problem, we do not see Carlton and United beer delivery trucks shooting it out with their rivals. Mr Kime, the "can of worms'' is already open and regulation works best.
Michael Gormly, Islington
Don't snuff out vibrant appeal
MATT Endacott's article about looking at Newcastle from the Stockton side and being excited by the lights and vibrancy ('Stockton vista designed for love at first sight', Opinion 12/12) was a great article, but in the real world that would depend on how many noise complaints the Queens Wharf Hotel and other similar venues had had from residents used to going to bed with Big Dog.
I would suggest that depending on the time of arrival, the lights would be out. As a good example, I was at the Wicko at 8 o'clock Saturday night and they had already asked the band to turn the music down because of noise complaints. Really? You make the decision to move to an area with pubs around, you have no cause for complaint.
Tony Morley, Waratah
Language won't solve all problems
THERE has been a pile-on to my letter about singing the Australian national anthem in Eora and other languages (Letters, 10/12). Mac Maguire, Greg Archbold, Anne Killen and Colin Love all had a go at what I wrote. Thank-you.
In reply to them, it was a rugby match not a history lesson. I was not being "trivial" or "mean-spirited", and if people wish the anthem to be sung in Eora then in my opinion the team should be chosen from Eora people. South Africa, a complex state of tribal/cultural compromise, is a very different country to Australia. New Zealand promotes Maori but not the minor tribal groups from the South Island that were being invaded and subjugated by the Maori at the time the British arrived. Sing the anthem in a multitude of languages at sporting events if you like, but I don't think reinventing the Tower of Babel will enhance our national identity or cultural cohesion.
Peter Devey, Merewether
SHORT TAKES
SO Byron Bay is suffering similar erosion on its beaches to that which Stockton has been suffering for years ('Extreme weather damages NSW, Qld coast', Newcastle Herald 15/12). So let's just see (cynically) how quickly the problem in Byron (the Merewether of the north) is addressed by local and state governments as opposed to the non-work going on in Stockton. I am sure Thor will be on top of it.
Tony Morley, Waratah
THE NRMA reports it has been advised by oil companies that fuel prices will continue to fall until Christmas (Herald 9/12). This is welcome news for motorists. I must, however, caution fellow drivers to be on the alert for low flying pigs.
Robert Tacon, Adamstown Heights
SCOTT Morison has further rolled out the red carpet to China in the South Pacific with his climate change non-policy. These island nations are in dire straits, but Mr Morrison doesn't act to assist. He must go at the next election.
John Bonnyman, Fern Bay
RECENTLY at 3pm in Warners Bay I watched a large bloke in a black T-shirt and shorts, and with a mohawk-style haircut standing next to a clean, polished four-wheel drive drink down a bottle of Coke. When he'd finished, he dropped the plastic bottle on the ground, got into the vehicle as a passenger and they drove away. It was near a bus stop, next to which were containers for rubbish. Plastic dropped casually in the street either requires someone else to pick it up to dispose of thoughtfully (recycle?) or it may end up being washed into the lake. If a person can behave like this in the beautiful area we live in, with no thought for his actions and being too lazy to walk three metres to a rubbish bin, I ask: what hope is there for the environment?
Alan Moore, Valentine
JOHN Lawton thinks the Morrison government is the worst Australia has ever had (Short Takes, 14/12). Has he forgotten the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd circus?
Ian King, Warners Bay
WITH all this going on with China and what China owns in Australia, how long before Australia is known as South China?
Terry Hodson, Cameron Park
THE stairway from the mall to Christ Church Cathedral genuinely sounds fantastic, but destroying the car park to make room for it just simply reminds me of the terrible parking. It'd go a ways to "revitalising" Newcastle if parking was reformed in literally any way within the CBD.
Tom Newby, Minmi
EVERYONE, every council should plant trees. Preferably ones koalas eat to capture carbon and save the world and koalas. Help create underscrub to prevent hot fires. Win-win on all sides.
Betsy Watson, Swansea
WHAT'S going on with the internet speed lately? It's that slow that by the time Julian Assange comes to fix it, the web will be obsolete.
