IT'S typical of the current generation of politicians at all levels, with absolutely no thought beyond what makes for an attractive media release and the next election ('Parked in', Newcastle Herald 19/1). Despite the light rail being next to useless to the vast majority of Newcastle's population, its extension to where it is needed and indeed accessible is nothing more than a thought bubble.
Access of the light rail to Tudor Street? Leave it to the next generation, regardless of how many extra millions it will cost to circumvent the obstacles. Access under the Inner Bypass for an extension to Wallsend (and beyond)? Nah, we'll be well out of the way before that is needed.
Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have benefited enormously from the foresight of earlier generations of politicians. Consider the generous rights-of-way left, often unused, along our major road arteries, making current and future developments so much easier and cheaper. That is, those that haven't been sold off by later generations in search of quick bucks.
That brings me to the very fast train (VFT) proposal. I have some sympathy with those who say it is not needed immediately. Nevertheless, it won't just go away and many acres of land is being developed or planned on the western fringe of Newcastle in anticipation of the new generation of workers who only need to go to the Sydney office a couple of days a week; prime bait for a VFT. Developers may be avaricious, but they are not stupid.
So where will a VFT go north of Newcastle? It won't meander through the inner suburbs, that's for sure. It will need a direct route, just as the M1 has. Where is the right-of-way preserved for it to use in future? Assuming that a path for the even more essential Newcastle freight bypass has been set aside, why is a four-track right of way not preserved so that a VFT can use the other pair, when built in future, rather than waiting and having to resume property at great disruption and expense? Now, before the land is fully developed, is the ideal time to look ahead to the future.
And yes, a Newcastle fast rail stop at Killingworth is not as stupid as it seemed when suggested, but somewhere like Cameron Park or Minmi would be more likely.
If I can imagine this happening despite the fact that I won't live to see it built (I'm 77), where are the current visionary politicians who can think outside the box?
Geoff Hassall, Birmingham Gardens
The pandemic isn't going to plan
WE hear police, hospital, prison officers, sheriffs, teachers and other workers should be commended for their service. Rules are to be relaxed to keep them on duty. We also hear safety and contagion concerns. What we are not hearing is that many of these workers rightly forced into isolation have no sick leave left. The $750 for isolation is not available to people who have sick leave available, and the other interesting fact is these payments will be means tested. Those with mortgages or rent who have scrounged a nest egg to cover emergencies have run out of sick pay, and will become more desperate in any further emergency. Public servants who have been stood down for lack of vaccination are being denied access to their superannuation.
This country is not falling to its knees because of those workers not working above and beyond capacity, but through bad management. It seems the finger pin-prick test for antibodies that can be performed in 15 minutes, also developed and produced in Australia is being ignored.
I am not an anti-vaccination person. I look to practical logical measures, having had family members ill in this crisis, thankfully all recovering, but listening to platitudes does not give my working family members access to rapid antigen kits. HillSong was incredibly, by their own testimony, able to rapid test the hundreds at their gathering. I guess God was on their side.
I'm trying to stay positive, but perhaps that's the wrong word.
Lyn Rendle, Rankin Park
Demand for detail lacks authority
THE Newcastle Community Groups Network are "demanding more detail" regarding the liquor application for Newcastle's Supercars event ("Liquor concern for V8s", Herald 19/1), but under what authority exactly are they "demanding" this (or anything else for that matter)?
I have never heard of any instance where any members of the groups in the network were ever elected into any position of power. I'm not at all interested in the Supercars myself, but I respect the fact that there are tens of thousands of people who are interested in the event. So if they wish to attend and, heaven forbid, drink alcohol whilst there, then who am I, and who is any other citizen, to stand in the way of their legal right?
Tony Brown claims that the application "fails to acknowledge the history of high levels of alcohol crimes in the Newcastle CBD", but I believe he fails to acknowledge that it has been quite some time since such levels of these crimes occurred in Newcastle. Even a NSW Police spokesman has stated the crowd behaviour during previous Supercar events has been "extremely positive", so why all the hyperbole and fear-mongering?
Adz Carter, Newcastle
Baths' bottom part of the charm
LETTERS over many months to this paper attest, the people who use the baths do not want concrete placed over the natural rock and sand bottom. The council's response ('Baths to miss a summer for revamp: council', Herald 22/10) serves to make regular users of the baths confused and anxious because that is in my opinion not what users of the baths requested in community input.
The assertion is that the sandy bottom will be unchanged, that sand will continue to wash into the pool and accumulate exactly as it does now. Then why spend millions for no change? The final design apparently addresses the undulating rock bottom, but that's exactly what we love; a natural undulation. The users of the baths address the undulation every day, and we salute it.
We walk and swim there and are grateful that yet, no cars are allowed in the baths. The baths will be easier to clean, but how? Beware of the easy option; if this sounds too good to be true, it is. Revisit the easy option and employ more people to do the job. Spend the money saved on cementing the ocean floor (I know, put like that it really does sound kind of kooky, doesn't it?), and employ more people.
Catherine Whelan, Newcastle
Little faith in motives for bill
FEDERAL Liberal Attorney-General Michaelia Cash's Religious Discrimination Bill has been handed to Prime Minister Scott Morrison who is yet to present it to parliament for a vote. I believe the bill should not proceed as most politicians are religious and this would present a conflict of interest. I think the bill is just a public relations act for Mr Morrison to wave it in the air, trying to pull the wool over the peoples eyes. I believe it's all smoke and mirrors, part of the campaign for the upcoming election.
Maureen O'Sullivan Davidson, Swansea
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited in any form.
SHORT TAKES
THE economist NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet got COVID very wrong, in my opinion. Our nurses and medics are in a once in a lifetime extreme demand for their skills. It's time for tangible financial rewards. Lump sums reflecting hours/days/months worked may partially compensate for and reflect the dangerous workplace and long hours required. All this is well overdue.
Elizabeth Watson, Swansea
HEAVEN will never be overcrowded: There will always be room for a special angel ('Girl's body found in barrel, man charged', Newcastle Herald 20/1).
Daphne Hughes, Kahibah
IT is ironic that Adz Carter ("More than shops to CBD's decline", Letters, 20/1) should point out that the decline in pub patronage in the CBD is linked to the closure of the heavy rail when the mayor of the time and a backer of the light rail project had links to a pub in the area.
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
PROFESSOR Calford, you beauty, ("Best Omicron weapons in existing toolkit", Herald 19/1). The clearest, ringing rundown of a good citizen in a pandemic, and what it means for all of us.
Graeme Tychsen, Toronto
FOR a country that has created one of the worlds most unimaginative and moronic sporting chant (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi), is it any wonder that we are now offending and confusing even more young sporting visitors to our country at the tennis, by interpreting a Portuguese soccer player's personal chant of success spoken in Spanish and applying it in tennis, in Australia and inappropriately?
Tony Bennett, Broke
JULIAN Assange is an Australian citizen. Therefore one would expect that our federal government would make strenuous efforts to solve the predicament in which he finds himself. But this is not happening, so far as I can see. There are occasional calls from various Australian politicians to bring him back to Australia to serve any sentence the court in the UK may impose. There is clearly considerable public concern about him here, and the response from Australian ministers is that Mr. Assange "receives the same consular assistance extended to any Australian in difficulties overseas". Perhaps that assistance is too little in this instance. I hope I am wrong, or Julian Assange may well end up in the American justice system. Hard to see that that would work out well for him.
Olga Parkes, New Lambton Heights
THE time is wrong to deliver high-speed rail. Yes, like action on climate change it should have been done 30 years ago. Instead we live with the proceeds of stupidity. Of course, we could be some way towards having 21st century transportation if we would have participated in the belt and road initiative but the Yanks said no. That said, I wonder if the very fast train is just meant as a distraction from having a train that is faster than the present very slow train. Then again, all the best technology in the world is useless if our leaders lack imagination.
