LIKE Jeff Corbett ('Super backlash unfair', Opinion 13/6), I fully support Helen Cummings' views in her terrific article ('Happy to share my patch with Supercars', Opinion 7/6).
I am not one of the elites, just someone who loves the East End and wants to share this wonderful part of Newcastle. Yes, Jeff, it does belong to all Novocastrians. I'm tired of the sanctimonious nimby Newcastle East Residents Group (NERG) assuming it is speaking for all East Enders and against any form of change. They certainly do not speak for me and my friends.
Personally I hope they can find a public telephone box so they can hold their AGM this year. Even with social distancing I believe they should be okay given their number of supporters. East Enders, it's time for all the adults to stand up and be counted.
Barry Lang, Newcastle East
No joy from Supercars column
JOY Cummings came to office in 1974 under the banner of protecting green spaces in the city. During her office, she was largely responsible for obtaining funding from Labor Wran government (1979-1986) to turn the derelict area that lined the harbor into the design-winning Foreshore Park Novocastrians know today.
It is a place loved and well utilised all year round by the people of Newcastle as a passive recreational, green space, adjacent to the city and the sea.
Novocastrians can also thank her for the work she did with Jack Mundey and the Newcastle Trades Hall to save the old buildings in the east end from demolition, creating a popular heritage tourist destination for the city. Her legacy is sacrosanct amongst East Enders.
During her time as lord mayor she often suffered criticism from the Newcastle Herald's Jeff Corbett, but his pen never dented her reputation as someone who was not only a great advocate for community groups, but had the grace and good humour to also work successfully with the business community.
Having known Joy personally during her time as Lord Mayor, I was distressed and outraged that Jeff Corbett could use her legacy to provide content for an article on Supercars which I believe denigrated the efforts of so many East Enders determined to protect and preserve what Joy had helped to create ('Super backlash unfair', Opinion 13/6).
I would ask readers to consider the following questions.
Would Joy have provided council funding to cut down 200 trees in the Foreshore Park? Would she have considered it appropriate to build a motor racing track through the State Heritage listed Coal River Precinct?
Would she think it appropriate to race V8 cars a few metres from the vulnerable heritage-listed buildings she fought to save? Would she have agreed to putting the East End peninsula behind barricades for nine weeks every year, closing off Wharf Road for the entire time?
The current council justifies these actions with claims about progress and citing economic benefits East Enders have since contended are duplicitous. Joy stood for real, sustainable progress. Disrupting the city for a yearly event that has no international standing cannot in my view be regarded as progress.
Post-coronavirus, Supercars will in all likelihood have to find a permanent circuit to locate their events. Here in the East End, it is not only a great drain on the public purse but it must also be a drain on their own finances.
Motor racing enthusiasts will be excited by such a move. A purpose-built circuit can provide thrills and spills the East End track simply cannot. And tourists can once again flock to the east end during the height of the summer season, spending their money in our own cafes and restaurants.
Dr Christine Everingham, Newcastle East
Disharmony trails entitlement
IN reply to Denise Pollock (Letters, 13/6), I totally agree that there should be those checks and balances that protect both live music venues and residents in new developments as well as old. But when you find examples of existing venues in recent years having to deal with added regulation requirements just because a heap of units have been squeezed into that particular area, I think added pressure comes to bear on existing venues and restaurants to adopt even more unrealistic levels of noise.
This seems to be because we have thousands of people who have moved there for a lifestyle change, but it apparently must be on their terms.
What was acceptable and bearable 10 years ago is not anymore because people are so entitled in this day and age. They are more likely to complain than live and let live. I have been in a venue's beer garden and the licensee has been asked by a neighbour at 4.30 in the afternoon to turn the music down. Really?
Do we want a city with a vibrant night time lifestyle, or would we prefer a ghost town with tumbleweeds blowing down the main street? I haven't missed the point; it's just that broader points need to be made.
Tony Morley, Waratah
Marches may not measure up
TO Ross Greig (Short Takes, 13/6) and all the others out there that take part in street protests, could you please explain to me why you take part in street protests when they are in my opinion one of the least effective ways to get your message out there? I'm particularly curious at a time when there are health issues, and when they have internationally led to injuries to innocent bystanders that have nothing to do with them.
Can you please explain why you haven't tried the many more effective forms of getting your message out, methods that are also much better at motivating politicians and those in power to make changes? I believe those methods are preferable given that are also not a health risk.
For a start, can you explain to the readers the various forms of lobbying and mass communications that you rejected before you took part in the street march - or did you blindly take part in the street protest without due regard to alternatives and consequences?
Glen Wilson, Cardiff
Blow whistle on rough calls
I AM not a Knights fan, but if the NRL want our game to survive they have to take a long, hard and unbiased look at the game between the Storm and the Knights on Saturday evening.
The standard, or should I say the lack of, makes our game less acceptable to fans in my opinion. Incidents like the so-called try 16 minutes into the game was bordering on criminal in my view. The only thing that the so-called referee failed to do was literally kiss the feet of Storm skipper Cameron Smith. No wonder other codes are thriving with the way that these officials blatantly flaunt the rules of the game with no reproach whatsoever.
Wake up, NRL, before it is too late.
Dennis Crampton, Swansea
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name, suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words and Short Takes fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
I AM sure the referees will apologise for an appalling decision yet again. Melbourne was awarded a penalty for tackling without the ball when the player was two metres in front of the ball carrier, so could not legally have received the ball. I believe the call changed the potential outcome of the entire game.
David Reynolds, Charlestown
I ALWAYS find it more comfortable to watch my team lose when I don't listen to the television commentary. Go Knights.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
WITHOUT being at all sinophobic, what are the benefits of a free trade agreement with The People's Republic of China if as soon as any criticism of their 'managed' society is made, they come up with any excuse to sabre rattle? Surely it's a reason for revision and recession of any supposed agreement, from free trade to one-way trade.
Tony Lawler, Newcastle
IN reply to Joan Steel and David Fry (Short Takes, 13/6); I believe that only when the ABC presents both sides of politics can it be considered worth the taxpayer dollars required to keep it going. As far as comedy is concerned, I think it's pretty lame. The last decent comedy was Mother and Son.
Jack Harborne, Maryville
IN my humble opinion people have no choice or are born into a pandemic like the flu, measles, mumps or the latest sickness that is COVID-19. On the other hand, I believe derogatory behaviour, discrimination and racism are learned.
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, but my dog hasn't noticed.
Michael McQuarrie, Merewether
I WAS watching a TV reporter describing some recent protests. He shrieked that the protest numbers were unprecedented and that there were some thousands involved and stated that this was the general feeling of everyday Australians. Now this may be right, but it did occur to me that if as he said there were some thousands of protesters that meant that there were over 24 million people not protesting, but going about their everyday life.
Sandy Buchanan, Largs
I WOULD rather take the risk of an outside protest and march than spend time inside a house with 20 other people, which is now allowable.
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
MOST people like We Are Australian but it makes a great national song, not an anthem. Ditto Waltzing Matilda. There's no reason why we can't alter the words of Advance Australia Fair to be inclusive of Indigenous Australians. We have already changed "Australia's sons" to "Australians all" to be gender inclusive. The second verse was entirely reworded. Older people would remember "When Captain Cook from Albion sailed" and others from school days.
Keith Parsons, Newcastle
GREAT and true statements by Alan Hamilton and Geoff Smith (Short Takes, 13/6). Keep it up.
