YOU'RE probably well aware of the rental crisis in the Port Stephens and Hunter areas, but the closest place you can now stay long term in a caravan is Heatherbrae. Because I am only fending for myself and not trying to roof a young family I can't bring myself to jump on the long lists to fight to get a rental in the area, plus wanting to put away to save for a house deposit, I have been okay with staying in my caravan. Now the closest place to stay long term in a caravan is almost in Newcastle unless you know someone with property to stay on.
It's an absolute joke, and people wonder why us younger generations are having to move away. I've visited the area all my life and lived in the region for 15 years, but can't do it much longer.
Good luck finding a 60-year-old to make coffees, clean, conduct property maintenance, etc. Something has to change.
Rachael Summergreene, Anna Bay
Industry needs a reconstruction
THE continual collapse of building companies causes significant distress to many people, and often many contractors remain unpaid and open to a secondary round of financial impacts as the contractors cannot pay their subcontractors. In my opinion any flighty business plans of developers handling millions of dollars that are not theirs until the job is done is totally unacceptable. Many would-be home owners are distressed and will suffer significant financial loss, and so it will continue until the government steps up and protects the community from these speculators.
A deposit into an external account could guarantee payments and protect the required progress payments. This would require a regulator with capacity to examine the building company's administration so as to guarantee their ongoing viability.
In the recent Privium case ('Nobody's home', Herald 18/11) I do hope the receiver will have the capacity to claw back the dividends recently paid out. Dividends should never be paid out when a company posts a loss of any sort.
Milton Caine, Birmingham Gardens
Personal sacrifice is crucial too
I SEE that Meghan and Harry were guest speakers at a climate change talk in New York before jetting back to California. I feel that the hypocrisy is par for the course with people expecting the government to do all the heavy lifting and doing nothing personally about climate change.
Cars nowadays are on steroids, they are so much bigger than years ago. Also, the number of 4WDs on the road that are totally unnecessary is perplexing. The amount of greenhouse gases liberated in making a large 4WD, besides the fuel being used, is considerable.
When working at BHP over 40 years ago the pushbike use was massive - thousands of employees used bikes. Growing up in Moree many years ago virtually nobody had air conditioning. Nowadays people have become conditioned to air conditioning. The massive amount of cardboard and plastic disposed of nowadays with the coffee revolution and Uber Eats packaging is extreme. Well, there haven't been many flights to Bali lately but I have to say that jet travel is shockingly polluting - ask Harry and Meghan. Lifestyle is one of the biggest factors in co2 emissions. People personally have to change.
Tony Richards, Newcastle
GP Access saves cash elsewhere
SINCE politicians were invented, they have never failed to provide us with ludicrous decisions which defy logic and common sense.
Notably the decision by a previous Labor government to demolish the Tourle Street bridge and replace it with a similar single lane each way despite the ever increasing amount of traffic using the bridge. Then the Coalition government deciding, once the rail line was terminated, to not use the existing rail lines for the trams but to build a parallel track about 30 metres from the line they ripped up.
The latest is the most serious in that potentially it could affect all of us at some time. That is the decision to cut hours or cease completely the after hours GP Service. What a great innovation this was. Far ahead of its time. Now apparently for a relatively piffling amount of money compared to the overall spend on health, people with relatively minor ailments will once again clog up the hospital emergency departments resulting in even more stress on our overworked medical staff, bringing with it extended waiting times, possible serious health complications caused by delays in being seen and an inevitable frustration to all the stakeholders involved. There must be some political reason for this, as there is no other plausible reason for it. Someone please explain.
Robert Green, Georgetown
Change of tune strikes bum note
IN June 2020, when asked to comment on footage of a Sydney constable kicking the legs out from under a handcuffed, defenceless Aboriginal boy and face-planting him on the hard footpath. Police Commissioner Mick Fuller responded that the constable "had a bad day" (the constable has since been charged with assault - after a one-year internal investigation).
In August of this year, at the height of the latest COVID lockdown, Commissioner Fuller circulated an internal video instructing police to put community-based policing aside (and if ever there was a time when police should be seeking to work with the community - during a pandemic, when public support is critical in the enforcement of public health orders - I cannot think of it). He went further, telling police that if they wrongfully issued infringement notices for non-compliance with public health orders they would not be held to account.
Now he has publicly criticised his own police who were involved in earlier investigations into the disappearance of William Tyrrell, stating that the new investigative team "inherited a bit of a mess and have cleaned up that investigation" ("Every option probed", Herald, 17/11). And instead of rebuking him for these ill-advised comments, the Police Minister David Elliott joins in on dumping on the earlier investigation.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
Headland access needs rethink
THE improved walkway to Nobbys is proving the point that the public respond to a well-designed facility. It is unfortunate that it is still closed.
A writers retreat is a worthy use, but the citizens and tourists must come first. They will make any commercial lease viable, so every effort must be made for visitors.
This demands a way of getting to the peak for the incapacitated and the elderly. It may be a lift or other method, but a regular low loading people mover service every hour, at least, would work. Low speed and silent, and with a driver - not autonomous, for safety reasons. Thus it would be electric, and would need constant charging.
The whole precinct is windy. It is very suitable for vertical axis wind turbines. These are both attractive and efficient, doubling as light poles. Say about 30 of these, out as far as the end of the breakwater, could power the entire needs of Nobbys and feeding into the grid for back-up. I hope the city investigates this suggestion
Fred Whitaker, Newcastle
SHORT TAKES
LIKE Paul Scott ('Rude awakening for leaf-blower enthusiasts', Opinion 15/11) I have an aversion to the dreaded leaf blower. Perhaps we could introduce a buy-back scheme for these noisy, polluting bogan toys. Say bring in a leaf blower, and receive a rake or broom as a replacement. Charlotte McCabe is to be commended for her policy for Newcastle Council to ditch petrol and diesel engines, and go fully electric. Imagine how much cleaner and quieter Newcastle will hopefully be in the future.
Peter C Jones, Rathmines
I AM extremely angered by the very idea that Newcastle would be used as the dumping ground for Sydney's toxic waste. Which genius in the NSW Liberals proposed this abomination? As more Novocastrians learn of this outrage, watch that 7000-signature number on the petition rise.
JoAnne Jay, Cooks Hill
REGARDING the toxic waste from Sydney, lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said she was deeply concerned about the lack of consultation with the community or the council, as I believe she should be, but in my opinion the same lack of consultation with the community regarding the toxic Supercars has been considered fine.
John Hudson, Newcastle East
GREAT idea to stop burning fossil fuels, Brian Markson, but I hope you like cold showers, raw meat and no TV or internet. Oh, and I'll have your car, smart phone and all of your other electronic gadgets while I'm at it. Cheers in advance.
Matt Ophir, Charlestown
THAT America can be relied on to come to Australia's defence in time of war is a myth. America only entered World War I and World War II, when its own interests were attacked. The business of America is business. For example, Vietnam and Afghanistan, they left like rats deserting a sinking ship, when the tide was turning. But try telling that to our politicians.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
I WOULD like to congratulate the Herald for printing a letter writers' comprehensive explanation of the pros and cons of a container terminal to store and ship empty shipping containers. The only possible miscalculation I could see is instead of a thousand truck movements per week, the original plan was to move three thousand containers per day, as being a necessary number for a container terminal to be a viable proposition. I suggest it would make good reading for the Herald to follow up further investigation, to obtain actual numbers presented in any application seeking approval.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
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