CAROL Selmeci's letter (Letters, 20/8) is a timely reminder for those "flouting the health advice, wake up to yourself and start appreciating what we have".
Col Love, (Short Takes, 21/8), has also succinctly expressed what needs to be said: "realise how lucky we are".
Journalist Helen Gregory reported that the experience and expectation of Alexia Street, pictured, while doing the HSC during the COVID pandemic was that she didn't want her "whole 13 years of schooling building up to this one moment of finally doing the HSC to just be chucked out the window".
"HSC is our rite of passage," Ms Streets said, adding and that "they (students) are also grappling with question marks over graduations, formals and schoolies trips".
Sure, that's got to be a huge disappointment for them, and it must be extremely difficult staying at home when previous normal was sharing face-to-face experiences together. Perhaps if the students could see that their futures do not depend on one exam, they would see that staying at home for a few months might give them a chance at a healthy future where nothing is seen as a rite of passage. Rather, every moment is to be appreciated and we must learn to see the potential for growth and resilience that comes from adversity.
Pat Garnet, Wickham
Questions abound in the regions
I READ Anita Beaumont's article ('Please know: We have some questions, too', Opinion 13/8) and agree wholeheartedly. All regional areas need to be provided with localised, up to date and detailed COVID-19 related information. We need this to make informed choices, to understand what's changed if anything and most importantly, to know that any concerns we have as a community are being passed on to those making the decisions that affect us. I would like to know a few things.
Are our MPs being briefed directly and how often? Why are these representatives then not holding media conferences themselves more often? How are our local area concerns being passed on up the food chain and are they being heard and addressed?
I have many questions that remain unanswered. One relates to the constant changing of the availability goal posts for the Pfizer vaccine. I'm 55 and have been recommended not to have the AstraZeneca, but I would roll up my sleeve for a Pfizer jab tomorrow. Problem is that every time I get close, the "target group" changes and it becomes unavailable to me. Now they are focused on the 16 to 39 age bracket and "opening up" as soon as we hit the 70 per cent vaccination target, but what about the people like me who are ready and willing, but still not able? Who is it ok to leave vulnerable because of unavailability and how many?
Dana Cooper, Maitland
PM's tetchy tone fails to inspire
AT present we are in lockdown because the number of COVID cases in NSW is extremely high and they are not falling.
We continually hear that our hope lies in vaccines. When we have a certain percentage of the state vaccinated, we are told we should be able to get back to something that resembles normality ('Stick to reopening plan: Morrison', Herald 25/8).
Right now, however, we are not in a good position and our prime minister is sounding tetchy like he is dealing with a bunch of rebellious teens.
I believe that the PM's impatience is not about concern for people but about the almighty dollar and getting re-elected.
What I would say to Scott Morrison right now is, first things first Mr Prime Minister, we need to get the virus under control. There also needs to be some words of sympathy, thanks and encouragement not stern words that make us all feel guilty for the current situation. Pushing for an end to lockdown too early could have dire consequences.
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
Live with virus, or we live alone
I FIND it interesting to listen to Dan Andrews and other premiers. Andrews, in particular, is of great concern, particularly if you are a Victorian. Recently he said words to the effect "we will not lock down, once everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated, why would we want to protect people who do not want to protect themselves". That makes a lot of sense.
Now he says "we won't accept that we have to live with this virus, we want to crush it". In my view that is impossible long term unless you lock up forever. Mr Andrews should acknowledge this is an international problem. If Victoria wants to interact with the other states, and interact with the world, Mr Andrews needs to stop playing politics and face reality. We will have to live with it, and as vaccinations increase hospitalisation will decrease, that is logical surely. As that occurs restrictions should gradually ease.
Unfortunately all of our leaders, Liberal and Labor, have made mistakes. But it seems quite clear that if we are to travel overseas, and have a tourist industry again in this country, we need to live with this virus. Even the Doherty Report is reporting "zero" is no longer the goal.
Brynley Hill, Black Hill
Subsidies a deliberate leg-up
BRUCE Williams (Letters, 25/8) is quite correct in his prediction that coal-fired power stations will close. And yes, it's a result of the deliberate policy to subsidise renewable energy. But Mr Williams ignores the reason why this has been done - to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The whole premise behind global warming is that burning fossil fuels is contributing to climate change. And yes, such changes have happened in the past, with significant impact on plants and animals across the globe.
So the simple message is, if we wish to avoid a very heavy impact on our daily life from climate change we have to stop burning fossil fuels, or suffer the consequences.
Bruce Graham, Warners Bay
Trains may transform Cessnock
THERE were three articles recently about the re-use of rail lines that are a legacy of closed coal mines. The South Maitland rail corridor for example, was still in use a year ago carrying coal.
It is intact, inspected weekly, and runs through a residential growth corridor. It is time to investigate the restoration of passenger train services to the growing Coalfields population.
Train travel would make a huge difference to the lives of young people in the Cessnock LGA, by addressing poor public transport to the University of Newcastle, and by providing students with access to cheaper accommodation in the Cessnock LGA for example.
We should also include active transport in our plans, with cycleways and walkways to meet the future needs of residents.
Rail easements are possibly wide enough to include rail and combined cycle/walkways. We don't have to settle for one or the other, we can make plans to include both.
It's clear that acquisition of the unused rail network by the state government is key to making this happen. We don't want to lose this opportunity by repeating the mistakes made in Newcastle by allowing development on various rail corridors.
Llynda Nairn, Cessnock City Council Greens candidate
SHORT TAKES
I WISH you all the best David Smith (Short Takes, 25/8). My daughter and I have today got the good news that we are clear after two weeks of isolation. I've never felt so powerless, as all we could do was wait for the test results. Her workplace got shut down, the innocent victims of selfish dolts refusing to obey the rules and passing COVID to others. The penalties are nowhere near severe enough to deter this. The few people we had contact with - the COVID testers and those from the police and army checking that we were home - were all fantastic to deal with. More power to them, I say, and thank you.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
THE NSW Premier has described how 16 to 30 year olds can now book a COVID jab. It's easy, she said. Well, it's not easy. The earliest vaccination booking for this age group in the Hunter region is November. Please, Gladys, be honest with us and don't lie to our precious young people.
Judy Wells, Carrington
IF John Barilaro is unwilling to stop people from Sydney coming to the Hunter then the lockdown in the Hunter must end. There is no point in locking down the Hunter at the same time letting infection in from Sydney. Hunter residents should not put up with this dreadful decision making.
Peter Cooper, Toronto
WHILE the Australian government has responded to the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic, their inaction on environmental emergencies continues. The vaccine for extinction and climate change is a stronger EPBC Act. The Wilderness Society continues lobbying as the Senate prepares to vote on a watered down version of recommendations.
Melanie Stanton, Eleebana
LLOYD Davies (Short Takes, 24/8), even the experts don't know nor can predict what you suggest about the AstraZeneca vaccine. It is a guessing game at the moment. That is why the recommendations change. You are entitled to your opinion. So am I.
Mick Kembrey, Cessnock
HAVING grown up in Newcastle, and now in my twilight years, I find it very hard to relate to the attitude of the Western Australian Premier who lived and grew up here. It seems that he won't be happy until Western Australia is declared a separate country.
John Houston, Mayfield
PRIME Minister Scott Morrison tells us he's saved 30,000 lives from COVID while Mr Dutton tells us our involvement in Afghanistan has saved Australia from a terrorist attack like 9/11. They can't be serious.
Steven Busch, Rathmines
SAVE the bushland at Garden Suburb; walking tracks, mountain bike tracks, amazing flora and fauna. The only quiet piece of tranquillity we have left around here. This area needs to be preserved and protected.
Liam Drew, Macquarie Hill
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