Choppers hard to justify
FURTHER to Kerry Branz’s comments (“Backchat”, Lakes Mail, January 18) I agree that helicopters can be rather noisy when flying at low level. Like all aircraft, they need to land and take off into the wind, which means they will be operating over houses no matter the wind direction.
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To give you an idea, helicopter sound levels have been recorded at close to the decibel level of rock concerts. Helicopters are useful in search and rescue missions, for cattle mustering, and industrial purposes such as support for oil rigs. But their use to transport brides to Trinity Point or to drop off day-trippers from Sydney on their way to the Hunter wineries is hard to justify when the disruption of residents’ social amenity is taken into account.
Anyway, why would a developer want to create flight paths over the very blocks he is trying to sell?
- George Aungle, Morisset Park
Dangerous trees in Wangi
LAKE Macquarie City Council has agreed to my request to remove a dangerous gum tree near our walkway at Wangi Wangi, although it is still there. But just this long weekend evidence of what I have been vocal about happened: a huge gum tree from the group of trees I am referring to came down in what I would describe as mild winds.
Luckily nobody was hurt The trees are all shallow rooted and much to my dismay I am told were actually planted. I, too, understand the need for trees, but not along the edge of our main road. The traffic was disrupted for hours over the long weekend and I’m only glad that my daughter or wife wasn’t driving along at the time the tree came down.
Please, council, don’t just remove the one tree outlined near the walkway, but get rid of these dangerous gum trees lining our street before they fall on a car full of kids, or one of the lower lying houses.
By the way, readers, I would advise that the relevant body to deal with regarding trees is sometimes the fire brigade, not the council. Council is addressing the problem of these trees on public land, but trees on your property, or your neighbour’s land, can be dealt with by the fire brigade as a potential fire hazard.
- Shane Johnson, Wangi Wangi
Times are a-changin’
IT appears that the times they are a-changin’? Indigenous folk are seeking the removal of Australia Day; homosexuals want the name of Margaret Court Arena changed, and Father’s Day and Mother’s Day removed; non-Christians and atheists propose that Christmas and Easter should be cancelled; republicans want the Queen’s Birthday cancelled; and local business interests propose the Newcastle Show Day should be cancelled.
Nobody’s complaining about Labour Day, as far as I know, so if this survives we may need to focus our annual festivities on this important occasion.
The government may get involved here, declaring all public festivities illegal to avoid contention, drunkenness and affray, and add a week to everyone’s annual leave. That’s if there is not a movement to do away with annual leave.
- George Paris, Rathmines
Santa boat origins
RATHMINES, you’ve done it again! Like many others, I enjoyed tea in the park on Christmas Eve as we awaited the arrival of the Santa Boat. Trevor Mears and his crew arrived on schedule to the delight of many residents, visitors and children. For this, I offer our thanks to the event hosts, the Toronto Rotary Sunrise Club.
This event has continued for many years since wartime. A former RAAF instrument fitter, who was based at the Rathmines RAAF base in 1943, once told me a story of a Santa Boat in that era.
Maybe readers will have a different story about the Santa Boat’s origins. I would greatly appreciate hearing those stories.
- Alec Howard, Rathmines
