Letters to the editor Monday June 25 2018

It apparently can't flow because it’s blocked with a mountain of filthy debris. Unfortunately what I consider the council's total neglect of regular creek maintenance has condemned many residents to years of flooding and insurance claims that perhaps could have been prevented.

I believe their cart before the horse attitude in approving new businesses and housing without first updating its antiquated infrastructure has resulted in a desperate need for a catch-up program - too little, too late now.   

With the current infighting between Department of Housing and council (“Creek rehab stalls again”, Herald 16/6), how long will it be before we long suffering residents can relax in bad weather, safe in the knowledge that Scrubby Creek is flowing as it should?

LET’S encourage people to choose our area to visit. How do we build value-added tourism in our town? Obviously restaurants and accommodation are important, but that's only part of the picture. What would our drawcard be?

The answer is evident. It is a clean, healthy lake with adjacent expanses of green space that give access to the water and offer opportunities for relaxation and recreation as well as aesthetic appeal. Inappropriate development on foreshore land detracts from that appeal. In Sydney, even with its huge population, the harbour waterfront is treasured.

The paths are well-trodden through the shoreline bush that both protects and enhances that beautiful body of water.

Their wise forefathers recognised the asset there. Hundreds of people every week enjoy that bush, and also patronise the cafes and restaurants nearby. Many travel to and stay in Sydney exactly for that experience. Lake Macquarie City must also recognise the assets we already have. They can then be added to with a built environment that is in sympathy with the surrounds. If we lose or diminish those original assets, the rest will be money and effort down the drain.

It is a wonder that such an appalling suggestion as a four to six storey building on the Toronto foreshore should even have been put forward in council. The city must think long-term and not rob future generations of that which is irreplaceable.

YOU brought me to tears Colin Allen with your wonderful words (Letters 19/6) about changing the attitudes of some men in this society. This century has brought out people in powerful positions, the Weinsteins among us as well as priests, Bill Cosby and Rolf Harris just to name a few.

But sometimes it’s the nameless perpetrators who have grown up with the attitude that women and young girls are subservient and are there for men’s gratification.

This problem is centuries old and education must begin at home at an early age. It must start now.

DROUGHT. The word causes shivers of fear in many Australians, particularly those in the bush. A 2015 poll found that people were more worried about drought than any other consequence of climate change.

Now farmers are complaining that the big dry means that they are having to “de-stock” or, in plain English, kill thousands of animals even earlier than they would usually be killed. Meat and Livestock Australia have revised the number of lambs that will be slaughtered this year to 22.85 million, while sheep slaughter is expected to reach 7.8 million, totalling an astonishing 30,665,000 animals, most of them little more than babies. Many of these animals will have suffered barbaric treatments such as mulesing, ear-tagging and castration, and will have been repeatedly mutilated during shearing.

The Climate Council has concluded that droughts are likely to worsen in severity and duration in southern Australia if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut deeply and rapidly. The quickest way to achieve this is to eliminate the wool and sheep meat industries. These businesses add significantly to greenhouse emissions through “enteric fermentation,” or animals belching and passing gas, as well as causing vegetation change and soil erosion and water pollution through faecal contamination and sheep dips.

For the farmers, it’s an easy equation: if you can’t feed them, don’t breed them. The rest of us can take a stand for animals, and help to preserve natural ecosystems by not buying woollen garments and not eating baby lambs.

AFTER the Knights’ defeat last Sunday I think they should go back to the old KISS method: keep it simple, stupid. 

Conditions didn't warrant silly passes, they still had to offload but with short passes to gain ground up field as the kicking is not up to scratch. The sooner Pearce comes back the better. They need his kicking game, as well as his ability to read the play when there is open space for the opposition to attack. He pushes players in the right direction in defence. The Roosters and Storm scored tries from 80 metres out through our defence not being able to lock them up. I think the score flattered the Storm, it would have been a lot closer if not for stupid handling errors giving them great field position.

THE Liberal Party's federal council has voted almost two to one to privatise the people's ABC, and also voted for an efficiency review of SBS.

The Liberals are obviously worried about honest constructive criticism to turn to such undemocratic schemes to disempower these two popular stations.  Another unpopular vote by this council is to move the Australian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 

I’m sure these moves will be frowned on by most Australians, who will voice their protests at the next federal election.