Newcastle Herald Letters to the Editor: Thursday, September 19, 2019

You don't have to agree with all the kids' proposals, but support of what is a pressing cause would not have closed mines. This is no better than the governments we have at present which are ignoring the future by not planning or implementing change for the future, no matter the issue. Short-sighted policy on the run appears to now have been entrenched into the union movement. You will not survive with this policy or action.

Actions like this will eventually spell the end of unionism which to me is sad as I have been involved and active most of my life. You have a day or two to correct this wrong. Do it for the future of unionism.

Glenn Jones, Weston

Serenity compromised

WHAT the hell is happening at Murrays Beach?

The development began as an eco-friendly paradise in virgin woodland. Sustainable housing blended beautifully into the natural environment of flora and fauna. Certain regulations were put in place to maintain the rural habitat. Best of all, no cats allowed.

The subsequent development site adjacent to this serene setting can only be described as decimation.

The woodland has been completely cleared, not a single tree left standing. This should never have been allowed to happen in such a pristine and sensitive environment. Which other protective safeguards originally set in place have now been compromised by this appalling destruction? Who is responsible (a contradiction in terms) for approving this disgusting development? Can we soon expect to see all the bushland between Doyalson and Swansea destroyed by greedy developers and their beneficiaries?

At this fast tracked rate of annihilation, all wildlife will soon be extinct and Australia will resemble the Middle East.

Julia Riseley, Swansea

Praise for farmers

DURING these times of intense drought and hardship, those who live and work on the land and water deserve our recognition and respect more than ever.

As shadow minister for primary industries I am incredibly proud of everyone in our agricultural sector for the hard work they do. The NSW Farmer of the Year Awards are a great opportunity to recognise the men and women who demonstrate safety and environmentally-sustainable practices with profitable production, encouraging innovation, research and leadership in farming.

The NSW Farmer of the Year and NSW Young Farmer of the Year awards can include fishers, foresters or any primary industries enterprise. The NSW Farmer of the Year award is open to all NSW farmers, and the NSW Young Farmer of the Year Award is open to NSW farmers aged between 18 and 35. Winners will receive $4000 while runners-up will receive $2000. Nominations close on September 23 and winners will be announced on December 11. To nominate yourself, or a farmer you know, for a NSW Farmer of the Year award, visit dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/events/nsw-foty/nominate-apply. Good luck.

Jenny Aitchison, NSW Member for Maitland

Supporting local work

CITY of Newcastle could not be more proud to be associated with the outstanding quality of entertainment provided by our local theatre producers.

Beauty and the Beast, like the majority of shows presented at our beautiful theatre, are created and fully funded by organisations who hire the venue, and of course, retain all the profits from ticket sales.

Part of this means they undertake their own promotions and marketing. The Civic Theatre promotes all coming shows on our website, on social media and by placement of posters and banners around the venue.

The brochure referred to in the letter to the Herald ('Local shows shine', 12/9) was produced a year ago, and is for the annual season presented by the Civic Theatre itself.

We do this to bring to Newcastle shows that might not tour here for financial reasons (such as Bell Shakespeare, the Sydney Dance Company, Circa, Bangarra Dance Theatre and many young people's performances such as The Twits and Possum Magic).

We package this up into a season of amazing and incredibly varied live entertainment, and invite our community to subscribe by purchasing at least 4 shows, which means they receive a significant discount on ticket prices, and other great benefits. We are devastated to think that this subscription brochure inadvertently led to one of our audience thinking we did not value and support local work.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Newcastle-made productions are on a par with the best in the country, and we are privileged to provide one of the best theatres in the country to showcase this work.

Delia O'Hara, Manager Civic Services, City of Newcastle

Safety for women

I WOULD like to wade into this debate about abortion. Is it right to force a woman to have a child to a man who has no intention of providing for her and her child?

Is it right to force a woman to bear a child after being raped and is it right to make a woman bear a severely-disabled child when more than likely she will end up being the sole carer when the marriage breaks down?

How many very young teenagers have gone through pregnancy only to have the child taken by DOCS because they are too immature to manage raising a child?

There is also the point that a woman knows she is pregnant very early and therefore termination in the first few weeks should be allowed, but to have a termination at a later stage should be on medical grounds only, and certainly not for gender selection. I have been around long enough to see the results of both sides of the argument. Back-street abortions are not an option and no woman should be forced into that decision. Yes I saw what happened to a friend back in the 1960s and it was not pretty. One doesn't enter into a termination lightly and it's not something you ever forget, but if you have to do it, then please let women have it very early on and in a safe environment.

Olwyn Edmonds, Eleebana

DAM FINE, THANKS

IT is very typical of Green groups and protesters to cherry pick dam levels and most other stories they wish to push .Two dams in NSW are at low levels, but all others are over 20% and the Brogo is at 80%.Queensland has a number of dams over 90%.The Sydney area dams together have storage at around 49%.

John Hollingsworth, Hamilton

IT would have been very surprising if survivors of clerical sexual abuse had been willing to hold their remembrance service in a church setting ('A roll call we can't forget', Newcastle Herald, 14/9). Too many church settings have been desecrated by what took place within their walls. Reconciliation with survivors will not happen until the institutional church comes to understand that it is meant to be a means to an end and not an end in itself. Senior clergy covered up because they wanted to protect the Church. They saw it as an end in itself.

Mark Porter, New Lambton

READING Don Graham's recollections of the Star Hotel reminded me of the lyrics of the Cold Chisel song of the same name ("Don's Party exploded", September 27):

All last night we were learning

Drank our cheques by the bar

Somewhere bridges were burning

As the walls came down at the Star

Squad cars fanned the insanity

News teams fought through the crowd

Spent last night under custody

And the sun found me on the road.

Allan Gibson OAM, Cherrybrook

THEY tell us petrol will rise 7 cents a litre after the drone attack. Sorry petrol went up 20 cents a litre straight away.

Bruce Cook, Adamstown

DRIVING around Australia: Assume the lane centres are three metres apart and the route is approximately circular. The extra distance for the car on the outside lane is the difference between pye* D metres and pye(D+3)metres. The 'Ds cancel.The car on the outside lane travels an extra 9.425 metres.

John Turner, Carey Bay

I WOULD like to ask the state government why they bought all the properties near Dungog for a proposed dam at a premium but not build a dam and then sell at a loss? Now they want to spend more money on a desalination plant at Belmont? I always wonder who is responsible for these wise decisions and is anyone ever held accountable. If it was the private sector would they still be employed?

Jason Arena, Merewether

SURPRISE, surprise ... two days after we go on water restrictions and on page eight in the Herald on Wednesday morning Hunter Water wants to put the price of water up 10%. Any excuse to raise more from the Hunter people. Try not giving so much of our money to Sydney instead.

Kevin Miller, Windale

THERE are two reasons why anti-abortion campaigners should avoid slogan-chanting sessions led by the likes of Tony Abbott, Barnaby Joyce and religious leaders. To start with, in other states the abortion laws which Gladys Berejiklian wants for NSW have not produced any of the dreadful results which Abbott, Joyce and so on have claimed. Secondly, lest we forget, they opposed gay marriage because of the terrible things which would happen to the children of gay relationships. Yes, that's what they said. When it comes to children, they just don't know who's who and what's what.

Grant Agnew, Coopers Plains

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