Coal mining has defined this region and continues to be the backbone of the Hunter's economy. This is precisely why the region needs political leaders that can see beyond their own noses and recognise that changes in global markets for coal will transform our region over the next two decades.

The embrace of gas and renewable energy in Asia is a reality that will devastate the Hunter region if we remain chained obstinately to the coal mining and export industry at the expense of diversification.

A review of the experiences of other coal-mining regions in Australia and around the world shows that failure to anticipate and prepare for decline is a key contributor to coal mining leaving behind generational disadvantage. Will that be the legacy of the Hunter region's proud history of coal mining, or can we find a way to honour the past, acknowledge the present and prepare for the future with candour and maturity?

VALE, Old Newcastle. It's gone.

The Mattara festival and famous King Edward Park hill climb, public buses into town from the suburbs, reasonable access to or parking in Hunter Street or our two beaches, the movie theatres.

Even the Marine Rescue base is now in the suburbs instead of on Shepherds Hill.

The invaluable Maritime Museum is likely to be no more ('Bath wipes his hands of maritime museum', Newcastle Herald 28/8), there has been a steady loss of small and medium businesses and now there is a forest of towering high rise causing immense shadowing and wind tunnels in a concrete jungle.

The annual ground zero approaches, with the 1900 residents in the East End heavily disadvantaged for weeks before and after the expensive preparation and reparation for the Supercars race track.

This all is overseen and funded by what in my opinion is an increasingly autocratic council with huge funding, and much is overseen in confidence.

My daughter and family have had to rent elsewhere for two weeks because their unit is on the worst corner of the track. I believe the only hope is for Newcastle is that this short-sighted council is short lived and replaced with one that doesn't hide spending and acts for and respects the ratepayers who elect them and pay their wages.

MUCH is being made of the so-called "shift" in Labor's position on coal exports ('Post-election Labor leans back to coal', Opinion 29/8). In fact, Labor's position has not shifted. Maybe it's the media reporting that has.

Labor has always said there is nothing inconsistent with wanting and planning for a renewable energy future while supporting the coal industry and the jobs and economic benefits it brings regions like the Hunter. As Labor's shadow minister assisting for climate change, I have consistently made the point that the debate around energy production is quite separate to the debate about coal exports, and to conflate the two is misguided and misleading.

I have also made the point that Labor recognises that our region was built on the sacrifices of coal miners and that mining jobs are important to our region and will continue to be in the future.

However, I have also tried to bring some reality to the debate. While Australia thermal coal exports have increased in recent years as countries choose our "cleaner" coal, worldwide demand for thermal coal is decreasing, and we must plan for that eventuality. And, in any case, about 65 per cent of the coal Australia exports (by value) is used for steel-making, not in energy production. This is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. I'd encourage readers to look at the opinion pieces I have contributed to this paper and others on my website that make these salient points.

PETER Gogarty ('Pell decision evidence of a more just system', Herald, 22/8) paints a view of George Pell that many would agree, with considering the terrible child abuse history of the Church. But, in my opinion, I fear his article may have been misleading.

Two appeal judges found it beyond reasonable doubt that Pell was guilty ('Calls for Vatican to defrock Pell', Herald 22/8). Mr Gogarty failed to mention that the third judge, Justice Mark Weinberg, strongly dissented from that view.

Justice Weinberg expressed the former Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution's "genuine doubt as to the applicant's guilt" ('Dissenting judge makes his case for Pell's acquittal', SMH 22/8).

The jury was required to find guilt beyond reasonable doubt and, after reviewing the evidence, Justice Weinberg believed there was a "significant possibility" Pell didn't commit the offences, writing "my doubt is a doubt which the jury ought also to have had" (ABC 23/8).

Justice Weinberg suggested the evidence cast serious doubt on the credibility and reliability of the complainant's story. He said there were "inconsistencies, and discrepancies, and a number of his answers simply made no sense".

Justice Weinberg said he didn't find the complainant's evidence meant that it was beyond reasonable doubt that Pell was guilty. In light of that, I believe people should take a deep breath and reconsider whether justice has been served.

Rather than a "victim justice system" being made, as Mr Gogarty claims, might it be more like a victim vengeance system?

REGARDING model Adut Akech (''Mortified': Magazine apologises over Adut Akech photo blunder', SMH 29/8): even the best of us can make the most simple of mistakes.

Brickbats to the TV producers, interviewers et al who made a mountain out of a molehill by giving air to this furphy of a story. Indulging in several minutes of airtime on The Project. In my opinion Ms Akech lauded herself as some sort of saviour and quickly flipped aside any suggestions by the panel that it was a simple mistake.

Thursday's Herald featured some real heroes who put themselves at real risk ('Heroes', Herald 29/8), far from a highly-paid model inferring a mistake was deliberate.

REGARDING Ryan Papworth's meeting with Bob Hawke ('Fan's few bob nabs an 'iconic' Hawke image', Newcastle Herald 29/8): My husband and I attended a dinner many years ago at Belmont Sports Club. Bob Hawke was a union boss and guest of honour, with Hazel by his side. At the end of the evening he approached us and I asked if he would sign the back of a coaster and he obliged. I think I may put it up for auction. It could be worth a fortune.

YOUR editorial ('Post-election Labor leans back to coal', Opinion 29/8) suggests "the hype about pumped hydro" in providing continuous power by firming intermittent renewable energy is equivalent to "power station carbon capture and storage: much talked about but rarely seen." It is a false equivalence. Pumped hydro is proven technology and such projects, apart from Snowy 2.0, are approved or under construction in South Australia, NSW and Queensland. Carbon capture, on the other hand, was always a pipe dream. I believe the only reason pumped hydro is 'rarely seen' is that both major political parties lack leadership or vision on de-carbonising our economy and cleaning our air.

CITY of Newcastle has in my opinion done itself no favors in the time and money spent on road works and landscaping in Beresfield. The general talk that I have heard is along the lines of "not happy, Jan". The positioning of pedestrian crossings and speed humps are a cause of concern that they will do more harm than good, plus the narrower street widths mean we have lost disabled parking just to add landscaping.

I AM a disheartened Knights supporter who is frustrated at the amount of times I've heard the line. "I/we take full responsibility for what happened on the field". It has been used that many times that it no longer means anything. It's just become another throw away line. Do you take responsibility? Then bloody well do something about it.

MAYBE if Virgin Airlines did not spend so much on naming rights for Supercars they might not have to slash as many jobs (SMH 28/8). I think it's a bad decision by Virgin, but once again it is workers who will pay with the loss of their jobs. Also, bad decisions by Newcastle Council potentially mean ratepayers are also paying huge sums for Supercars ('Council's race roles pile up', Newcastle Herald 24/8/18).

AFTER living in Arnhem Land for nine years, I believe that our Indigenous Australians are doing it tough, so keeping open the opportunities for work in the area of Uluru should be maintained. I really don't think that we need to climb the rock, but we should encourage visitors to view this beautiful natural wonder, have more accommodation and tours organised and run by the mobs in this area. If it is your wish to see the view from the top, maybe helicopter trips are the answer. I believe we don't need to track all over the rock to appreciate it.