OFFERING thoughts and prayers to disaster victims as Prime Minister Scott Morrison did on Monday sounds patronising and even borderline offensive in my opinion. Concrete action would help to establish sincerity. At the federal level, that means moving quickly to tackle the causes of climate change. At the state level, a public apology for cutting the budget of the Rural Fire Service might be a good start.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Peter Moylan, Glendale
CUT FUEL OFF FROM THE FIRES
I AM an 81-year-old man who still finds it amazing that people are whining about the bushfire situation. When I was a boy, people who knew what they were doing used to back-burn at the end of July, making the bushland manageable with minimal smoke haze because the winter westerlies would blow the smoke to sea.
Since we have now the greenies and do-gooders saying that this damages the environment. I believe we now we have the reverse effect where we have far more smoke haze for a far longer period with a lot more major property loss because we stupidly have allowed the undergrowth to build up a dangerous amount.
We have highly qualified people (firefighters) that in the winter have little to do. Why not allow them to do massive controlled burn-back. In my opinion this would, in the end, pay for itself as there would be less time spent fighting horrendous fires in the summer months.
This is a harsh, hot, sunburned country that up to recent times has been managed by people who know the bush and how to look after it with a lot less loss than what occurs in the present times. I think that the greenies and do-gooders need to pull their head in and find something constructive to do.
Dennis Crampton, Redhead
FIGHTING FIERCEST AT HOME
IT is indeed a sorrowful and troubling time with the unprecedented onslaught of the bushfire season ('Catastrophic climate', Herald 11/11). Even with the generous volunteers coming to help from other states, these men have been at it for weeks on end and I am sure are very weary.
Wouldn't it be good if the government used our well resourced Defence Force to give these blokes a bit of respite instead of having them wait around to be sent off to the Middle East on the next American fiasco?
Allan Earl, Beresfield
BUSH NEEDS A BIGGER WHACK
I WAS horrified to hear the Greens MP and climate change spokesman Adam Bandt blame the current bush fires on climate change.
I believe that it is well past the time we need an audit of bush management and fuel reduction burns. We have to know who is responsible for this non-conformance. This person or group should then be handed the bill for the damage that has been done.
Steve Truscott, Valentine
TRUST CENTRAL TO LOCKOUTS
THE deadly spectre of Newcastle losing its life-saving package of licensing conditions took one further step towards reality with the NSW Labor opposition supporting the alcohol industry's demands that Sydney's demise of lockout laws, flow to our city ('Labor comes to the party on law review', Newcastle Herald 7/11).
Any unilateral action by the NSW Parliament to appease the powerful alcohol industry by lumping Newcastle into reported imminent changes to the Liquor Act to scrap the lockouts in Sydney, would in my opinion be nothing short of a coward punch to the people of Newcastle and our brave front-line emergency workers physically and mentally scared in weekly responding to the worst alcohol assault rates in NSW.
The terms of reference on the Sydney lockout law inquiry did not extend to Newcastle. I believe our general population were denied due process.
Labor MPs alleged the party was taking an "evidence-based" approach to the future of the Newcastle conditions. Yet they continue to disregard the strong evidence-based advice to retain and even strengthen our package of licensing conditions from both the region's leading health and police officials. It boils down to who we should trust; those respected public organisations responsible for our health and safety or, the private commercial vested interests of the alcohol industry who maximise their profits on the quantity and strength of drinks and pokies supplied as late as possible, regardless of the well-known violence consequences we thought were now behind us in Newcastle.
Tony Brown, Newcastle
WATER RULES ARE TOO LAX
I WRITE in amazement after a conversation I had yesterday with the manager of a Hunter fast-food restaurant. I attempted to point out a couple of washroom taps leaking copious amounts of water for at least two months that I know of, but the unfortunate attitude of the employee that I spoke to convinced me nothing will be done there anytime soon. From an ethical viewpoint, I am sadly disappointed in the young person running this store. I would love to find there is a legal infringement here but I assume the water restrictions in Newcastle are not tight enough yet. Surely though these days, with climate change and drought being so topical, everyone regardless of their situation can go a bit further to support our wonderful country in this time of need.
Bruce Cowling, Duri
NOTHING FINE ABOUT IT
I WAS disappointed last week when my wife called to inform me about a letter from City of Newcastle.
The letter contained information about the steel plate I had installed nine years ago, preventing the vehicles entering onto my driveway and property scraping their oil sump and bumper guard area.
A relative of a neighbour who damaged her left rear tyre blames my driveway plate for the damage, and apparently complained to the council. They have inspected the plate, which is similar to the hundreds of others around Hamilton South and Merewether, and subsequently instructed me to remove it within 60 days or cop a fine of $1000. I contacted the council to assist in finding a solution to manage the complaint and ratepayers paying their own money to address the hazard of damage to their vehicles.
Where do we start? Street pavements being elevated due to tree roots becoming a hazard? I truly think it's unjustified.
Dale Sellers, Hamilton South
THEY HAVE POWER ALREADY
IAN King (Letters, 8/11), I was at Wallsend and a driver of a battery-powered SUV was just topping up the battery while he had lunch. He had travelled from Moss Vale to Wallsend, and after putting a bit more charge in the battery his next stop was going to be Coffs Harbour.
Mind you, he said it was the top of the manufacturer's range of electric vehicles.
Agner Sorensen, Teralba
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
REGARDING Revitalising Newcastle taking out a Premier's Award ('Revitalising Newcastle wins', Newcastle Herald 8/11)), what a joke. What about the businesses that are no more, the patrons of the Civic Theatre who once had parking spots, the building owners who now have building to lease because there is no parking so no patrons? Gladys, where's the bustling Newcastle you were talking about? Yeah, it's bustling on a Friday and Saturday night with club and pub patrons, but during the day its dead except for lunch time when office workers come out in hunt for food and coffee. You got it wrong, Gladys; very wrong. I would love to see the Newcastle Herald do an online poll about the award.
Wayne Ridley, Gateshead
I POPPED into a Stockton cafe for a coffee. I enjoyed a beautiful coffee made by a young man who is passionate about his coffee. He welcomed each person by their first name and knew what coffee they had. A beautiful lady in her 90s, whom he called Mama was served her coffee in a fine china cup and saucer. I was welcomed with "How can I make your day better?" Ty, you certainly made my day better by just being you. It was an absolute pleasure to watch you serve and entertain your guests. You have a precious soul. Keep being you.
Kathryn Hancock, Newcastle
SURELY Gladys will acquiesce now that the deputy state coroner and that bereft mother have had their say ('Festival drug finding deserves weight', Editorial 9/11). The time for action is now.
Suzanne Russell, Rivett
WHEN will someone call out the pathetic greenies and do gooders over the horrific fires that are destroying everything and everyone in their path? Enough is enough.
Brad Hill, Singleton
IMAGINE the boost to remote and rural communities if the cowpunchers and cockies pulled their kids from the elite and expensive boarding schools of Sydney and Melbourne and enrolled them at the local central schools. Not much chance of that happening, no matter how long the drought lasts.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
SPARE a thought for newsagents and hairdressers who can't get drought relief. With an economy in the doldrums and a devastating drought, these businesses have been ignored. Their turnover is way down on previous years and employees will have to go. Picking and choosing among businesses is a terrible way to implement drought relief.