TOWN CENTRE CANNOT HOLD
INCREASED traffic and insufficient parking in the Warners Bay commercial and foreshore area is becoming a significant problem to locals, visitors, and drivers passing through the area.
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The area is popular for dining, shopping, banking, recreation or medical visits, and there are frequent special events on the foreshore. However, people have to spend lengthy periods looking for a place to park, and traffic along The Esplanade often moves at a snail's pace. In addition, the problem has been exacerbated by the massive increase in multi-storey residences in the area, which generate significant traffic on surrounding streets.
I have lived in this area for over 40 years and I am now one of the many locals who often go to other centres to do the food shopping due to the difficulty of finding a place to park. This is inconvenient, and should not be necessary.
Provision of multiple extra parking spaces is long overdue, and a multi storey car-park such as the one situated in Toronto, is essential. John Street is the ideal location for such a facility.
The current mayor stated to a Warners Bay community group this year that there has been council discussion of some additional parking spaces in the future, but they are needed sooner rather than later.
Cassi Farrell, Speers Point
THEY'RE NOT GREENHORNS
IN defending themselves from ridiculous comments about bushfire by politicians, it's wonderful to see Greens supporters admit that they have never had any influence on any government policy.
Given the Greens have been around for 40 years, and by their own admission unable to achieve anything, you'd think it was time they'd consider throwing in the towel.
Of course the biggest impact the Greens have had on climate change policy was when they voted against Kevin Rudd's emission trading scheme instead of working pragmatically to improve it over time.
That was more than a decade ago. The Greens' failure to show any compromise has in my opinion set the political tone on climate change ever since.The Liberals and Nationals will oppose everything and pretend it doesn't exist, Labor will try to do something uncontroversial, and the Greens won't accept it unless it's perfect.
If people need someone to blame for less hazard reduction burning, I believe they should blame the insurance companies who demand reams of paperwork before any burning can occur, or blame the job cuts in national parks which leave fewer staff to do hazard reduction burning.
Sarah Hamilton, Lambton
EYESORES UP TO BEHOLDERS
LANG Barrie (Letters, 18/11) I don't condone graffiti but what I have seen around the East End in relation to Supercars seems to be confined to ugly concrete barricades set up outside people's homes and businesses, around our coast and parks.
The Supercars set-up takes nine weeks. It could not be any uglier. I find the alcohol and gambling advertising outside children's homes far more offensive than the minor anti-Supercars graffiti.
I find the vandalism of setting up fences and generators outside people's homes far more offensive. Perhaps you need to consider what is driving this behaviour. East End residents have no voice when it comes to Supercars. You might chose to be one of ScoMo's quiet Australians. So might I. But I applaud those who are having a say.
It's just unfortunate that this is one of the few ways to have a say. As long as graffiti is confined to already ugly Supercars infrastructure, I can't see how it defaces anything. You cannot make this stuff uglier.
Name and suburb withheld
SOME MUST PAY WITH PAIN
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury recently said that, while the public supported the proposed mobile phone cameras, they also wanted to know where they will be located ('Camera signage could be pulled', Herald 5/11).
While I agree that the object is to get drivers to stop doing things that increase the danger on the roads, I don't see this softly-softly approach working (at least not quickly enough). It hasn't worked with many things. I wonder how well the almost-inevitable pill-testing experiment at concerts will go. You can't test everyone, and people will still hide their stash, much like cheating the cameras. My view is that it is about time that the discussion veers away from the matter of the fines, and the (I think spurious) idea that it is all about revenue-raising. I cannot really fathom what the NRMA is actually on about here. I agree with Lyall Rissler (Letters, 7/11), that we should hide cameras and police. Some people need some pain to make them wake up to themselves. Maybe it is about losing licences for some people. Driving is a responsibility, not a right.
Rod Woodhouse, East Maitland
IT'S NOT ENOUGH, TREASURER
WE continually hear of the bravery of all concerned combating ongoing fires and defending lives, homes, property and livestock. Unfortunately, lives and homes have been lost through no fault of our brave firefighters and volunteers.
I was gobsmacked when the Treasurer was proud to announce a mere $220,000 contribution to assist those at Kempsey who had suffered following the devastation of recent fires ('NSW government boosts bushfire aid by $200k', Herald 17/11). The Australian government gives millions of dollars to our neighbours annually, and additional funds, service personnel and equipment in case of natural disasters. It might be an old cliche, but doesn't charity begin at home? Congratulations to all Novocastrians and organisations that understood and continue to contribute to that cliche.
Peter Mullins, Rankin Park
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.
AFTER attending my first W-League match on Sunday evening, I would like to congratulate both teams on a very entertaining and competitive match. No diving or complaining to match officials. A-League players should watch and see how football should be played. Well done ladies. We will be back.
Jason Arena, Merewether
IF the bushfires are the wrath of God, as Israel Folau says, can he explain what we did wrong that caused God to give us bushfires every summer for centuries?
Jim Gardiner, New Lambton
LEONA Goodman lamented the closure of Hamilton News and Gifts in Beaumont Street (Short Takes, 15/11). Until about three years ago, the Hunter Street Mall area had four newsagencies. Now there's one, but there's a boom in "convenience" stores selling junk food. Some months ago I counted 17 businesses in Beaumont Street between the railway station and Tudor Street either closing or closed. Perhaps some building owners prefer empty shops to lower rents.
Keith Parsons, Newcastle
A LOVELY letter from Leona Goodman (Short Takes, 15/11) lamenting the demise of Hamilton News and Gifts Newsagency in Beaumont Street. While it is sad another business has closed, I should point out to Ms Goodman and others that there is a very thriving newsagency further down the street towards Tudor Street; Beaumont Street News which opens at 4.30 most mornings and also offers friendly service to early risers and tradies. It is disappointing that people continue to mention the "decline of Beaumont Street" even though there are many businesses who strive to bring the best possible service and merchandise to their customers. Please continue to shop locally.
Brian Wark, Hamilton
THE article and photo of the proposal for iconic wharf shed (Herald, 15/11) reminds me when it was a working wharf shed known Number 1 Lee Wharf. There was a big cast plaque on the eastern gable stating when and who had opened the wharf and shed to the public, the date I think was 1913. Is the plaque still there? If not I wonder where it is.
Fred Saunders, Waratah West
LIKE most young Australians, I was indoctrinated in the Christian religion at both school and Sunday school from the age of two years old through to 16. From what I recall of those teachings, it was God alone who decides who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, not Israel Folau. I am also fairly confident that Israel Folau is not even mentioned in the Bible. However, if that hell he so fervently believes in does exist I am sure he has a good chance of going there.
Joy Nicholls, Kotara
DENNIS Moyo (Letters, 18/11) makes a salient point concerning newsreaders and their pronunciations. I go further: Many, many personalities across all forms of the spoken media also need to pay more attention to the manner in which they speak. I am tired of hearing regly, Choosdy, Wensdy and so many more such glitches. Perhaps if they were fined for each failure we might see a very rapid improvement.
Brian Roach, Whitebridge
THE latest Aboriginal death from a police shooting (SMH, 15/11) has prompted a lot of discussions on a variety of different media channels. To the unbiased observer a couple of things become very clear.
Those speaking from the government and administration side regurgitate the same spiel that has come countless times before on this topic. Those speaking from the victims' point of view echo the sadness, disappointment and frustration of having heard it all before on every occasion, knowing nothing will change.
After over 200 years of colonial failure of how to treat and live with the first nation people, maybe it's time to do the obvious and give them autonomy over themselves.
We could probably save lives and property by working with them and their vastly superior knowledge on bringing our rivers back to life and safely keeping the fire fuel at a respectable level in preparation for the bushfire season.