Given that the federal government is cutting payments for bulk billed visits to GPs in the Hunter Region, what will happen to ED visits in 2020?

It affects the whole health system when Medicare payments for GP visits are slashed. Hunter New England Health needs to support local general practice too, because when patients can't afford to see their GP they will end up in our local emergency departments.

ACCORDING to a "community consultation" letter delivered to surrounding residents, Newstan mine at Awaba has plans to expand operations.

The intention is to extract a further 25.9 million tonnes of coal in the next 15 years. The "jobs now" vs "climate later" debate goes on between our politicians and in the media, however I think we can agree that the NSW drought is severe, towns are running dry and water restrictions in our area are likely to be raised again soon.

Climate debate aside, the massive amounts of water used to mine and wash that much coal should be directed to farming and residential use. After the Bylong decision it will be interesting to see if DPI approves it, because as far as I can see we can't drink or irrigate with coal.

A SPECIAL thanks to Nicholas Stuart 'Climate crisis is this generation's world war' (Opinion, 5/12). He has shown sharp insight into seeing climate change as a world war.

I never had such clarity of understanding. He showed that the current drought is undeniably linked to climate change, no matter what scientists might say. His insight was very scientific. No, wait, some scientists do say that humans are at fault that way.

It's been snowing and bitterly cold in the Northern Hemisphere this autumn and early winter. New records have been set in places. But hey, let's not let the cold hard facts get in the way of a good climate scare story eh? As Nicholas says: "we have to recognise the enemy and begin the fight". But just who is the enemy? And what science supports this "fiery hell" he speaks of? Or is that another dodgy religious analogy?

IN all the discussion of climate change there are a few issues that never rate a mention. The evidence for climate change is only evidence of global warming. The link with CO2 is not proven with this information. It is assumed to be true. CO2 is not the major greenhouse gas. Water vapour is more effective.

Also CO2 is around 400ppm, while water vapour averages 50,000ppm. Small changes in water vapour will totally swamp any effect from CO2. There is no correlation between CO2 and temperature changes. CO2 has risen steadily since 1860.

Temperature has shown many changes in direction since 1974. None of these changes would be predicted from CO2 data. All of these changes correspond with changes in the el Nino Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). It may turn out that global warming has been as a result of greenhouse effect, but due to water vapour rather that CO2.

I am aware that correlation does not prove causality, but it is foolish and unscientific to reject a variable that does correlate while sticking with one that doesn't.

WITH just a couple of weeks left to wrap up your Christmas shopping, I hope you will consider adding one more person to your gift list: a hungry child. It's hard to believe that during this season of abundance, but one in every five Australian kids goes hungry each day.

In fact, of all the people who came to Vinnies for help this year, more than half needed our assistance just to afford food and groceries. Every day, we see the distress and desperation of parents who want to give their kids the world, but can't even afford to give them proper meals.

Vinnies supports these families with healthy food, clothing, bedding, furniture, help to pay the bills, crisis accommodation, and more. Because we believe every child deserves to grow up healthy, safe, clothed and fed - don't you agree?

Please donate whatever you can to the Vinnies Christmas Appeal to feed a hungry child this Christmas. Visit vinnies.org.au or call 13 18 12.

Thank you, and merry Christmas.

IT'S that time of the year again - a time when some of us may feel a little exhausted, but at the same time also energised with Christmas fast approaching.

Our team at Lifeline in the Hunter are no different. Many are volunteers who, in addition to other commitments in life, give their time to be with others, often at times of crisis. It can be exhausting work while at the same time rewarding. Connecting with others is something that we crave as humans and our team tell me often that they receive as much as they give in meeting with others at these times.

I write today to both thank our local team and also those people and organisations who support our work. We often say at Lifeline that we are in community, for community and with community. We wish all in our local region a peaceful Christmas period and want you to know that we, along with many other wonderful organisations in our local community, are there for you if you need to connect.

Your can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 at anytime, or try our new text service on 0477 13 11 14 between 6pm and midnight. Thanks to everyone at Lifeline and in our community for all you have done in 2019.

HERE'S an idea: allow Labor and the unions to shut down any business they choose at their whim with nothing to stop them.

They could use the courts or the Fair Work Commission but annoyingly they are impartial and would require you to prove a case with evidence.

Worse, they would allow the targets a defence and then make an independent decision.