He cites scrapping the Newcastle 500 is largely because of the disruption to local residents.

The Gold Coast event has also been scrapped for the same reason.

This means to all Novocastrians and visitors in the months of October, November and December this year the East End will now not be in lockdown for Supercars.

It means Wharf Road will not be closed off from Watt Street.

Foreshore Park and Horseshoe beach will not be filled with temporary buildings and all the car parking spaces will not be filled with concrete and steel crash barriers.

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

This means that everyone who wishes to, can enjoy visiting the beaches with plenty of car parking, or enjoy the parks.

They can even catch the tram right through to Newcastle Beach stop every day of the year.

Cafes and restaurants will all be open as they are during the year.

You may even find the new $6 million park the council is building at the old bus layover in Wharf Rd could be finished by then and worth a visit.

The disruption we were expecting has now turned into delight.

AS far as I can discern, it is agreed by all concerned that the lengthening of the breakwater during the harbour deepening project is the primary cause of the sand erosion on Stockton Beach.

This was done for the benefit of shipping in and out of the Port of Newcastle.

The cost of renourishing the beach is somewhere in the vicinity of $19 million and it is likely there will be further ongoing costs as the years go by.

I would suggest that the government could recover these costs by the impost of a levy on all shipping movements both in and out of the port as they are the beneficiaries of the cause of the problem.

This is not without precedent.

I draw the analogy that the government currently levies each taxi journey in the state to the tune of $1.10 as a way of reimbursement for the compensation paid to licensed taxi operators pursuant to the introduction of so-called ride-share operators such as Uber and their ilk.

The reimbursement being sought currently stands at $240 million and is likely to rise.

Am I being too simplistic?

THE rock walls either side of the Hunter River entrance, and the dredging of Newcastle Harbour to allow the exit of fully-laden mega coal ships, has meant that sand nourishment on Stockton Beach is less than it otherwise would be ("Sand fight calls for leap of faith", Newcastle Herald, 16/5).

Strategically placed rock walls, plus a program involving sand-dredging and nourishment, have been suggested.

But, whatever long-term solution to the erosion problem is decided, the question arises: "who should pay" for defending Stockton peninsula against the erosion by the ocean?

I suggest a levy on coal companies and coal-shipping companies should be imposed. It would accelerate the demise of the coal industry - not a bad thing.

The residents of Stockton should also pay increased rates, since it is their privileged life-style that is being defended against rising sea levels.

But the federal and NSW taxpayers should also chip in, since Australians' living standards are being supported by the Port of Newcastle.

KEN Hullick (Letters, 16/5) made some pertinent points about the shared paths in our region and the irresponsibility of some cyclists using them.

Although he believes we need more paths, I'm not sure that we don't have enough, because I was born and bred in Newcastle and I have found dozens of them that I didn't know even existed.

During the past few months my wife and I have driven to various suburbs between Stockton and Caves Beach, parked the car and walked along many shared paths and it has helped us to get through this awful period of social distancing and lack of community activities. Some cyclists have been quite courteous and don't create a problem for pedestrians, but we have noticed that the more Lycra they wear, the more ludicrous the speed at which they pass you.

Equally annoying are those who walk with two dogs on the one leash and allow them to wander in front of bike riders. If everyone exercises common sense, the paths help to provide a pleasant outing for all users.

NOW that we are allowed out, how long will it be before we can see the maritime stories of Newcastle?

Has the maritime collection gone the same way as the Rural Museum at Glenbawn Dam and the Military Museum at Tuggerah?

These museums may have a similar outcome to the Newcastle Maritime; they have failed financially and the collections were the only assets.

You may remember these other collections were dispersed and local significant items and stories were lost to the community. Will the same thing happen to the Maritime collection?

TONY Brown (Letters, 13/5) it seems that once again, there is no pleasing you.

You've got what you have always appeared to be wishing for, as all licensed premises across the nation are shut now.

So is it too much to ask that those of legal age who wish to still have a drink in the privacy of their own homes be allowed to do so?

Please let adults make their own decisions, and please realise that you do not speak for everyone.

It has been proven time and time again that the majority of people can behave themselves while drinking, and are only punished due to the actions of an overwhelmingly vast minority of troublemakers.

Estimates may suggest that up to 65 per cent of domestic violence is alcohol-related, but this in no way means that 65 per cent of people who drink are perpetrators of these or any other similar crimes.

Regarding the reopening of licensed premises, there has been no correlation between intoxication and the spread of COVID-19.

To even suggest such a link is merely the exact type of fear-mongering and misinformation that had the opening hours of licensed premises unjustly reduced in the first place.

WHEN we wash our hands, kids, let's make sure we only turn the tap on to a trickle instead of a waterfall so Australia can save water, lest we run out. We'll also keep our bills to a minimum so we have more to spend on plastic bottled water to hold so we appear to each other as being fit and healthy.

STEVE Barnett, my son in law laughed at your par (Short Takes, 16/5) and commented that with your four you'd be well over the limit. Whatever did he mean?

DONALD Trump has fought against coronavirus lockdowns on the basis of civil rights and liberties. Now if you discuss your rights and liberties, you are considered an extreme "right-winger." What next? Action on climate change profiteering by the right? The world has gone truly mad.

I WAS standing on my back veranda at East Maitland when I heard this startling scream of ecstasy, I thought at the time it might have been someone who had been constipated, but then I realised it had come from the top end of Newcastle and I realised then that they had just got the news that Supercars had been cancelled for this year. I think Letters to Editor pages for November and December will only need a half page this year.

MY family has five Knights memberships for this season, but I am unable to see what has happened or will happen to the money we have paid. I have tried various Knights sites, but have not been successful in finding out what is happening to the money we have already spent. Hope some Herald readers or Knights executives can answer me.

DID oil go up or did I miss something? Oil is at its lowest ever and the price has gone up at the bowsers. Talk about price gouging. It's 99 cents in the Central Coast area and $1.20 around Newcastle. Go figure.

HAS the world gone mad? A four-person panel in the US, three of which are viral experts on COVID-19 and the fourth is Greta Thunberg, an uneducated, unhinged 17-year-old, to discuss the pandemic. This is the girl who makes ridiculous prophesies about climate change, and knows nothing about COVID-19! What a slap in the face to the other three to have this teenager on the same platform.

HAS anyone noticed that suddenly, because the virus restrictions have been eased, the Labor Party stooges are coming out of hiding and now are experts on what should have been done, How feeble and sorry is that? I can't get where Jodi McKay is getting her medical knowledge. She was a news reader in her previous life wasn't she? Get real ALP, if you ever expect to get back into power, get rid of these pompous would-bes and get candidates with some credentials. Your present showing is pathetic.