But as I previously mentioned we have been mining, processing and using uranium for export, in the use of nuclear rod enrichment, and processing medical equipment at our own nuclear facility at Sydney since 1958 without incident. It is nothing new or something to fear.

However, the people making this statement approve of hydro pump electricity, believing it to be better. Why?

In case they don't know, or don't want to know, hydro pump is not an extra source of power that increases power to the grid, it is simply a storage system that works when renewables are unable to work (it is a back-up system).

Hydro pump uses 30 per cent more power from the grid than what it replaces when working, costs billions of dollars to build, can cost as much and takes as long to build as a nuclear power station.

Taking into account these billions of dollars plus all the subsidies and taxation concessions given to renewable energy, it would be fair to say that renewable energy with its subsidies and back-up system costs far more than nuclear energy.

Who in their right mind would invest billions of dollars that gives a 30 per cent negative return, when for the same money could build a nuclear-powered power station that gives a 100 per cent positive return, and is 100 per cent clean?

Considering the primary, and possibly only need for renewable energy, is to reduce coal fired carbon from entering our atmosphere, it must also be realised that renewables still produce large amounts of carbon during their manufacture and disposal processing.

However, nuclear power is cleaner and cheaper, it has no residue, produces no carbon, doesn't need a billion-dollar back-up and most of all gives peace of mind that nothing will stop because of unfavourable weather conditions.

You can't run a country depending on the weather, so why do we try?

I'D like to express my dismay and disappointment at Newcastle city parking officers.

Today I was picking up my granddaughter at the end of school from Newcastle Grammar Park Campus, where the teachers were doing an incredible job of dispersing over 300 children safely to their parents.

They were taking each child to the waiting car of their carers, allowing carers to sit in their cars and adhere to the social distancing policy. While the teachers were doing this, parking officers were busy taking photos of cars that were stopped for more than two minutes in the pick-up zone.

I feel this was putting unnecessary pressure on both teachers and the carers picking up their young ones.

Surely at this time the city parking officers could spend their time in other areas and not put added stress on the pick-up and take off the stress of the teachers who are doing amazing work getting each child out safely.

I WRITE to express my ongoing disgust at the inaction of the Prime Minister and the Governor General in regard to the holding of an OAM by convicted child rapist (defrocked former Dean of Newcastle) Graeme Russell Lawrence.

Lawrence was sentenced to eight years in prison for the aggravated sexual assault of a 15-year-old Newcastle boy. Despite having written to the Honours Secretariat, the PM and the GG at least 15 times since 2012, there has been a constant refusal to act.

The comment by PM Morrison in today's media re: Justice Dyson Heydon, clearly demonstrates the total lack of care that this government has for victims of child sexual abuse. To call for the stripping of Heydon's award after "allegations" shows how seriously out of touch our PM is.

Lawrence is a convicted child rapist. He has chosen not to appeal. He is in prison. His award should be stripped today. To leave his award in place is an absolute insult to all victims of child abuse. This is a disgrace. Lawrence is clearly being protected.

THIS city's obsession with parking would be amusing were it not so tedious ("No parks for high rise", 25/6).

I've lived in the CBD without a car for 12 months and I can guarantee that it is possible, and enjoyable, to experience Newcastle from its sidewalks.

The site in question is located one block from a shopping centre, one block from the light rail, and two blocks from a railway station. If there was ever a site for development without parking it's this one. Moreover, the idea that 38 studio households equates to 38 motor vehicles is an outdated and privileged take on modern life.

In a 2017 report the NRMA estimated that 35 per cent of millennials were forgoing a driver licence. An even greater number were not purchasing a vehicle. This is as much about circumstance as it is about fashion.

Mine is the first generation on track to not exceed their parents in terms of income. Our decisions about where we live and how we get around are the by-products of a casualised workforce, stagnant wage growth, unaffordable housing, and a pervading fear of our future on this planet.

There are worse things in this city than waiting for the tram.

HOW quickly forgotten was the ground-breaking, back-breaking, knee-jerking work by our government in securing a free trade agreement with China.

Narrowly missing a knighthood under the Abbott regime was Andrew Robb, who tirelessly worked behind the scenes to negotiate a largely "business in confidence" document that safeguarded the future of most Australians, particularly the Robb family.

Mr Robb was so well thought of by the People's Republic, that seconds after his retirement from the Federal Parliament, they employed him as something or other, which netted him over $2 million dollars in the ensuing 18 months.

As there was never any job description published, I am sure he was diligently working away, burying bodies, or whatever it is that consultants do. Now happily we can reap the benefits of this 80 per cent tariff the Chinese have placed on our barley.

How can we get old Robbo out of his taxpayer funded retirement to come to our aid? Surely he could smooth over this current disagreement with our standover buddies in Beijing. I am confident he could get on the phone to his old mate Xi Jinping and stop all these embargos, boycotts and badmouthing. Couldn't he?

RAY Peck, right on the money, (Letters, 24/6). Renewables are the creation of people. Everyone has far more say. There's much more doing, for more jobs. Coal is just "dog digging". Rampaging open pits will always mean coal dust and toxic heavy metals blasting, of an otherwise Aussie gem, the peerless Hunter Valley. We can't live on the natural sun, and can't live without it. We can harmlessly harness natural solar, 150 million kilometres from its source.

RAY Peck "clean energy means jobs", claims that every dollar spent on renewable energy projects generates three times as many jobs as fossil fuel investments. I would challenge the veracity of that. But even if true, is that a good thing? That would mean that three times as many people have to be employed in a renewable energy plant to generate the same amount of electricity as from the equivalent fossil fuel plant. That would only make renewable energy more expensive. Which as it turns out, does appear to be the case. All around the world the more renewable energy a nation has, the higher the electricity costs are for consumers. Does anyone think that's good?

SCOTT Hillard (Short Takes, 25/6) hates the government "spending other people's money" (who else's is it?) on the ABC. Historically, polling on this issue shows roughly 15 per cent of Australians agree with him. Privatisation is political death. In 2018, Josh Frydenberg said, "the ABC is an iconic national institution; it provides valuable services to our regions and to our cities. It is not going to be sold and it can never be sold". Starved to death maybe, by this government, but not sold. You're flogging a dead horse.

SCOTT Hillard labels the ABC as a dinosaur because we now have "the rich depth and breadth offered by the internet". I suggest he searches topics like "The world is run by lizard people" or "5G is spreading coronavirus" to quickly see why we need, more than ever, reliable fact-checked information provided by professional news outlets like the ABC and this newspaper.

SCOTT Hillard appears unable to afford the ABC and must be pleased that the Liberal government is, with the alacrity of a startled gazelle, unashamedly withdrawing its funding. It's always an inconvenient truth that the government can remove the voice of anyone who may reveal those tacky activities that should be concealed from the electorate of which they may not approve. Of course it's less convenient to control any media group that one can't withdraw advertising from. While there is an ABC we aren't paying as much attention as we could to funeral insurance, chocolate bars and furniture.

I'M hoping some reader may be able to confirm the rumour that Australia Post has begun a program to artificially breed giant snails. They will be trained to deliver parcels and, when fully grown, are expected to make deliveries in about half the time the present service takes.