Jimmys beach has a $4.1m sand transfer system in place and the problem is there is no operator to make the system work. MidCoast Council has the responsibility to get the operator and it will cost money - the questions are, who pays and how much will it cost? Whatever the answers are, there will be ongoing costs as the council fights the forces of the sea whipped up by cyclical storms. There is no end to the costs.

There are other ways to protect infrastructure on such vulnerable stretches of land and that is by the use of constructed sea walls, or breakwaters, though these structures may cause other unintended outcomes. I am not an expert in wave movement, but I do know what I see and an attempt to hold back the sea from approved infrastructure by sand replacement is fraught with a huge ongoing price tag that the community over time will regret being committed to.

MidCoast has had $4.1 million spent on the sand replacement strategy but are unable to secure an operator at this stage. As Ms Garrard, a local, indicates, a permanent solution must be found as the sand replacement to be eroded next storm as it is a waste of a lot of money.

To approve development on a parcel of land a council is, in my view, accepting responsibility to defend the land from natural events. A better long-term solution must include the calming of the seas as they approach the beach areas of both Stockton and Jimmys beach.

IT'S fabulous news that the Segenhoe Flats and Toll Cottage have been listed on the NSW State Heritage Register ('Historic sites added to heritage list', Herald 10/7). It begs the question as to the whereabouts of the recommendation by the Heritage Council that the Newcastle Recreational Reserve be listed. Comprising King Edward Park, the headland, Arcadia Park, the Obelisk and part of James Fletcher Park, the reserve is of exceptional heritage significance to our city, NSW and no doubt nationally. Despite the statutory requirement that the minister must deal with a recommendation within 14 days, it has languished unapproved since being made nearly three years ago.

I AM less surprised perhaps than Julie Robinson (Letters, 16/7) that very few men, particularly white men, have come forward to say that white men are what's wrong with the world. No man enjoys beating himself up. I do give credit to Ms Robinson though for taking race out of the debate. Apart from her loving responsible father, in my opinion she doesn't have a good word to say about any man. Virtually all men seem to be the problem.

But her ledger is too one-sided. Just this month a female teacher from Sydney's west was charged with sexual assault of a 14-year0old high school student, and Ghislaine Maxwell is locked up in New York charged with enticement of minors, sex trafficking, and perjury. As for men starting wars, a recent study (Journal of Political Economy, July 2020) found that, between the 15th and 20th centuries, Europe's queens were more likely than its kings to wage war.

JULIE Robinson (Letters, 15/7), I come from a town with a substantial Indigenous population. My family has 200 years of history in this community. We are white.

My dad ran a pub and like all Barnetts footy, boxing, fishing and brawling was our brand. We have never had to deal with this idea that we as community members have thought ourselves above our fellow community members.

The day of my father's funeral coincided with the funeral of an indigenous Aunty. Both mobs attended the same pub afterwards with nothing but respect and sympathy for each other. Respectful stories of past glories were shared. The fact that the aboriginal people of my hometown paid respect to my dad and we paid respect to Aunty I believe shows no matter how much protesting or concocted virtues the likes of Peter Gogarty ('White men: it is time to own it and act on it', Opinion 4/7) see, the fact remains judging a person by their character is the right way.

WHAT do you do when fighting a virus that punched you on the nose five days ago?

The whole essence of this problem seems to revolve around who knew what and when. How appropriate.

Perhaps to those that need it we should provide an explanation. I'm in my seventies now and quite concerned about my friends and myself becoming cannon fodder to this malarious monster. Blind Freddie can see that the younger among us are frustrated by all the palaver and the "lock downs" that aren't really, in some cases, more than a game. As soon as the start gun is fired we do what we do best: run like buggery, and generally to the closest pub. Sign in later, get a beer; I'm happy now that I am here. I don't blame you, but remember it's a hard time for all of us. Lest we find out.

THANK you to Matthew Kelly for his on animal testing numbers at the University of Newcastle ('Driving down animal tests', Herald 14/7). I commend the University of Newcastle for publishing this data.

The university may hold that its Animal Care and Ethics Committee is an independent body, but this is one element of a failing system of self-regulation. Due to several factors including biases within the committee animal welfarists being a minority that can always be outvoted. In my opinion there is also social pressure and other factors can mean that even if opposition is felt, it may not be expressed or acted upon. Whilst the committee may claim to oversee the care and welfare of animals, there seems to me that there's no scope to question whether the research is actually scientifically and ethically justified. This is evident from many of the case studies that Humane Research Australia has profiled, which I believe should never have been approved by an ethics committee.

A case in point is the University of Newcastle's ongoing smoking mice research, where mice are held in tubes and forced to inhale cigarette smoke despite there being valid alternatives such as lung-on-a chip and other advanced technologies such as the robotic smoking machine. I hope under the direction of a newly appointed Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, such research will be relegated to history.

Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name, suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words and Short Takes fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.

I WISH to take up the challenge from Julie Robinson (Letters,16/7) and respond to Peter Gogarty''s invitation in his opinion piece ("White men: it is time to own it and act on it, Opinion 4/7) to say that "I am with you." I was fortunate to have many positive male role models during my early life, but willingly acknowledge that there are far too many men who abuse their position of privilege. We must not remain silent, but be prepared to call out bad behaviour when we see it, even if it involves personal cost. Silence means that we support such abuse.

TODAY I had the dubious pleasure of driving from Swansea to Maryland. What an interesting and sometimes scary drive. On eight occasions I observed young people driving in a dangerous and careless manner. I find it hard to comprehend the stupidity displayed, considering that it was raining steadily, the roads very slippery and visibility limited. How do these people ever get their licence? I think that this should be the next inquiry as it appears that they, these dangerous people, become accountable and an enquiry should be also on licensing as all of the above displayed P plates.

DAVID Stuart (Short Takes, 15/7) obviously misinterpreted my letter (Letters, 13/7). I wrote that those in lockdown in Melbourne's public housing towers ('Andrews defends tower blocks lockdown', Herald 6/7) were being looked after and that is the case. Not the whole of Victoria as he asserts. Also, I mentioned that my information has been taken directly from Premier Daniel Andrews' page. David Stuart should direct any further criticism to Mr Andrews' office. I can supply him with Mr Andrews office address should he find it too difficult to obtain.

ELIZABETH Giles (Letters, 16/7) is correct in that every time the Knights seem to pull on the orange hi-vis jumper they lose. Throw it out and stick with the home strip we all recognise and follow. In my opinion it would seem the boys don't relate to the work wear of the workers they are trying to emulate.

IN 1967 a referendum was held to find out whether there was popular support for a new state of New England, which would extend from Newcastle to the Queensland border and spread over the western slopes and plains. It was defeated by a resounding no vote of 54 per cent. Would that we had our own state and a border to close in this time of pandemic. The options available to the sovereign Queensland government look very attractive while Novocastrians, without consultation, will have to share in Sydney's economic dynamism, and infections ('Coronavirus concerns after Sydneysiders travel to Newcastle for testing', Herald 17/7).

CARL Stevenson appears to be our regular nuclear power advocate. His piece (Letters, 26/6) cited medical nuclear isotopes as evidence for the use of nuclear power, since 1958. Has he researched the half-lives of medical isotopes compared with those used in nuclear ships and power plants?