From what I have personally encountered during this time of COVID is that most, if not all, venues are extremely well behaved. Why wouldn't they be? Newcastle is the bubble everyone wants to be in. In my opinion most COVID issues have occurred from unwanted blow ins.

HOW disgusting that some Lake Macquarie councillors voted against the takeover of the Valentine Hydrotherapy Pools at the latest meeting (''Shame' if pool shut: mayor', Herald 26/8).

When my daughter broke her leg I drove her there daily for many weeks so that under the guidance of her physiotherapist she could use the pool to hasten her recovery and return to work.

I saw that many, many residents, including older folk bussed from Swansea, benefited from warm water therapy to recover from operations or injuries.

Cr Cubis stated that, as the pools have had to suspend activities due to COVID-19, he thought that many users would have simply moved on.

On to what?

Maybe it's time his electors helped him to move on, if this is his attitude to the value of a community asset. Council closed the arts centre at Warners Bay and the libraries for the same reason as the hydrotherapy pool and there was never an intention that those closures were anything but temporary. But nor were they ever managed by volunteers.

Unlike the Valentine pools, it was ratepayer funds that built them and continue to support them, just like all the other assets in our city that we share. Let us not forget that Lake Macquarie Council already owns the land - very much we must not forget that.

The Newcastle Herald editorial and letters last week about the proposed Newcastle Inner City Bypass reflect real community concerns with the design and functionality of the McCaffrey Drive intersection ('Exit ramp', Herald 31/8).

The intersection is only half done as there is no way to access or get off the bypass at McCaffrey on the north side. It is simply not functional. It does not work. It will create rat runs in 50km/h local back streets with existing speed humps, short cuts through the John Hunter hospital road network, and continued traffic choking on Lookout Road. Ramps are required on the north side and should be included into the present design.

Transport officials have said the ramps are too expensive and usage will be low. These parameters need to be seriously challenged. Ramps can work.

It is not too late to re-think the design of this intersection. Can I request the RMS consider the new McCaffrey intersection be designed similar to the existing bypass controlled intersection at Bennetts Green? It is on one level (no ramps) and caters safely for all traffic. It is not perfect but it does work.

The existing bypass joins Lookout Road at Carnley Avenue and from there to McCaffrey includes a 70km/h speed zone, three sets of traffic lights and a 40km/h school zone. Lookout Road would access the new bypass at the new McCaffrey intersection. This length of Lookout Road would still be the slow section and obviously won't change at this time.

This new controlled intersection at McCaffrey would then become the bypass entry and safely accommodate all traffic movements required at this location. And the good news is this design should also be much more cost effective.

This may not be the perfect solution, but could the transport officials please give this some thought?

I READ with interest all the material concerning the lost jobs in the Hunter in the area of manufacturing ('4000 jobs lost', Herald 3/9). I could not help but notice that there is an attempt by some Labor MPs to just blame the Coalition government for the job losses, and while it is true at the present the local Labor members have not had a good record either.

It was John Button, the then Federal Industry Minister with his fistful of dollars in an untied grant to BHP that was to construct three electric arc blast furnaces at the Newcastle operations that gave the big Australian the funds to go offshore to continue steel production at St Elsewhere. It is fair to say that both major parties have allowed the manufacturing base collapse on their watches and to permit the export of our jobs offshore.

It is time to re-evaluate the value of local workers actually having meaningful jobs, as this is the only smart way to move the economy forward. I have not seen very much enthusiastic support for the Build Them Here campaigns from the Labor candidates in recent elections, nor in the Parliament.

The current premier's view that cranes towering in cities shows prosperity is a failed view as while the building and construction industry needs continual ongoing work without other local diversified work only concrete and steel edifices are going to pollute the economically depressed area.

Until the government of the day actively becomes involved in creating meaningful jobs for every Australian capable of work and enthusing all Australians to take up those jobs, we have a long way to go to get the economy right.

The desire to restrain wages growth via an unemployment number of about 5 per cent of the workforce is never acceptable as a responsible public policy position.

AN increase in superannuation payments is now being suggested, but who should pay this increase? Should it be the employer or employee?

Medicare, a compulsory payment paid by the worker is not questioned, even though some may never have need of medical treatment. So why should superannuation be any different considering all paid in is actually going to the recipient of the policy?

At least make the employee pay half of all future increases, which I believe would instil a sense of achievement and possibly encourage a larger employee contribution than what is required.

Superannuation being compulsory ensures a healthy retirement in terms of wealth. Any incentive to increase this wealth must be encouraged with tax relief, not only for the employer, but the employee, to an amount that makes these savings worthwhile.

READING the recent letters from we ratepayers and users of the vital facility of the Valentine Hydrotherapy Pools I believe it is obvious that we would now expect that the council's elected councillors have a strong moral obligation to see that this much-used asset, which was built up and managed for over 55 years by volunteers with wide public support, is continued by a council takeover.

THANK you, John Ure, I get quite irritated when I can't recall things; a frequent thing at my advanced age. It seems I had the flowers and birds mixed up. I appreciate your good memory.

DARRYL Thurston, (Short Takes, 4/9): Star Snap, just across from your take, covers Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, on his family, with COVID. Elsewhere, Mr Johnson couldn't believe masks, which he urges people wear, have been politicised. He and his wife were really crook. I am erring on the side of caution, as the family doesn't want to lose me prematurely or see me fighting for my life. Nor do I want to put others at risk. Denmark's "traffic light" system is smart anti-contagion that best balances the hell.

MAC Maguire you're a mug like me, punter that is. Chautauqua was quite a horse; a union member for sure. My favourite horse is Adelaide's Flow Meter; not a champion, but a trying type with 160 starts and still racing. Giddy up, good luck, may the horse be with you.

CURRENTLY some services only allow a couple of weeks to pay an account. With postal changes meaning fewer deliveries, should these services now be forced to extend the time to pay an account due to the extra time it will take to deliver the account? A lot of older people do not have access to the internet and still rely on snail mail.

FANTASTIC game, Knights ('Tough enough', Herald 5/7). Well played, Ponga. Great kicking, Mason Lino.

KNIGHTS coach Adam O'Brien might have to start doing a Tommy Raudonikis warm up before a game. It seems to have worked on Kalyn Ponga during the game against Cronulla. The whacks really fired him up and he played the best game all year. It seems like Cronulla have a set on the Knights, as I remember last year Ponga was blindsided by Luke Lewis who hit him with a good one. I think the send off was warranted. If Townsend hit an an inch or two higher Ponga's got a broken jaw season over.

I, LIKE most Novocastrians, sit and ponder what the answer is to the Knights and their hot and cold outcomes. They are hot to trot sometimes, but when it really matters they can leave one a little disheartened. Poor old Adam O'Brien must have nightmares 24/7. It is a shame that the players can't get their act together because when they are good they are very, very good. When they play badly, they are horrid.