However, on reading the story it only turned out to be a visit with his prominent FFF group, Fossil Fuel Friends, here to promote a program designed by the FFF group under the heading of the COVID Committee. Unfortunately I am on the side of the Australian Conservation Foundation and Australia's latest billionaire, Michael Cannon-Brookes, who made his money without a government handout unlike the FFF group that are relying on the champions of the market giving the companies up to $1.9 billion of government funds. My sympathies are also with the farmers in the Narrabri region whose lands will be poisoned so that a few multinational non tax paying companies can exploit our country. If these companies paid tax we would have the funds to cover the other major problems of our society, the care of the aged with compassion and dignity.

It has been well reported that the care industry provides hundreds of times the number of jobs than both the mining and fossil fuel industries do. Despite the fact that the PM believes we the aged, and I am 91 years old, are going to die soon, the population projections show that our numbers are going to multiply over the next decades with the Boomers. We look forward to your next visit Mr PM and hopefully you may visit my aged community and show the same interest in our needs.

REGARDING the proposed amendment to trial extended licensing hours in Newcastle. We recognise the state government, and NCC's efforts in examining opportunities to rejuvenate growth generally and, via this trial - the late night economy. Successful modern livable cities around the world need the council, residents, business operators and patrons, to work together to improve the amenity for everyone's enjoyment. This balance of needs and wants, requires all stakeholders to respect each other, to ensure a cohesive relationship is developed and protected.

We have been involved in the hospitality industry, for 25 years holding numerous licences across multiple businesses. We have seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly side of late night trading in Melbourne, Sydney, and Newcastle. We have witnessed horrendous, violent, antisocial behaviour, fueled by excessive alcohol. Emergency departments at both the Mater and John Hunter have had to deal with the aftermath of the violence, and alcohol poisoning when things go wrong. Multiple shots of straight spirit, or cocktails containing three or four nips of spirits or liqueurs ends up in excessive noise, arguments, fights, or a trail of vomit for someone else to clean up.

As the trial involves 26 venues around Newcastle City, it should be supervised by NCC management and officers, to see what is occurring between 10pm and 2am. Let's not leave the trial dependent upon complaints to the police and calls for ambulances to measure its success or failure. Let's not return to the bad old days.

I COMPREHEND the unhappiness of the Singleton community, including the mayor, with the scaled down bypass for the township. Transport for NSW needs a name change to the Department for Blockages as that is all they seem to do except if it is in the Sydney Basin. Dual carriageway and full on and off ramps are needed to make the whole road construction complete for years to come. Short-sightedness must cease. Stop wasting our money on half-baked jobs.

'Do it right, do it now' must become the motto of this department and replace the current mantra of anything will do outside of the Sydney basin.

The highway 123, Newcastle Inner City Bypass, is in its 85th year from being approved to be urgently constructed so as to prevent significant traffic congestion and is still not complete. The department has a plan that is unwise and unhelpful as the traffic will continually be directed into a 40kmh school zone so as to create unnecessary traffic delays that could be avoided if the use of a diversion tunnel was used. This would be the first option in Sydney but no, not possible in Newcastle.

THE writing is on the wall - the age of coal is ending. Not just because we need climate action but because the sector is rapidly losing profits. The mining industry isn't renowned for truth-telling or its concern for workers. Once the quick bucks have been made, these wealthy corporations frequently vanish off the radar, leaving workers on the scrapheap. Publicly they talk about continued jobs decades into the future, but the mining executives know the days of coal mining are numbered. They tell just communities and governments whatever they want to hear. Then they're free to squeeze the earth, workers and even the public purse, for every last drop of profit before the market dries up.

It's vital that unions protect the futures of coal workers and ensure these mining giants, who make megaprofits off the back of coal workers, help pay for its workforce to transition into new, well paid jobs once they shut up shop. That might sound like a dream but it can be achieved. How? Planning. When unions, the community, government and business chart a plan, we can save jobs as fossil-fuel extraction winds down.

MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR HERE

The climate movement has been saying as much for years now. We reject the boss' line that it's jobs versus the environment. That's just the wealthy elites using divide and conquer to separate people with common interests - in this case coal workers and anyone else that wants to live a long healthy life into the coming decades. It is in all of our interests, especially in the Hunter, to plan for a transition to low-carbon jobs now.

Thank goodness then that Hunter Workers passed a motion in support of the School Strike 4 Climate movement, and its demand for a just transition to low-carbon jobs for local coal communities. Part of the motion reads "Hunter Workers supports the students' right to strike and protest the government's lack of action on energy policy, and their failure to develop a proper plan to diversify our industries to a low carbon future with local and sustainable jobs ... Hunter Workers are not just concerned about current jobs but our children's future as well." It's the union movement's job to protect workers. Not just the thousands employed in coal mining locally, but the millions of others in this country and globally, now and into the future. Well done Hunter Workers for taking this stand, it makes me proud to be in a union.

TONY Brown, it is not the pub or club that is violent, it is the random idiot that can be violent and this can happen absolutely anywhere or at any time. Domestic violence should be priority number one, so are you suggesting that all households should be shut down after a certain time of night? Maybe you could link up with the Victorian premier to discuss the ramifications of locking things down.

OH, how I enjoy Roland Bannister's reminisces! Thanks for the memories around the Wickham School of Arts. However, John Tierney's words remind us of current bigger, darker, more offensive behaviour. To wit, the ongoing degradation, loss, rape and pillage of our local history and culture. The current inventory would include not only the SoA site but the Maritime Museum collection (shame, shame), The Store, Newcastle East in general et al. It's a long list. Shabby is the perfect term for our leaders, so called, and their actions when it comes to preserving, developing, enhancing, our history and culture.

WITH regards to school camps not being allowed to open in NSW, why can't all children and workers be COVID tested before attending? Children nominating to go can get tested and provide medical evidence saying they are free of the virus. Seems simple.

JOHN Butler, all your assumptions on Liberal policies being supported by Labor only means Labor voters with mortgages and mouths to feed will vote for the Coalition just like the last election. Who says history never repeats? It will until Labor stops suckling the green goat.

I HEAR the NRL is looking to make cost savings, how about getting rid of touch judges? I have no idea what they do, certainly they don't assist the referee with off sides or forward passes, a simple laser could replace their one function of identifying when the ball went out of play.

YES, David Stuart, Scott Morrison has handled the pandemic well. He has listened to experts from health and treasury, and most importantly has followed their guidance and acted on their recommendations. If only his right wing controllers would allow him to act on the advice of climate change experts. As for your criticism of Michael Hinchey, that just sounds like sour grapes.

HERALD 23/9, "Glencore 60 jobs are going", Coal jobs are in decline. Now is the time to embrace renewable energy.