The report will be asking the councillors to cancel the Valentine Hydrotherapy pools lease and for council to mitigate the impact on user groups.

This is totally unacceptable.

The role of council is to provide services, not to strip them from the community.

Valentine pool has been operating since 1965 and was built with funds raised by the community for the community.

Valentine pool is the only indoor heated pool in East Lake Macquarie that is not privately owned and provides affordable access to recreational swimming; learn to swim, hydrotherapy and swimming for disabled swimmers.

Now Lake Macquarie Council is preparing to close this vital community infrastructure.

Help stop this travesty and contact Lake Macquarie City Council Mayor Kay Fraser and the councillors to let them know that the closure of this pool is unacceptable.

Help save Valentine Pools.

GOOD on lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes for highlighting the lengthy queues of young Novocastrians outside of Centrelink offices.

Perhaps if our leading politicians and the doyens of business in Newcastle took notice of what is actually happening throughout the city then the growing youth unemployment rate could take a nosedive.

For this to become effective, all could take a quick look at the construction industry at the moment. Construction companies from outside of our region are using Sydney-based subcontractors on projects underway in the city at the moment.

There are approximately between 200-300 Sydney contractors working in town at the moment. This is totally wrong. Novocastrians should be on those jobs.

Why are we employing Sydney-based contractors to undertake our main infrastructure projects? Where is our construction union? All of a sudden we have perhaps 400 Sydney residents travelling to Newcastle every Monday.

We would, I am sure, like to know if they are virus-free if after being in the big city for the weekend. Lots of Novocastrians are out of work.

I FIND it difficult to decipher what the main topic of interest is in our area.

During the 13 years I have been living in Newcastle, the subjects change from week to week, often with little to no acceptable resolution to problems.

All the letters to the Herald editor, 24/9 are pertinent.

With recent environmental catastrophes, unsettled countries have been overlooked.

I can't help but wonder what the upshot of a tiff between China and Taiwan might lead to. I don't hear any Australians rushing to book holidays abroad.

We all know what is happening on the world stage regarding health safety and economic survival of all nations.

Australia has demonstrated that with a fiasco like the coronavirus having invaded Victoria, so far authorities have been able to quell the rampage of the disease to now allow some restrictions to be lifted.

IN THE NEWS:

My point is that we have been so preoccupied with the state of the nation's health and wellbeing we are not as cognisant about what's happening on the physical world stage.

It would be foolish to believe we would be suitably protected by America, if China and Taiwan had a serious disagreement.

They have enormous military might and we could be caught in the crossfire.

My interpretation of what people are generally focused on for the future is that of the past. We have not known torment about the future, like that posed at present.

The road map out of this needs to be delicately and carefully managed.

Leigh Sales (7.30 Report) asked the elderly author of a book about Trump "are you concerned for your country?" His reply was a very dogmatic "yes".

This is a form of war and enormous sacrifices will have to be made.

AGAIN we see Australian academics and politicians being banned from entering China. Have you noticed the ones being banned are almost always those that have been bagging China?

Now surely these intelligent people must know that this oppressive regime arrests and detains people sometimes for years without charge and in many cases they just disappear. The short answer to this is don't go near the place, especially if you have been a critic.

We must remember that we are not dealing with the Chinese people in general who like us just want to get on with life, but are dealing with a fanatical communist party who are hell bent on world domination.

Watch this space; their next move will be on Taiwan.

AUSTRALIA seems to have locked in with America with China bashing.

We've seen this before with Vietnam and Iraq - both wars fought on lies.

I would like to point out that China has not been in any wars since 1980, unlike America which is in constant war, about 12 or more wars since 1980, when it is not killing others overseas, it is killing its own.

I have visited China three times, and will visit again. Unlike America, China is not a war like country. I feel safe in China as I travel about; go and visit, and ignore these cash for comment media types.

For the record I won't visit America; too dangerous, a no-go travel zone for me. Is America heading the same way as the fall of the Roman Empire, too many wars?

I CAN'T understand these stupid protesters gathering en-masse to protest against the lockdown in Victoria.

Surely they are aware that this is not a fairytale, it is in fact a bigger killer than a war.

The only way to stop these inconsiderate idiots is to hit them with a $20,000 fine and/or six months in prison. Sounds a bit harsh, but better that than all of us who are aware of the need to avoid mass gathering, avoid these idiot-motivated protests and isolate.

We all will be OK if we can do the right thing, but I truly believe that if we don't stop this crazy rubbish and step on the protesters we will never be as we were 12 months ago.

The virus is designed to kill and it's proving that's what it does, without fear or favour.

MARK Latham opines that year 7 students should be learning to read and write rather than considering political topics. If year 7 students don't already know how to read and write they may well consider a career in politics where their staffers can do those things for them.

GIVEN that federal politicians are paid an obscene $291 per day living away allowance to stay in Canberra, what are they prepared to pay for people to go and work away from home in fruit picking and agricultural work?

TONY Morley (Short Takes, 23/9), once again I am in total agreement with you. I think a lot of the problem (along with gross misinformation) with Newcastle's wowser culture is that the very small band of very vocal Novocastrian moral crusaders have forgotten what it's like to enjoy themselves and are now determined to deprive others from doing so. I believe that we'd have no problem with night-time violence if the real police were patrolling Newcastle even half as much as the fun police.

JOHN Arnold, it was Dan Andrews' incompetence that caused unnecessary deaths not prevented them!

JOHN Arnold, I think it is now common knowledge that a lot of the deaths in Victoria would have been prevented with a more competent government in charge. A 64 per cent approval rating for incompetence would be reversed if all bottle shops were closed as we all know these lockdown restrictions and government handouts have now left us with a generation of bludgers.

CARL Stevenson, well said about renewables. Finally someone has stated the obvious, but this is ignored by many. The sun don't shine or the wind don't blow 24/7.

REGARDING Carl Stevenson's assertion we only average six hours of sunlight per day, my solar system near the shortest day of the year had nine hours of sun on it since they produced electricity for nine hours. Near the longest day of the year the solar system had 13 hours of sun on it.

AUSTRALIA should give Japan all stranded whales (if they come and get them), similar to the latest terrible loss in Tasmania. That way they won't need to kill any for scientific research.

MR Hunt, (Short Takes, 25/9), when it comes to grave risk, common sense heeds the best. It is a risk; no one is in a position to run. Out in the field, the vast 20/20 global "eyes" of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and David Attenborough, confirm the warnings changes to date. This is over 30 years. Time is running out. I read Mr Lomberg's emails. However, his operation is nothing compared to the best, of the huge risk being run.