IN a free democratic society then the government is open to its people and as such we would never need the freedom of information applications to get information we needed concerning decisions that the government was in the process of making.
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I note the poll in today's paper (Letters, 13/10), which asked if the Department of Education should publicly release the documents about the Newcastle Education Precinct ('Govt 'digs heels in' over documents', Newcastle Herald 6/10). 93 per cent voted yes.
It is clear that most readers of your paper also agree that the full details should be released and this is not unusual in a democratic society; but are we there? I came to Newcastle in 1980 and governments of all persuasions from local government, to both state and federal governments have proven that being open is what they want when in opposition and never in government.
Whether it be the Swansea bridge, highway 123, the privatisation of Newcastle Harbour, the car races in the city, the coal-loaders inquiry, the closing of the rail lines, the tram service, the inner city development, the Newcastle Baths, Stockton beach issues, the asbestos in various schools or this re-development of this school precinct; in my opinion we are kept in the dark as much as possible and any public meetings are a sham process to look like consultations happened.
I have fed into many of these issues and at times my submissions were not considered as they were "non-compliant" - in other words, I believe they did not agree with the government intended direction. Oh, for a real democratic government as this imitation, at all levels, is sickening.
Milton Caine, Birmingham Garden
Sure up shore line support
SATURDAY'S article ('Great wall of Stockton', Herald 10/10) echoes the situation at Batemans Bay on the far south coast of NSW. A large sand shoal that once protected the suburb of Surfside from coastal storm damage has, over the past 50 years, been decimated by nature's reaction to public engineering works including dredging, bridge turbulence, and the construction of a southern sea wall.
Our local member and NSW Minister for Transport, Andrew Constance, acknowledged the problem, and in the lead up to the last election put $5 million aside for a sea wall and separately funded a study to find the optimum solution to the problem. After appointing a community-based project reference group to guide the study, and convincing the community that a solution was on its way, Constance dumped this group earlier this year, and handed the project over to an unidentified "task force" under the control of Planning Minister, Rob Stokes.
I believe anyone involved in coastal management will know that Mr Stokes is no friend of seaside property owners. The new Coastal Management Act, implemented under Mr Stokes' direction, ignores property rights and promotes retreat without compensation as the answer to all coastal problems. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro provides Stockton residents with some hope of a satisfactory outcome, but how long will he be around to defend their property rights?
Ian Hitchcock, NSW Coastal Alliance Eurobodalla regional co-ordinator
A bone to pick with dog bathers
I WAS rinsing off sand and salt at the shower totem at Newcastle Beach early Sunday morning, when a woman stepped over the hob carrying a bottle of shampoo. She also had with her a large, curly-haired dog. Shampooing her own hair over others there is bad enough, but washing the dog's hair is beyond the pale.
I asked her to take the animal away, at least until I was finished. Her only reaction was to start squeegeeing water from its back in my direction. I then asked if she showered with her dog at home, and I wasn't at all surprised that she answered yes.
Is there nowhere nowadays that we can be spared the presence of a dog? Please, if you want to shower with a friend, do it at home.
Ray Dinneen, Newcastle
Global action is what we need
THANK you to Julia Riseley and Pat Garnet for their letters (Letters, 12/10).
If we do not start to act on the issue of the environment as a complete issue, we are heading for a disaster like you would not believe. We have to cooperate together work together across the whole world, on this issue, at the moment we are heading for self destruction Cooperation and working together to solve a common problem seems to be in short supply with our political leaders at this moment.
Unfortunately the cost of not acting could and most likely be our complete annihilation; we are a species that is just as dependent on the environment as any other species and as each species both animal and plant and all other living things disappear below us the issue is coming up the food chain to us, we are on the list just a little further up it.
Unfortunately the people that are leading us at the moment seem to have their heads in the sand and cannot see a metre in front of themselves.
Tom Randall, Lochinvar
Supporters don't carry caveats
HERE we go again. Allen Small (Letters,12/10) is critical of Kalyn Ponga for what he claims was a foolish pass during the semi-final game against the Rabbitohs. Why not rubbish the player who could not handle the pass. If it is unfair to do so, why is it permissible to blame the player who threw that pass? This year the Knights have made the play-offs, so I imagine Wests' executives will be happy with that result and will be giving the coach every support next year. It would be a pity if Knights supporters can not give that same support.
Robert Tacon, Adamstown Heights
Manufacturing slump was steady
WITH the current negativity from China, we have an excellent opportunity to make some valuable changes and make Australia great again. Labor's mention in the budget reply that trains should be built in the Hunter ('Build them here: Albo', Herald 9/10) is welcome. One doesn't need to be a genius to work out that when you send our trains, boats and planes overseas to be built we are going to have a problem keeping Australians employed.
We are not only giving away our work, but our technology. If that's not enough, robots are moving into almost every field.
Since the 1970s there have been closures at BHP's Whyalla Shipyards, the Newcastle Floating Dock and the end of compulsory unionism. That was soon followed by BHP Steel Newcastle's departure in 1999 and Ford Australia in 2013, as well as many others.
All this was coupled with a program to shift Australians' work to foreign countries, the excuse being that it would save money. The NSW Premier has declared Australian workers are not good at making trains.
None of this computes, because every worker in a job pays taxes and isn't drawing the dole. Every business immediately attracts peripheral business, even if it's making sandwiches for lunches.
I do hope the government sees the error of their ways and returns Australian work to Australians.
George Paris, Rathmines
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
I AM not a Gladys Berejiklian fan, but how dare the media attack someone that is regarded as a dedicated public servant doing more than expected? Hopefully the likes of Jodi McKay who attack her in this very stressful time in her life never experience the disappointment and sadness that she finds herself in. Many of her critics should hang their miserable heads in shame as I do not believe that they would put one per cent of the effort that she has. Remember Jesus said he without sin cast the first stone. How about the so-called keeper of our moral standards practice what you preach?
Dennis Crampton, Swansea
I HATE to admit, Pat Garnet (Letters, 12/10), that I know next to nothing about our indigenous people's environmental practices. I imagine they'd be similar to that which some of my PNG relatives still live by today. Slash and burn an area of land, plant enough to feed the family, if all goes well, when that land loses its fertility move to another area. Labour intensive with everyone doing their bit, from the very young (forget about school) to the few who live to an older age (no aged care or pension and much lower life expectancy). I'm happy to swallow my pride and ask, how can the traditional indigenous practices help us now?
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
I FOUND it interesting to note that Cardinal George Pell returned to the Vatican recently and not a word was said about his health in regards to travel. Quite a contrast to when he was summoned to appear to face court in Australia some time ago.
Col Parkins, Wallsend
HUNTER MPs have questioned the extension of Williamtown Airport runway and a container terminal not receiving stimulus finance to provide jobs. If the government helped these organisations to add value to their net worth, I believe it would set a precedent way out of control. Be thankful that the airport employees are receiving a government income, saving the airport the task of dismissing them and having to find, train and employ new workers when it's all over. Thank goodness these MPs are not the ones handing out the money.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
A SENIOR person at the Newcastle Permanent Building Society once told me that they'd never be like the banks. However, branch closures despite huge profits lead me to question this. With no shareholders and therefore no dividends to pay, where do the savings go? The Perm has said that they have other branches nearby, but are for example, Hamilton and Waratah really near Mayfield? With many branch users being elderly, these closures seem very poor form in my opinion. I believe loyalty should be a two-way thing.
Bob Salter, Stockton
IF Brad Hill of Singleton leans any further to the right, he will fall off the planet.