The Hunter Expressway was completed in February 2014 after about 3.5 years of work. It required the construction of 52 bridges, including several major interchanges and one major cutting through a sandstone ridge. It also involved the identification and grouting of voids in old mine workings before construction of three high-level bridges over gullies near Mount Sugarloaf. The length of the new pavement was 39.5 kilometres.

The new section of Newcastle Inner City Bypass is a mere 3.4 kilometres, with just three interchanges. No deep cutting. According to press reports full-on construction may not start until the latter part of 2021, and will only be completed towards the end of 2025. That is four years to complete a mere 3.4 kilometres compared to the 39.5 kilometre Hunter Expressway. The expressway is 11.8 times longer, with 52 bridges, and was done in less time.

This just does not add up. This is no disrespect to the engineers and workers who do the actual work, but they probably work within priorities and money doled out by the state and federal governments.

I believe this is symptomatic of NSW government attitude; treat places outside Sydney as mere backwaters, or far flung colonial possessions to be taken for granted. There is no sense of urgency or strong will at a political level. This section of the bypass was initially promised by 2017, but how many Sydney projects were started and completed since then? This defines the Sydney-centric attitude.

I cannot finish without referring to the current court case against the NSW government brought by the ACCC for its secret, allegedly anti-competitive deal in the sale of Port Botany which severely disadvantages the Port of Newcastle. This was highlighted in this week's front page headline ("Port deal brazen", Herald 13/10).

HAVING witnessed the current situation in NSW, in my view Gladys should have resigned when the Ruby Princess debacle took place along with her Health Minister Brad Hazzard and NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant.

The Japanese government wouldn't allow any passengers to disembark from the Diamond Princess in their country two weeks before the Ruby Princess stuff-up, which I believe should not have set sail for New Zealand on March 8.

The AFP did not and didn't want to process those passengers on March 19, and in Victoria the police didn't want to be nursemaids to overseas passengers who were in hotel lockdown.

Private security companies were used successfully previously, and they were hired again, even though they were unskilled for the job at hand.

Our army should have been used as they follow orders. This is where Daniel Andrews' government erred, and he needs to take a long hard look at his actions, and consider his future, as did his previous health minister and chief adviser.

We are still importing the COVID-19 virus with repatriation of our citizens and privileged overseas passengers. All were advised by Prime Minister Morrison to return to Australia back in March, and we now see privileged citizens like Abbott and Pell coming and going as they please.

Our politicians are 24/7 and their private lives are always public, and I agree we urgently need a federal ICAC ('ICAC proves its worth with disclosure', Editorial 14/10).

IF every woman in the world had to stand down from her job or what is important to her over a boyfriend we would be in trouble ('Berejiklian 'unfit to be premier: Catley', Herald 14/10).

If the man is a lover, then that is what his role is and if he is particularly good then in my opinion there is some reluctance to give him up, barring abuse.

The replacement of a great lover is not an easy thing, and when you have a demanding career or life you have limited time to devote to this activity. What better way to relieve the stress than in the arms of someone who knows what they are doing?

Here is a woman who is competent at her job, keeps her cool, talks to us like adults and has her priorities in order. You go, girl. Is Maria Carey standing down because she had a thing with James Packer, or Hilary Clinton going anywhere? Sisters, keep your stones on the ground. We are with you Premier.

UNDER freedom of information laws, the Newcastle Herald has obtained the 2018 Stockton Coastal Management Synthesis Report ('Great wall of Stockton', Herald 10/10. The release of this report was opposed by the City of Newcastle and the NSW state government. But the public, especially Stockton residents, have a right to know about this report, since it is the basis for government decision-making affecting their lives.

Sea level rise caused by global warming is complex and is not uniform around the planet. At this time, as revealed by century-old records at Fort Denison, mean sea level (MSL) is not rising much locally. A reasonable explanation for this is that glacial melt water from higher latitudes is moving more rapidly through the southern mid latitudes to increase sea levels in the tropics. But as global warming gathers pace, sea level will eventually rise around here.

Whilst MSL is not rising much around areas including Stockton, global warming is causing increased storm activity and stronger northerly currents. This means that sea and wave energy is increasing, especially on south-facing beaches like Stockton. Under these circumstances, the synthesis report's exclusion of massive sand nourishment of Stockton beach from offshore sand dredging, makes sense. Sand nourishment would be expensive and is not a long-term solution.

On the other hand, rock walls do not dissipate wave energy on exposed beaches, as do sandbars and sloping beaches. Instead, rock walls concentrate wave energy and increase beach erosion. They must be well built and maintained. Where rock walls are built to defend beaches against increased wave energy, beaches like Stockton will invariably be scoured out and lost to the sea.

If Stockton residents want a beach for the next few decades, then I suggest that an artificial reef be built off Stockton beach. This would dissipate wave energy and reduce beach erosion, but the beach would turn into a quiet family beach and would no longer be a surf beach.

NOW that the premier of Sydney has been relieved of the cost of building the inner city bypass road she could put her hand back in her pocket and pay for the runway project to allow for international flights ('Wing and a prayer', Newcastle Herald 8/10). She should be happy to do that given all the broken infrastructure projects she promised leading up to last election. There must be lots of cash left over from the sale of our harbour.

I HAVE heard so many politicians tell me that energy prices are coming down over the last decade or more. Problem is, I haven't seen any reduction in my energy bills. I have reduced the bill by having solar panels installed, but the cost of the installation has negated any drop I have gained.

PAT Garnet (Letters, 12/10), bringing back the Australian landscape to what it was 60 thousand years ago with the help of aboriginal elders is a great idea. I'm sure you will volunteer to have your home bulldozed first and the land returned to the traditional owners then we will all follow your commitment to your convictions.

PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian has helped immensely with NSW riding the COVID-19 wave and has had a lot of success. Now it has come to light Premier Berejiklian was keeping company with disgraced former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire. There can be no reason I can think of that would suggest she knew just what was allegedly going on in his day to day life. Put your knives and stones away and let her get on with running NSW. Thanks for what you have done and will do for NSW, Premier.

STEVE Barnett (Short Takes, 10/10) I would gladly have a drink with you though given Trump's attitude to Mexico, tequila is not the choice for his supporters. In pointing to the domestic deaths on both sides caused by Trump encouraging armed groups to action, I plainly referred to your lack of deaths in foreign wars. I think it's you who miss the point. Instead of creating conflict for political gain I believe Trump should lead and play the clever game. Encouragement of opposition groups just gifts the protesters an adversary and some legitimacy. Instead disempower them, leave them tilting at windmills and institutions while they continually lose supporters through property damage and disrupting lives. Labelling supporting state and city governments as Democrats just encourages support from that side of politics. Sometimes no politics is the smartest politics. Leave it out, highlight their lack of law and order so they too fail in their justification and support.

SO now that Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles has quit ('Andrews 'shocked' as top advisor resigns', Herald 13/10), maybe more of the Victorian premier's Goon Show government team will follow. Apologies to any young folk who may be able to read a newspaper, but that's a reference to a time when comedy was allowed to offend some without the threat of being labelled politically incorrect.