It'd be a sad old world if a young bloke was denied a chance to get his life back on track after what was, admittedly, a very serious error of judgment.

He was 20 years old, high on drugs and alcohol but of course that's no excuse for the wowsers.

He was readmitted to the NRL with the approval of the game's integrity unit and the support of no less a judge than Wayne Bennett.

I'm also sure that Knights boss Phil Gardner would do due diligence before signing him. Give the bloke a chance - who knows, he might just win us over by performing better than some who are playing now.

I RECENTLY took a road trip to the Southern Highlands, Central West and Upper Hunter regions and took particular notice of the various towns which have a rotunda in a park or other public place. The rotundas I saw have been maintained in excellent condition and are a focal point for outdoor entertainment and other activities as well as being part of the town's local history.

Sadly, the architects of the Toronto Foreshore Management Plan have recommended to Lake Macquarie City Council that the existing rotunda be demolished and replaced with a 'rotunda style structure' because it does not fit in with the network of paths and levels proposed as part of the management plan.

The existing rotunda was officially opened in November, 2002, and is designed to provide a clear view of the lake and performance area from all locations in the reserve. Community consultations with consultants engaged by council regarding the plan did not include the demolition of the rotunda. The Toronto community now needs to lodge an objection to council on the proposal to remove the rotunda before work begins on the plan in a few months.

IN your Monday edition, you had another 17-year-old giving his take on climate change ('Future gens will not thank this government', Herald, 24/5).

He wrote about green energy being the only way to go and came up with the idea that it would create more jobs in industry and manufacturing.

Hasn't he read the papers lately? Tomago smelter had to cut right back to allow the lights and heating to stay on in houses. If you want to go completely green you will have to close every factory and manufacturing plant, but the way things are going these days that won't be a problem because we don't make much here.

The only thing we export is coal, grain and livestock. Without these exports the funding for schools and hospitals would decrease quickly and the only way out would be higher tax for the lucky ones with a job.

THE proposal for Hillsborough Basketball Stadium DA/872/2020 states the facility's estimated cost will be $19,888,965. The briefing report from the Regional Planning Panel also confirms Lake Macquarie City Council has a capital investment value of $5,000,000.

The Herald (21/6/2019) reported that Gladys Berejiklian had committed $25,000,000 for the stadium to be built. So does this mean it is a $30 million development and if so, it makes it a State Significant development under the State and Regional Development SEPP triggering a social impact statement involving community consultation?

Or does it mean Newcastle Basketball Association is only spending $14,888,965 of the state's $25 million commitment and council is funding the other $5 million towards the development? If this is the case, then what is NBA doing with the other $10 million funded by the state?

Perhaps Newcastle Basketball Association, Lake Macquarie City Council and the Office of Sport should tell the ratepayers and taxpayers, so we know what our public funds are paying for and how this $25 million from the state and $5 million from the council will be acquitted.

SAGE Swinton's article ('1000 homes, 540 jobs in Lake proposal', Herald, 26/5) comes as no surprise to those of us who have taken an interest in development proposals in this area over the past 10 years or so.

From memory, the whole of the area from the Minmi Road traffic lights, north of the Newcastle Link Road and extending to the boundaries of Wallsend, is slated for housing, as is the existing bushland from the eastern side of Minmi Road at Cameron Park to Wallsend.

That's going to accommodate a few more than even the 4000 houses mentioned in the article. Perhaps it might mean that another road from Main Road, Edgeworth, to the Link Road might be constructed - perhaps extending past Glendale TAFE to the "roundabout to nowhere" on the Link Road.

Such a road might take a bit of pressure off Minmi Road at Edgeworth - speaking as a long-time Minmi Road resident, I'm getting a little tired of sitting in my car, in my driveway, for anything up to 10 minutes waiting for a gap in the traffic. (I'd catch one of the infrequent buses instead, but none of them go anywhere I want to go.)

Of course, the powers that be could always extend the tram service out this way. But they'd have to run quite a bit faster than they do on the current restricted route from Wickham to Newcastle. I'm not holding my breath. Welcome to more traffic jams, everyone. I wonder if we'll get a new school.

I WOULD agree with Joel Fitzgibbon's assessment of where the average person sees the Labor Party. Many of the people I speak with see Labor as a party for the extreme Left, intercity woke brigade focused only on themselves, identity politics, climate change and any other divisive subject they can find.

Labor must change, if not it will not regain government again within the foreseeable future.

As to Pat Conroy's assessment that 98 per cent of Labor caucus does not agree with Joel only confirms Joel's - and many traditional Labor voters' worst fears - that the Labor Party is no longer for the working class or interested in what the average Australian is focused on. Albo and his mob are only focused on the inner-city lefties.

A piece of advice to Pat Conroy and other Labor members: elect Joel Fitzgibbon as leader of the Labor Party.

Go read Tony Blair's article on the Labor movement - he says the Left is doomed to obscurity if it can't make fundamental policy changes. I'm sure I will be pilloried for my views, but that's OK, stay in opposition forever.

SHORT TAKES

SO some Knights fans don't want Matt Lodge at the club. But if he happened to score the winning try to get the team into the finals, that would be OK? Fans lost the right to ask questions when the club became privatised. So we could have a team in the NRL, for better or worse. Let's hope better is just around the corner.

CAN Mr Gardner explain to us what price Lodge has paid for his chequered past? Then ask the family in America.

TO all you naysayers out there in regard to Matt lodge and his past indiscretions. Are you all without sins in your early lives? Haven't we all done something in the past that we have learned from and tried to move on from? Everyone deserves that chance and I believe that Matt Lodge has learned from the past and in recent times it has made him a better person. So give the guy a go.

LISA Davies and Dave Fothergill are so lucky (Short Takes, 26/5). Obviously neither has ever made a mistake or have never had to say sorry. Matt Lodge has paid a very heavy price for his indiscretions. A quick look at his statistics against the Roosters last weekend make the effort of the Knights a few weeks ago against the same opposition positively insipid.

IT seems weird to me that CoN should be asking Newcastle residents for comment on the so called "Stairway to Heaven", when they approve the Supercars event, which effectively shuts the East End down for three months.

PLEASE, can our federal, state and local Greater Hunter combined councils push hard and make some noise to push the airport expansion and help to grow jobs in our valley area?

I HAVE written two letters to CoN regarding unsafe walking access at the end of our street. Twice I have been told that there is no money or plans to provide safe access to school children and the elderly to be able to walk safely. Yet the council has plans for a stairway to heaven. Maybe I have been sending my letters to the wrong organisation. The big fella up the stairway obviously has a better funding package than the CoN.

NOW we have new rules for couples who wish to have a sexual encounter. A written affidavit signed by a judge, then OK'd by the court. And then observed by three witnesses during the act to ensure neither of the couple says "no" at any stage. I think at this stage the moment has well gone, and why would you bother? All a bit silly isn't it?

SURELY explicit images of people getting the jab every time the word vaccination is mentioned in news bulletins and current affairs programs on television is incentive enough for people to get vaccinated.