Having lauded them for transparency, I was struck in the 19 October meeting by the apparent obfuscation of the decision about six basketball courts in National Park. Despite councillors Church and McKenzie's questions about process and who actually made the decision, we ratepayers are left none the wiser. Both the CEO and Mayor defended the basketball courts based on informal 'feedback' and the sports and recreation staff's ability to make those decisions.

It was a tortuous argument that I found unconvincing.

NOW it's coming up to the time for delayed council elections, it's time to reflect.

Through the Newcastle Herald we see a lot about Newcastle Council and its elected councillors. And yes there is a lot of politicking within that group, we see this through the Newcastle Herald and on social media. We know who all the councillors are in Newcastle city.

But over here in the Big Sister City of Lake Macquarie our local councillors appear a bit dormant. I know who our Mayor is, but who are our local ward representatives?

Please local representatives, stir the pot a bit so we know who you are. We know you make decisions on our Lake Mac City. But who are you?

AS we watch the humiliation of Scott Morrison by his Coalition partners, the Nationals, as he tries to get a plausible climate change policy to take to Glasgow, it is a great exercise to look at the figures the Nationals are putting on the price of their support and consider what these funds could do for the city of Newcastle and the Hunter region.

Just one of the amounts proposed is the allocation of some $240 billions to projects that economists have already stated would be almost a complete waste. But imagine if these huge funds were available here. We could have a fast train system to Sydney, making Newcastle an alternative choice for many people and companies to settle here and develop the cultural and economic life of the city.

With a few billion we could make a big improvement in the provision of social housing by cooperating with community housing groups to deal with the tragedy of homelessness. In Port Stephens a few hundred million dollars could see the building of a hospital at Nelson Bay to serve the growing needs of our area. For the young, funds could be allocated to build a high school to stop transporting hundreds of public school children every day to Raymond Terrace.

I am sure that there are many more urgent projects that this enormous amount of taxpayer money should be spent on, but Barnaby and his fossil fuel friends are demanding it be spent for the benefit of the fossil fuel companies. It is twice as galling when these fossil fuel companies are owned by multinational shareholders and some pay little or no tax to our country, and any royalties paid are greatly exceeded by the subsidies already paid to the fossil fuel and mining companies.

Is it any wonder that trust in politicians is at such low?

SINGLETON'S Caledonian Hotel has been temporarily closed for breaches of COVID restrictions ("Publican at 'Cali' charged", Newcastle Herald 20/10), and for the first time in my life, I feel that the closure of a pub is actually justified.

COAL has been the fuel of choice by many countries since before the Industrial Revolution-- today in China it is about 50 per cent of local and imported energy. It is both the biggest producer and the biggest importer. Australia has been the main source.

China is desperate to reduce this in the drive to achieve zero emission of CO2 by 2060, it is a monumental task. Australia will be caught up in this, regardless of our own problems. So the future of King Coal is not looking good? It's time to think again.

Germany, in the 19/20 Century was dominant in Organic Chemistry made from coal. It was a major reason why Hitler could take on the world. Germany was almost self-sufficient with these products, and they burnt coal to do this. The Ruhr Valley was notorious for pollution. Now green hydrogen will be able to process coal into most plastics, carbon fibres and cosmetics without emissions.

So Newcastle' best years could be ahead; the Hunter being ideal for such industry. What is required is more solar, wind, and soon wave power to process the coal, not burn it.

BARNEY Langford makes some well argued and telling points in his opinion piece, ("Next war won't involve conventional forces", Opinion, 19/10). I certainly don't want to be portrayed to the world community as a citizen of a country which is untrustworthy and unreliable, and not a little racist, simply to satisfy the misguided desire of its leader to strut the world stage. There is an embarrassing shallowness about thinking that future conflicts will involve the tactics and hardware of past wars.

An additional comment: there is growing speculation that future conflicts will be of a cyber nature, driven by computer boffins in IT laboratories. I have a feeling that China could already remotely shut down systems in Australia's more strategically important centres without involving a single nuclear submarine.

PRIME Minister Morrison says it is just political bias and playing politics to ask that Christian Porters mystery donations of at least $1million be referred for investigation by the privileges committee. But Speaker Tony Smith said that based on my careful consideration of all of the information available to me, I am satisfied that a prima facie case has been made out and recommended the referral.

Mr Morrisons coalition House members voted to reject their own Speakers judgement on this referral. This has never happened before in the history of the Australian House of Representatives.

So Liberal PM Morrison claims that his Liberal MP Speaker is politically biased against his Liberal/National government, and playing politics to try to harm his government. Will Mr Morrison propose a motion of no confidence in the Speaker for this breach of trust?

WARREN Dean, (Letters, 21/10) letter perfectly encapsulates the ineptitude of our federal government, and the Prime Minister's smugness and arrogance. Morrison has not been there when needed. He goes missing every time there's something negative in the media. He must have a glass jaw. What he did during the bush fires is unforgivable. Then there is a lazy attitude with COVID, not to mention all of the other problems, there isn't enough room. It's bloody time his government was voted out.

IT is about time we started to see through the constant negative comments and innuendo from politicians on both sides to each other. Yes, they need to voice their own comments and their party's direction, but not at the expense of individuals. Albo's constant attack on the coalition is painful and to be fair we can see right through him. One day a politician will say, "That's a very good idea of Joe Bloggs and we support that", and that's the day I take that individual seriously.

I NOTE the many letters to the editor in the Newcastle Herald are so full of political bias that they are an embarrassment to themselves. Adz Carter of Newcastle last claimed that the Delta variant of COVID started in NSW and was Gladys Berejiklian's legacy to NSW, and Australia at large. He neglected to mention that the Delta variant of COVID was first recorded in December 2020 India, not NSW. Now I understand and accept the evil Conservatives Governments in Australia are responsible for my pregnant cat, dog and budgie, but blaming them for the Delta variant is a stretch too far for me

COULD someone please advise us ratepayers the total income received by Newcastle City Council from developers over the last two financial years? Surely this income is quite significant, and as far as we are aware has never been released/published, nor has the allocation/use of these additional funds been disclosed given the council's ongoing focus on the city's revitalisation.

HOW on earth can you compare our jab rates with other countries? We are only about 26 million. It should have been completed long ago. Shame on this government.

EVERYONE giving Robbie O a hard time for visiting his Mum during the pandemic needs to have a close hard look at themselves. I would have done the same thing and if anyone thinks that they wouldn't or couldn't have, that's understandable. The fact he is well known with a high profile isn't his fault. It's not his fault either that he is printed on the front page. I'm glad I don't have people following my every shake and move. God bless, and good luck Jarrod Mullen.

PHIL Payne, you need to check your facts regarding COVID. You can definitely still catch COVID, pass on COVID to anyone and also die from COVID, even if you are fully vaxxed. I wouldn't call it freedom.