GEOFF Black (Letters, 17/2) raises a salient point, as to the future of bowling clubs ('Bowlos are battling, so who's fighting for them', Letters 19/2).
I play bowls one morning a week, primarily to help with my long-term recovery from a serious mountain bike crash. It's not pretty, but it is doing what I set out to do.
Over the period of my participation I have seen many of the benefits that Mr Black comments on in his letter. There is a need to utilise this very valuable social and physical asset, within our broader community.
A serious review of possible additional uses, for bowling clubs, by members of the community and the bowling clubs may be in order.
Some years ago, members of the cycling clubs racing at Kooragang came up with the idea to undertake a joint venture with Hamilton Bowling club; unfortunately it went no further than the good idea stage.
Ray Milliss, Tingira Heights
We're not ready to cut out coal
LLOYD Davies ("Wind up the turbine criticism" Letters 17/2) was correct that wind power has been trending upward. Its share of world energy was 3.27 percent in 2022 and increasing each year.
But so were most other forms of energy, including coal, oil and gas, which totalled over 80 percent of world energy in 2022. In fact, there was more coal burnt in 2023 than ever before.
Mr Davies was however wrong about wind turbines generating 70 - 84 per cent of the time. If you go to the NEM-Watch webpage, which shows Australia's power generation by source and state, wind generation from what I have seen has never been as high as 70 per cent.
It rarely gets to even 50 per cent, is usually no more than 30 per cent and there are many days when it generates no more than 10 percent of its capacity.
If wind and solar fail to meet their minor share of energy, we just generate more coal, gas or hydro power. If coal power fails, the lights go out.
Peter Devey, Merewether
Don't give pubs special treatment
OH dear, here we go again. A plethora of brand new apartment blocks continually get approved in Newcastle, and no-one seems to bat an eyelid.
But a Newcastle business that has been present for 100 years wants to change their business model, and nearby residents are up in arms ("Residents chance to address late closing plan", Newcastle Herald 14/1).
The argument from some residents very well may be that they have been able to coexist with the pub for years with the trading as is, but if they somehow weren't able to anticipate a potential change in trading and extension of hours, then I say that's on them.
A business is a business, be it a multimillion-dollar corporation or a corner shop, or in this case, a pub, and these sorts of changes in trade happen all the time with countless businesses.
At one stage, Kmart at Waratah even extended their trading to 24 hours a day. So right now it's impossible to buy a drink at The Delany at midnight, even on a weekend, but years ago, if one wanted to buy kitchenware or bed linen at 4am on a Tuesday, this wasn't a problem.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
Booze checks are just the start
GROWING up in the mid 1970s, I was always taught to be respectful and responsible whilst remembering to be a good role model. Honestly I'm embarrassed to be governed by any party that currently resides in Canberra; in my opinion we either have pathetic public servants in leather chairs arguing like teenagers in the playground, or drunk people in parliament changing laws just to suit their own agendas in Canberra. These so-called honourable politicians get away, it seems, untarnished.
Prior to a real worker's day we are subjected to drug and alcohol tests. It's called workplace health and safety; where's the duty of care in Canberra if this isn't happening? We all should live by these rules, not just the selected few. If you ask me these taxpayer-funded layabouts are laughing at us real Aussies, and wouldn't have the first clue as to be an upstanding hard-working role model with their constant back peddling, lies and false statements.
That behavior has led us to these current major issues and failed constantly to achieve results, going against the very goals for which they are elected. Us Aussies on the ground, the ones that do all the hard yakka and pay pathetic taxes that seem to constantly disappear while also having very limited family time, deserve much much better.
An overhaul in Canberra is not only needed, but we deserve real answers and leadership. It's shown over the past few decades that they do not have our best interests at heart. Time for change.
Christopher Jackson, Beresfield
Suspension rules for NRL clear as mud
JUST how incompetent are some sporting administrators? South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league player Jacob Gagai was suspended last year in his final game of the year and incurred a one-match suspension.
However, he was due to play in this year's Maori All-Stars team against the Indigenous side. Initially he wasn't allowed to count that game for his suspension before that decision was overturned and he did.
When the bid to serve the suspension in that match was first rejected a South Sydney official stated "the decision lacks any common sense, consistency or cultural awareness".
One must ask, what are the official rules governing suspension? If there are any, they apparently are not very good.
Anyway, what has "cultural awareness" got to do with all of this?
John Cooper, Charlestown
Illegal migration isn't just boats
THE arrival of 30 or more illegal immigrants to a remote part of Australia by boat is a storm in a teacup.
My understanding is that tens of thousands of asylum seekers of other types arrive by plane.
That consists of over-stayers, people coming in for fake marriages or paying Australian men $50,000 or $60,000 to marry them as mail-order-brides to obtain permanent residence.
I believe lots of other groups are also using tactics to confuse the so-called media gurus and politicians.
The latest travel advice is if you want to come to Australia, you come by plane.
Boat people are a diversion to divert the media and politicians away from examining the booming trade of illegal people coming by air, not by sea.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
No need to spend on selling tax cut
GOOD on you, Albo, you've done it again. Not content with wasting $450 million on your obsession with the Voice which was a total disaster, now you decide to throw another $40 million down the drain to sell your changes to the stage three tax cuts.
Why, when the majority of people surveyed already agree with your changes? You try to say that Labor is the better money manager.
Come on Albo, pull the other leg.
