I fully agree with Bradley Perrett regarding the relocation of Newcastle Basketball Stadium ("A solution to the basketball mess", NH, 19/7). I also support the view of Peter Evans ("Show of support for basketball stadium", NH, 19/7).
I live in Lake Macquarie, but have close family who live within a stone's throw of Wallarah Oval and the dreaded Monash Avenue drain that often runs full after a storm. I cannot fathom the utter madness of building the sorely needed new basketball stadium in such a stupid location, with its traffic and flooding nightmares, and, of course, depriving the public and high schools of sporting ovals/open space that will be sterilised. The Broadmeadow Place Strategy says quite a lot of flood mitigation works are 10 to 20 years in the making, so what comes first? New development or flood mitigation engineering?
Erica James, of Newcastle Basketball, I support your sporting association's call for a state-of-the-art basketball stadium, just not where the council has proposed. The current Labor state government wants to maximise its money-making potential by erecting a 40-storey unit development on land that should be used for the function it already performs: a basketball stadium.
If my family and their neighbourhood had a council that genuinely listened to their anxiety over this proposal everyone would be happier. Maybe Ross Kerridge will need some volunteers for September's local council elections?
Neil Robinson, Jewells
Mules and the facts
I was surprised by former Herald journalist Ian Kirkwood's ready acceptance of the film 2000 Mules by US right-wing conspiracy theorist Dinesh D'Souza, which sought to provide evidence that the 2020 US election was rigged ("US elections show democracies work in mysterious ways", Opinion, 20/7). Curiously, Kirkwood describes Wikipedia as "a good place to see what the public is told to think".
He concludes his opinion piece with: "Next time you see an official dismiss something as a 'conspiracy theory' or 'fake news' without confronting the evidence, examine the facts yourself". Good advice. I have. Most tellingly, in February this year True the Vote, the conservative group that provided the data about allegations of widespread voter fraud to D'Souza, admitted to a Georgia court that it had no evidence to support its claims. Subsequently, the film and D'Souza's impending book have been withdrawn from circulation. True The Vote's admission finally confirms what respected journalists and law enforcement have been saying since the election.
However, it seems that the conspiracy theorists are still promoting the film. And some people are still falling for it.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
Ratepayers must take reins
To the Newcastle people regarding the upcoming local government elections, now is the time to sensibly start thinking about who you would like to make decisions for the city and suburbs. Please get away from political parties in the council and let independent people work out how Newcastle and suburbs are managed. They are the people who really know what is required, not the political parties.
It is our town and suburbs, not anything to do with politics or Sydney. We should not let Sydney tell us what we should have in our city. Let us decide how Newcastle should be. I have voted Labor all of my life, but now it's up to the residents to decide what happens here. Have a look at the Neylon/Bath letters scandal and the way that the council handled that. Let's get a proper investigation into what's going on.
Newcastle has a strong maritime history. We have a terrific collection of maritime pieces, and this council appears as though they want to get rid of it. All they seem to want is pubs along the waterfront. Go to Perth and all other ports and see how they have helped museums show their heritage to their city and visitors.
Let's have a council that looks after the ratepayers and all they want in the city, not the political parties.
Glan Willcox, Elermore Vale
Optimism in face of denial
There is no longer any credible doubt about the threat posed by climate change, nor that the only way to meet it is for the world to transition to net zero emissions as quickly as possible.
Yet almost every day on this page, people complain that the move to renewable energy is not perfect and painless. The same complaints being heard from fossil-fuel vested interests and Coalition politicians, who started out denying the science outright, and have now fallen back to doggedly fight action, with the nuclear "policy" hoax being the latest tactic. History will judge them harshly.
I prefer optimism. Transformations of the scale that are underway are rare in human history, and we are genuinely privileged to witness it, and be part of it. Particularly when it has the potential to usher in an even bigger shift - to a future in which sustainability is the primary organising principle of all human activity. Who knows? If the human race is finally reconciled with its limits on this earth, it's just possible it will be better able to live in harmony with each other.
Michael Hinchey, New Lambton
SHORT TAKES
Price tackled over footy claims
I've reluctantly been reading opinion pieces from Jenna Price for some time, but her latest unhinged rant ("Violence in a league of its own", NH 19/7) takes the cake. She asserts that women hate rugby league and won't attend games or take their children. Is that why women and girls are participating in record numbers? Is that why attendance and TV viewership numbers are soaring? Are only males watching? Give me more sensible opinions by Amanda Vanstone any day.
Greg Hunt, Newcastle West
IT chaos a warning
It is outrageous and frightening that one IT company can cause bedlam across the whole world because of an operator mistake. I fear that we are too vulnerable and dependent. Perhaps we have outsmarted ourselves?
Vicki Dunn, Tighes Hill
Cracks to chasms
The phrase "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" doesn't seem to resonate where IT is concerned. I just wonder what AI will do to tech's eggs. Methinks bad times are a-comin'.
Harold Kronholm, Cessnock
Spot the shining example
In regards to Garry Linnell's comment regarding Donald Trump's "glowing orange hair normally associated with someone working in nuclear reactors" ("A leopard doesn't change its spots", NH 20/7). I think Linnell's shining dome is more reflective of someone working in that field. Pardon the pun.
Darren Saxon, Pelican
We're far from Amsterdam
Newcastle ain't Amsterdam. No canals, no pets on public transport, no red light district with enticing shop windows, no cannabis cafes, and no uninterrupted infrastructure for bicycles, scooters, and micro autos. But, one lives in hope.
