Walking around Lake Macquarie, I've noticed many artwork sculptures/figurines. Even though some are very well made, I don't see their relevance to the areas where they are located.
If you visit rural areas, you can't help but admire and be in awe of the artworks painted on storage silos and buildings, giving visitors and tourists a kaleidoscope of life and history of that region. It's a realistic snapshot of life and of people everyone can relate to.
Wouldn't it be nice to have something similar in Newcastle, so that locals and visitors alike can see and imagine what Newcastle was and is? For instance, the water tower at Charlestown could be painted with a mural depicting scenes of past and present Newcastle. We shouldn't limit our imagination. We can learn from the initiative of the rural townsfolk and their councils.
Yes, it would cost, but what a wonderful thing to hear comments from visitors to our city when they see and appreciate murals capturing the life and people of the region. There are many other locations in the city that would suit monuments to show Newcastle pride.
How about it council members? Loosen the purse strings and canvass residents to see what they would like displayed to represent the city. It should never be used as a political noticeboard.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
Censorship list needed
I was concerned to read Peter Devey's claim ("Bigger library worries than books", Letters, 8/9), that "the left wing are silent about all the books/videos that are banned from schools and libraries because they contradict their narrative".
Could Mr Devey give me a list of examples of the banned material, because the implication is the left has more sway than the right when it comes to the material the public have access to. I'd suggest he may be hard-pressed to come up with valid examples, let alone the plethora of material that he would have us believe has been banned.
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
Underwater disturbance
The quest for renewable energy is worldwide as countries seek greener and cleaner ways to fuel their ever-growing need for energy. Recently, the Hunter area has become a designated offshore wind turbine site.
Offshore wind farms can cause a great range of ecological damage, but overlooked is its impact beneath the waves. Physical damage begins from the time of construction. Turbines require foundations deep in the seabed. This drilling disturbs marine habitats and stirs up large amounts of sediment. It smothers coral, sponges and anemones and makes feeding challenging. Lack of sunlight, plants struggle to photosynthesise so there is no feed.
Noise pollution is worse. Marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, whales and seals avoid certain feeding and breeding grounds. The natural noises of whale songs and dolphin squeaks, whistles and clicks cannot compete with the swishing and whooshing of the turbines' blades.
If we are to embrace offshore wind technology, it is important that we have a conservation-based approach. A win-win scenario for green energy and marine diversity. Both are respected.
Helen Douglas, Stockton
No time to trust Howard
Former prime minister John Howard is urging Australians to vote 'no' in the upcoming referendum. For the record, John Winston Howard refused to say sorry for past injustices to Aboriginal people. For the record, John Howard plunged Australia into the Iraq war, a war based on American lies, as he danced in tune to US war tom-toms. For the record, thousands of innocent Iraq civilians died in this illegal war.
Howard is on record that he has not lost any sleep over the Iraq war. For the record, the former PM also told us of the children overboard event. For the record, in 2002 a senate inquiry found no children were thrown overboard and that defence minister Peter Reith deceived the Australian public.
Howard won the federal election that year due to his dishonesty over the children overboard probe. This man is not to be trusted where truth is concerned.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
Short Takes
Gotta get a bigger stadium.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Fan-tastic display
The atmosphere was electric, the passion from the crowd calling for blood and booing was gladiatorial. What a game. Everyone left the arena high on adrenaline. Fantastic football. Go Knights!
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
Attack of the munchies
I know why Souths signed Jack 'Biteon'; they needed someone with a bit of bite after his apparent munch on Tyson Gamble's arm, which had more teeth in it than most people have in their heads. Why he wasn't sin binned is beyond belief.
Tony Phillip, Kurri Kurri
Knightmare in red and blue
Good Knight, Warriors.
Grahame Danaher, Coal Point
Tough times for business
It breaks my heart to see how much effort and money people put into their business only to have it fail. There are restaurants that have been operating for 50 years in Newcastle. None of them are vegan and none of them charge $25 for a burger.
John Kay, Hamilton
Delivering tough observation
I find it amazing with all this talk of people "doing it tough " in this exercise-crazy country that delivery services such as Deliveroo, Ubereats and Menulog are thriving. It appears that it is too difficult now to cook a meal. It's also too difficult for some people to go to an outlet to buy takeaway, but they have enough money to have it delivered. Not doing it too tough.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Newcastle
Liberal figures in the line up
John Howard, Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton; what a mug shot they all make. The architects of division in this country. What a legacy of lies, racism, xenophobia, sexism and misogyny. The masters of it all. Wake up Australia.
Colin Rowlatt, Merewether
Explosive blame game
So Albo and the 'yes' camp have lobbed a hand grenade into the 'no' camp and are now blaming us Australian 'no' voters for the impending explosion. This is not going to end well on October 14, and I think I'll be on the right side of history.
Alan Hamilton, Hamilton East
SHORT TAKES
Time to push boat out on new stadium
Gotta get a bigger stadium.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Fan-tastic display
The atmosphere was electric, the passion from the crowd calling for blood and booing was gladiatorial. What a game. Everyone left the arena high on adrenaline. Fantastic football. Go Knights!
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
Attack of the munchies
I know why Souths signed Jack 'Biteon'; they needed someone with a bit of bite after his apparent munch on Tyson Gamble's arm, which had more teeth in it than most people have in their heads. Why he wasn't sin binned is beyond belief.
Tony Phillip, Kurri Kurri
Knightmare in red and blue
Good Knight, Warriors.
Grahame Danaher, Coal Point
Tough times for business
It breaks my heart to see how much effort and money people put into their business only to have it fail. There are restaurants that have been operating for 50 years in Newcastle. None of them are vegan and none of them charge $25 for a burger.
John Kay, Hamilton
Delivering tough observation
I find it amazing with all this talk of people "doing it tough " in this exercise-crazy country that delivery services such as Deliveroo, Ubereats and Menulog are thriving. It appears that it is too difficult now to cook a meal. It's also too difficult for some people to go to an outlet to buy takeaway, but they have enough money to have it delivered. Not doing it too tough.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Newcastle
Liberal figures in the line up
John Howard, Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton; what a mug shot they all make. The architects of division in this country. What a legacy of lies, racism, xenophobia, sexism and misogyny. The masters of it all. Wake up Australia.
Colin Rowlatt, Merewether
Explosive blame game
So Albo and the 'yes' camp have lobbed a hand grenade into the 'no' camp and are now blaming us Australian 'no' voters for the impending explosion. This is not going to end well on October 14, and I think I'll be on the right side of history.
