Newcastle Basketball Association must feel like the jilted bride. She was left at the altar in Hillsborough Road and has had two proposals rejected from Broadmeadow and Shortland.
The only solution is to have an arranged marriage with an unwanted suitor called Wallarah and Blackley ovals, whose dowry consists of severe flooding, traffic and parking problems.
She was truly overlooked in the planning of the proposed Hunter Park in the Broadmeadow Precinct, because the wedding planners thought that she would be happily ensconced in Lake Macquarie.
Meanwhile, her friends have found true love in the proposed Hunter Park in the Broadmeadow Precinct. They are all asking why can't she fit in with them? It may be a squeeze, but the Hunter Park is for all sports.
If this unhappy marriage goes ahead, she will look mournfully across Turton Road and, like all the wedding guests, will sigh with sadness.
Hilary Oliver, New Lambton
Life behind the shop counter
Marvyn Smith ("Suffering is relative", Letters, 10/7), thanks for your thoughtful letter regarding the GST.
The point I am making is that governments don't understand small business.
We have the Treasurer telling us wage increases won't affect inflation. People deserve a pay rise, no doubt, but how does a business continue to trade without inflating prices, such as the wholesaler with 200 employees?
The business can lay off casual staff and reduce overtime payments and bonuses instead of passing on costs. This would be detrimental as, in the meat industry, quality workers are hard to find and gaining employment elsewhere is pretty easy.
So the extra cost gets passed on to the consumer.
I'm no economic giant like Dr Jim, but isn't that called inflation?
As for GST on fresh food, I believe this would destroy independent retailers. More red tape and expense when it comes to bookkeeping obligations. The multinational supermarkets have the capacity to be a taxman, independent shops don't. Working 12 to 16-hour days are enough without having to do extra accounting.
At the moment people can't afford fresh food, a GST would be detrimental to low-income families.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Make council vote count
As we approach the council elections, it's crucial to reflect on the importance of each vote in shaping our community's future.
I believe that Newcastle councillors Katrina Wark and Margaret Wood, who have been notably absent regarding the Newcastle Basketball Stadium proposal and appear unresponsive to the concerns of ratepayers, do not represent the proactive leadership ratepayers deserve.
It's evident that councillors who fail to engage with their constituents do not uphold the accountability required for effective governance.
Similarly, I believe that the Lord Mayor's apparent selective responsiveness to feedback undermines the democratic process. It's time for a change in Newcastle. Let's unite in support of candidates who prioritise the interests of ratepayers, and foster a council that truly serves the community.
Newcastle deserves leadership that listens, responds, and acts in the best interest of its people. Let's challenge the status quo and ensure that our council aligns with our values and aspirations.
Your vote is your voice, let's use it wisely to vote them out and pave the way for a council that works tirelessly for all of us. Make your vote count and vote them out.
Tracey Gardiner, Elermore Vale
Alert sounds on migratory birds
Not as many breeding pairs of migratory black-necked storks have been showing up in the Hexham Swamp. Human construction of permanent nests is being undertaken to help preserve the species.
In my opinion, this may delay the extinction of the birds, but this is treating the symptoms of a problem rather than its root causes ("Bid to turn the tide for endangered storks", NH, 8/7).
Storks make the long migratory journey to the Southern Hemisphere from North America, North Africa and Asia. They feed and refuel along their journey. This is mainly done in the wetlands of PNG and Indonesia. I expect that further research will show that these wetlands are not producing as much stork food (small mammals, frogs and large insects such as grasshoppers) as they once did.
The most likely culprit? Global warming.
Global warming has knocked nature's balance out of whack. More migratory birds die from exhaustion while battling the strong winds associated with more intense tropical storms of global warming.
Also, the encroachment of people with their insecticides has reduced the population of storks.
Migratory birds bring bird flu to our chickens on our poultry farms. But this is natural and normal.
What isn't normal, is the declining number of migratory birds that make it here.
Geoff Black, Frankston
Public cops full impact of protest 'pests'
These blockhead Blockade Australia protesters are a public nuisance. All they do is cause disruption to decent people going about their daily business. Their actions won't make one iota of difference to what they are protesting about. While the three-month jail term dished out to the woman from Tasmania is a start, more severe deterrents need to be imposed if these pests are to learn a lesson.
Ian King, Warners Bay
Get planting instead
Ian McKenzie and his big picture makes no sense to me ("Big picture goes beyond protest inconvenience", NH, 6/7). Blockade Australia protesters deserve jail time, the longer the better. If they wander onto the passenger rail lines and are killed by a train, the train driver and his family would suffer a life sentence as they would never forget it. As for slowing the export of coal, how dumb. We need to export coal to China, in particular because they supply most of our solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, electrical components and electric cars etc. All of these would be reduced and become dearer for Australia to import. If Blockade Australia wants to do something for all of us, they should plant trees instead.
Phil Payne, Gateshead
No support here
In reply to Greg Hunt ("Support seems misguided", Letters, 12/7), I agree. These climate protesters think of nobody but themselves, and are nothing more than a crowd of attention-seekers.
David Davies, Blackalls Park
Interest in alternative march
I refer to "Student 'die-in' takes aim at uni's partners" (NH, 10/7). I read the Herald daily, but cannot remember reading about their march for the Jewish people who were murdered, wounded and even beheaded (both children and adults). Possibly the march will be upcoming? I will check each day, as I would be very interested in marching.
Wal Remington, Mount Hutton
Emergency crews respond to a recent Blockade Australia protest. Picture by Peter Lorimer
