YET again we see headline news re mobile speed cameras raking in the dollars with public and media outcry ('Mobile speed cameras rake in eye watering revenue in Hunter', Newcastle Herald, 5/2).
Let's be honest with each other. If we truly want to reduce the death and injuries resulting from, in the most part, irresponsible and uncaring drivers then, we have to accept that covert enforcement must play a part in achieving this.
Police have, for many years now, used completely unmarked vehicles in an effort to lower our road toll. The old saying is that if you are doing the right thing then, you should not be concerned. I have raised this many times before with former work colleagues and friends that there are two main things that concern me with the use of speed camera detection.
Firstly and more importantly is that it is highly obvious to me that many signposted speed zones are in themselves what we like to call "speed traps". Without going into detail, I simply mean these zones are totally inappropriate and unrealistic. Driver expectation of sensible zoning is out the window. Secondly, the time between offending and receiving a camera detected infringement does not assist in changing immediate driver behaviour albeit, there are many out there who will never change.
Garry Scow, Warners Bay
Hospitality dealt huge blows
IT has been said that in order for a city to have a thriving daytime economy, it needs a thriving nighttime economy. Such a shame that the powers that be don't seem to see it that way though.
I wonder how much of the NSW government's $1 billion business support package ('Support welcome, but funds may be too late', Herald, 31/1) will end up going to pubs and clubs, a lot of which are (as much as the wowsers may not want to admit or know about) also struggling small businesses.
The Dine and Discover vouchers notwithstanding, it appears that the hospitality industry and associated businesses have been dealt some of the biggest financial blows since the start of the pandemic, and have also had some of the smallest amount of financial assistance from our governments. I think this lack of support does a lot to blow the theory that we should be wary of the supposedly "powerful alcohol lobby" right out of the water.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
Winning war against pandemic
HONESTLY, how can anyone give control of a country to a party and party leader that thrive on negativity, with no positive solution or direction?
I have not heard one word of positive suggestion or encouragement from the opposition to help fight this epidemic, but go to extreme measures finding fault with almost everything the coalition tries, even over unrelated issues of state government responsibility.
If we were at war, working against the government would be seen as traitorous, for working against the war effort. This virus is a war against our way of life, destroying people's lives and livelihoods from which many may not recover. This is not the time to hinder effort with no alternative solution.
Winning the top job comes with responsibility, by placing the need of the country above one's own political desire. Yes, some mistakes may have happened, but no one is expected to be perfect. We have been waging war against an unfamiliar, unpredictable, silent enemy; winning this war is not being helped by hitting below the belt with unhelpful negative criticism.
Politics should be put aside to fight this epidemic; everyone has a part to play. Only by working together will we win this war, only by helping the government will he show strength as a leader.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Dominic doomed
FAIR dinkum, this bloke, for a private school expert, has to go. Bring back Glad; a human, trying, but fair and reasonable lady who at the very least had the state's people at heart. This Dominic goose will see thousands die, just to get brownie points from business. Bad luck about that, because they cannot and will not save you at the polls, Labor will have to try very, very hard to lose the election. Just keep Albo out of the scene and you will be home and hosed. With Dom at the helm the Libs will live in the darkness of opposition for many years. This politics at present is nothing less than pathetic.
Dennis Crampton, Swansea
City of Newcastle 2040 plan
I HAVE just read City of Newcastle's 2040 Plan document. What can I say other than that is an extraordinary waste of ratepayers' money. It is very big on vision, jargon and how we can all work together to achieve outcomes. However, it is almost lacking in any real down-to-earth plans and projects that will advance our city in a positive way.
In 4.2.1 - Under Genuine engagement encourage participation and provide opportunities for genuine, representative community engagement. Engagement is planned, proactive and meaningful and results in a shared responsibility for success, where people are inspired to actively participate in decision-making to shape Newcastle's future. Going by how the council has acted in the past, this seems to be a rather laughable section of the plan. There are so many reports that have been withheld from the public that it's not funny. Open and transparent, we were told - I don't think so. We would all like to see transparency in real life situations as this has been sadly lacking.
In a nutshell, the 2040 Community Strategic Plan is a bunch of waffle that does very little to highlight how Newcastle will operate as a modern city in 2040. We should be thinking out of the square with our ideas for future architectural structures rather than boring dog box rectangular prism apartments that show absolutely no architectural vision at all. City of Newcastle is living in the past with its vision for our future.
Phillip Mallows, Stockton
Politicians no longer under us
IN 1988, the year of the bicentennial, I was in Year 3. The new Commonwealth Parliament House had just finished being built. Schools were teaching children about the symbolic representation incorporated into the architecture. Teaching how "politicians served the people of this country. The green slopes which make the roof of the Parliament which you can walk on represent that politicians are under people".
Well today when I look at the Commonwealth Parliament, armed federal police with automatic weapons stand guard, the green slopes are fenced off and cannot be accessed by the public. The building looks like an armed fort. Reflecting on my teachings of symbolism in the architecture, I see the irony that the security measures the Australian government has adopted coincide with the changed values of the political landscape. No longer are politicians focused on serving the people, they are also no longer under us.
Greg Adamson, Griffith
SHORT TAKES
REFERRING to Glen Burgess's letter ('Expansion will cost city parking spaces', Letters, 7/2) regarding the loss of parking around the art gallery. Added to the loss of spaces in the area is an amended development application before council right now for the Gibson Street parking station - to increase the commercial space, reduce the number of units, and critically, reduce the number of public parking spaces by more than 100. CN's notification letter dated 23 December 2021.
Kate Rabbitt, Newcastle
WHERE an apple can produce apples, religion produces mimics.
Dave Wilson, Bar Beach
IAN King (Short Takes, 5/2), how dare you? Your ill-informed letter is offensive on so many levels. Your lack of empathy beggars belief.
Toni Bryden, Merewether
WHY is it that speed cameras are still being made out to be cash cows for the government and sly, unavoidable traps for motorists? ('Mobile speed cameras rake in eye watering revenue in Hunter', Herald, 5/2). Don't speed and you won't get fined. It's that simple. I also believe that motorists should not be warned about speed cameras, that will just prevent the speeders from being caught and punished like they should. They will just slow down around the cameras and speed up once they are out of sight.
Jamie Sampford, Cardiff
NOT good enough! By the time motorists see these "new" signs atop these revenue-raising camera cars, it will be too late. Vigilantes, keep up the good work, you are doing their job properly, but watch out, your vehicles will be inspected for defects.
Brian Watson-Will, Corlette
ANTI-VACCINATION mandate protesters have called for five million supporters to converge on Canberra in the coming weeks, following days of campaigning across the city to end COVID mandates and the resignation of parliament. It seems that they may have lost sight of the fact there are less than five million of the total population who haven't had a shot. And that includes 0 to 5-year-olds too. Best of luck.
Vic Davies, Tighes Hill
BARRY Swan speculates about Labor's response to Scott Morrison's $16 billion election slush fund ('Need for change', Letters, 4/2). I hope they rein in their own promises, but constantly point out that the 16 billion is all money borrowed from the taxpayer during a time of massive government debt, and remind people of Tony Abbott's laughable "debt and deficit crisis".
Michael Gormly, Islington
IF there were any leaders in our country, which obviously there is not, they would demonstrate the honesty of their beliefs by fronting the millions of disgruntled citizens of Australia and explain the correctness of their reasons for sicking armed police onto lawful protesters, instead of going into hiding and sending the storm troopers to represent them.
