Due to family commitments, my wife and I have had a number of visits to Melbourne. During those visits we have experienced Melbourne's public transport, in particular the trains and trams. Where possible I prefer to catch the train. The trains are faster and carry more people than trams or buses.
While I still like the trams, in many places, especially where streets are relatively narrow, the traffic blocks the trams. If the light rail in Newcastle is to be expanded, this needs to be considered. This is why I say where extensions are built needs to be determined by those who know what they are doing - engineers and planners; not developers or politicians. Just look what happened when they closed the railway and put the light rail in Hunter Street.
If it is properly planned, extensions to the light rail would prove more effective than "rapid buses". From my experience, there is no such thing as a fast bus, particularly in traffic. So how can buses be "rapid"?
Transit ways, like those in western Sydney, may be a good idea if they can be designed to be converted to light or heavy rail in the future.
With traffic congestion in the region becoming an increasing problem, we need to start planning extensions to the light and heavy system now. If we don't Newcastle will go from being very livable to very unlivable.
Peter Sansom, Kahibah
Williamtown a target
I WONDER if anyone else felt the same sense of deja vu that I did when reading Ian Kirkwood's Saturday Herald commentary on Senator Jim Molan's book "Danger on our Doorstep" ("Williamtown a target if China moves on US", Herald 29/10). Ominous maps, with concentric circles at various distances from defined locations, appeared in periodicals such as "Readers Digest" when I was a child of eight or so.
Mr Kirkwood's article discusses the senator's analysis of China's ability and possible will to engage us militarily, and his map shows the reach of Chinese missiles. The "Digest" articles were different. They described the various effects of a nuclear strike on, say, Newcastle's BHP complex, and the maps, with their concentric rings at various distances from Ground Zero, defined the boundaries at which disaster levels would diminish from total destruction to major structural damage and so on down the scale.
As an eight-year-old, I didn't know whether to feel relieved that in our village, just north of Dungog, fallout would be the main issue. I wasn't sure if it would kill us, or whether we'd just glow in the dark (green, like The Hulk?), or whether we'd be safe if we sheltered in the cliffside caves that abounded in the area until the (radioactive) dust settled. As an aside, Captain Thunderbolt (Frederick Ward, but he wasn't a relation) was reputed to have used some of those caves as shelter when he visited the area.
I certainly hope the dire predictions in Senator Molan's book, and Mr Kirkwood's article, don't come to pass. But maybe we should dig up the old "Readers Digest" maps to remind us about the consequences of nuclear war.
Barnard (Barney) Ward, Edgeworth
Standing ovation for school
I RECENTLY had the joyful experience of attending Hamilton Public School's end of year concert 'HPS is Grateful', at the Performing Arts School theatre.
What an amazing, clever and uplifting experience for the audience of parents, carers and grandparents of the students involved.
For more than two hours, the whole school kept us totally entertained. With humour, dance and music, they reminded us of the positive attitudes of the teachers and students during the trying experience of the COVID lockdowns.
I am very pleased that my grandchildren are privileged to attend such a great public school as this, and would like to publicly thank all the staff and students involved for their hard work which resulted in such a fabulous production.
Michelle McCann, Maryville
Right on the wrong track
GEE, the letters last Friday's Herald (28/10) broke all records for right-wingers advancing fallacies from their universe of alternative facts.
Scott Hillard thinks the Diamonds netball team are hypocrites because Origin Energy is a sponsor and it runs coal generators. Scott, the protest is about Lang Hancock's genocidal comments on Aborigines, not climate change. Same with the Nissan sponsorship and the historical war crimes committed by its founder. But, Scott, he did not advocate the genocide of Aborigines and I doubt whether any of the team even knew about it. I certainly didn't.
Then Graeme Kime worries about people using drones to put poisoned dog meat in people's yards. Why would they do that when they could just quietly throw it over the fence?
And finally, Carl Stevenson says the wind-assisted coal ship that recently visited is rubbish because it would have to tack rather than travel in a straight line. Carl, you'll find the aerodynamic wing/sail moves to catch the wind, not the ship. If the wind is too adverse, the ship just uses its engines. And you can't argue that nuclear is safe because people used to be scared of electricity.
You might ask the residents of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl and Fukushima about that, unless you can come up with an electrical accident that caused damage anywhere near that scale and longevity.
Michael Gormly, Islington
Ho hum on Halloween
WHEN I was a kid, I looked forward to cracker night. After too many people were blinded and lost their fingers, and too many letter boxes were blown up, cracker night was cancelled and crackers were banned. Now kids have Halloween, ("Go on and haunt it", Herald, 31/10).
Halloween is regarded by most as harmless fun and a method of bringing the neighbourhood together. It removes children's fear of ghouls and ghosts, and enables them to distinguish fantasy from reality. Today, since most Halloween 'trick or treat' visits are conducted in daytime, and before bedtime, Halloween is unlikely to remove children's fear of the dark.
Halloween may be good for child development, but it is even better for retail sales.
Like McDonalds and Father's Day, Australians have been suckered into adopting this American tradition. Maybe our next American import will be Thanksgiving Day. Most Australians will not understand the significance of this day for Americans. But since they don't know or care about the significance of Halloween, this is no big deal. For that matter, how many Americans understand any of it?
One might ask that since modern Australia has so many people from Asia, why don't we have more celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Diwali and Al-Hijra?
Why do we keep importing American celebrations?
Perhaps it is just easier for Australian retailers to copy the American effective methods of merchandising.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
SHORT TAKES
IT'S a shame that City of Newcastle couldn't be bothered to mow the grass at Wickham Park. Nothing worse than walking around the markets in knee high grass.
Debra Forbes, Wickham
JOHN O'Donoghue knew my name. I was one of the 'Everyday Joes' that worked at the College of Advanced Education. He joked that I was one of the few who knew how to spell his name. A clever brain, a wonderful wordsmith. Rest easy John O'Donoghue. You will be missed.
Arthur Tupman, Salt Ash
SAM Collyer, (Short Takes 29/10), I've drowned a lot of brain cells since 1997 but I haven't forgotten the legendary Mal Reilly. I considered him a Pom first and foremost. As for Ron Griffiths, there were several occasions during our women's fabulous season when after coming under pressure early in the second half of matches they dug deep and lifted. Our men on the other hand repeatedly folded after halftime. Me thinks Mr Griffiths could give Mr O'Brien a few tips.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
ANOTHER week in the A League ... another VAR stuff up in favour of Sydney FC. Only fifteen minutes into the game. Seriously.
Stephen Willmott, Maitland
IT is so tiring that the comment section has devolved into a whining section for neo luddites terrified of change, NIMBYs determined to turn Newcastle into a ghetto of toffs and geriatrics, where any activity which threatens their early bedtimes and exclusivity must be complained about endlessly. How long before they take offence to the great unwashed using their beaches or walking around their harbour. Sometimes we get a bit of variety from amnesiac conservatives, missing the last decade, whining about a six-month-old government not running the country to their standards.
David Jennings, Edgeworth
AT what point will the public realise that higher utility bills, larger loan repayments, and soaring food prices are simply supplying bloated profits for corporations and their executives. Our well paid politicians seem to be quite satisfied with this arrangement. How will we bring about the necessary changes to end profit-driven inflation?
Peter Ronne, Woodberry
PAUL Scott's Form Guide, ("Hunter runners odds-on for a headline", Opinions, 31/10), one of, if not the best opinion pieces of the year. Brilliant.
John Dickenson, Newcastle West
ADZ Carter, I had a bit of a chuckle when you said women were not allowed in public bars until 1965. I was doing a TAFE course at night and after that we went to three local pubs and each one asked me to leave or go to the garden area. The other 34 students and I all walked out. This was in 1974.
Kath Bow, Wallsend
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited in any form.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
