As a long-serving member of Stockton Surf Life Saving Club I wish to express my extreme disappointment at not being able to attend the annual general meeting this Saturday. Due to my disability, I am unable to access the upstairs area of the club. I also know of 10 other elderly men and women who cannot negotiate the dangerous staircase.
When the club was renovated three years ago, City of Newcastle insisted that disability access must be included in all doorways, offices and toilet areas, which was adhered to by the club. How can this area upstairs be accessed? Stockton surf club has been trying to come to an agreement with the council to rectify this problem, with a negative outcome every time.
It's interesting to note that people with disabilities must be included in the community to prevent them from being isolated and to ensure they have equal access to community services and facilities that are available to the public. The Disability Inclusion Action Plan that council approved earlier this year is about making our city of Newcastle inclusive and accessible.
It seems ironic in my view that the council found millions of dollars in the council coffers, as stated in the Newcastle Herald, to rectify the problems that emerged during the construction of the South Newcastle skate park. Stockton has been ignored once again not only with beach restoration but disability access to our local surf club. Hopefully Stockton SLSC will be on a high priority list to overcome this problem.
Bruce Evans, Valentine
Principals aren't money managers
CONTRARY to the popular argument our schools are underfunded, having worked in many of the schools in western Riverina, I believe the opposite is true.
Since former Education Minister Adrian Piccoli ploughed many hundreds of millions of dollars into schools, I have observed many schools choosing to employ temporary teachers from their school budget to reduce student-to-teacher ratios. Staff in remote schools have been paid more and the amount spent on extracurricular support has increased drastically. Spending on extracurricular activities has ballooned and spending on school resources has increased. But throughout my experience, I have not witnessed a dramatic increase in grades.
I openly questioned why school principals were given full, unchecked control of school budgets when their primary training is in education, not business, when the additional funding was released. I have travelled to the state parliament many times to argue for greater oversight of school principals and how they spend their funds as well as the introduction of school money managers.
Given that one of biggest portions of NSW government spending is on education, and additional funding has failed to improve educational outcomes, isn't it time we have independent inquiry (by international analysts) to review if additional taxpayer funding was needed by NSW public schools and to determine what is a suitable level of funding? I believe such a review will find our public schools are overfunded by as much as 20-30 per cent.
Greg Adamson, Griffith
Better places to race than East End
THE Supercars event is hugely unpopular among many different groups in our city, from conversations I've heard during these years. It's noisy, dangerous; especially for those living nearby, intrusive, expensive for our council. It blocks local residents' access to their homes and is supported by few of them.
There are better places for a racetrack, one that other enthusiasts could also use. I know many people living in inner neighbourhoods express their discomfort with the race by moving out of town for the duration, not keen even to let out their homes over that time. Not everyone has the money to move elsewhere for the duration.
Many people can't afford to have home damages assessed, such as cracks which have appeared in walls since the races started, let alone have distressing faults fixed. I am also shocked that councillors were kept in the dark regarding the details of these races; more pertinent is the fact that unelected council officers made the decisions. I think the community is rightly concerned to know that expensive decisions can be made by so few, without adequate input from all relevant parties, including residents who have been so very negatively impacted.
In my opinion, it is shocking to contemplate the massive numbers of trees destroyed for this race, for what gain and at what cost to birds? The race essentially makes money for people outside our city. Please consult and treat the community and councillors with the respect we deserve.
Helen Willoughby, Newcastle
Declaration's been discredited
YOUR correspondent Peter Devey ('Not everyone worried on climate', Letters 12/9) continues to press on climate change, this time relying on the World Climate Declaration, signed by about 1200 and containing a number of claims that have already been discredited by those who are actually qualified to speak about climate change.
Your correspondent names one of the signatories, Nobel laureate Ivan Giaever, who was joint recipient of the Nobel Prize for physics for his work on superconductors. He has not published any papers on climate science. Other signatories (aside from the six who are dead) include geophysicists, geologists, engineers, a fisherman, a musician, a retired teacher, a urologist, a few medical doctors and an assortment of other characters with no connection to climate science. In fact, only 10 of the signatories have been identified as climatologists or climate scientists - less than 1 per cent of the signatories. And, predictably, many have connections to the oil industry or to climate-sceptic groups.
This declaration seems eerily similar to the 1997 Oregon Petition (although with a bit more detail) cited by this correspondent a few months ago with similar signatories.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
No denying they're hard questions
MIKE Sargent ("Climate declaration falls flat", Letters 14/9), replying to my letter of two days earlier, labelled me a "climate change denier". What climate change have I denied and when?
Questioning the amount of climate change that may or may not have happened is not denial. Several scientists, amongst the 1107 who signed the World Climate Declaration, may have worked for oil and gas companies at some time. So what? They are geologists who commonly work for such companies to make a living, unlike many climate change scientists who have tenure with universities or government authorities and don't have to justify their employment. The Climate Declaration had a long list of authors and signatories, many of whom have retired from active employment. It takes a good deal of time to compile such a declaration, so I believe it is not surprising that some signatories may have died by the time of publication.
I found it notable that Mr Sargent chose not to attack any of the details of the declaration but instead focus on the signatories and authors. Was that because Mr Sargent could find nothing wrong with the content of the declaration itself?
Peter Devey, Merewether
I'M slightly amused by the slew of letters to editors in recent days beginning with some variation of "now is not the time to talk about a republic" before going on to do that very thing.
Michael Gormly, Islington
ABOUT 18 months ago councillors made a huge deal out of the refurbishing of Llewellyn Street shopping area. It did look very good. Unfortunately no one looks after it. We now have weeds growing on the edges and between the pavers, green slime all over the pavers, a strong smell of dog wee. Rubbish everywhere. Timber seats and chairs are in need of a coat of stain as they are starting to crack and bow. If the council was to look after this asset, which they have upgraded, it could last a long time.
David Mackenzie, Merewether
NEWCASTLE desperately needs not only the Supercars race, but also several other activities to revitalise the city. The Supercars race is a good opportunity to showcase our dying city to the world to attract visitors. We miss the car noises in the otherwise ghost town. Save our dying city. The possible extension of the car race for a further five years is a welcoming decision.
Naeem Khan, Newcastle
I REALISE it is too late for big changes now, but does this Supercars race have to be held in the city? Surely the Hunter has land somewhere that can be used for the Supercars or any racing event. We used to have such a venue at Tomago.
Kerry Milburn, Tanilba Bay
I AGREE with Darryl Tuckwell about Alan Joyce. In my opinion he should be ousted as CEO of Qantas. He sacked permanent workers, so sack him.
Judy Baker, Tarro
I WAS listening to a local talkback radio show this week and one caller's statement rather tickled my fancy and thought it was well worth sharing. In regard to the fines, suspensions and punishment being imposed on players in the NRL lately, the caller expressed his disgust with consistency and said "It's like the NRL on steroids!"
Col Parkins, Wallsend
IF the concern is we are creating mega cities and devouring good productive land for food production then move the focus of residency to the less productive locations. With IT and the work from home mentality we could overcome the distances quickly. Deserts don't produce food apparently.
John Bradford, Beresfield
SURELY Australian produce is not that expensive that the local fish and chip shop is using frozen chips from Belgium.
Mark Fernie, Wallsend
HONEYSUCKLE? They should have called it Soursuckle. What a lost opportunity that area has become.
