It makes you a proud Novocastrian when you witness the awesome crowd of between 45,000 and 50,000 people attend the dawn service. For our business at the Queens Wharf Hotel we are proud to say everyone behaved themselves with no incidents.
A special thanks should go to the organiser and unsung hero of the dawn service, president of the RSL, Ken Fayle, and everyone else who contributed, especially the police. It was also good to see the march numbers up as it had slowly diminished over the past few years. We may in the future get back to when the march started at the old post office. Well done all.
Stephen Smyth, Merewether
Saluting near perfect dawn service
I WOKE up early Anzac Day morning to watch the dawn service from Nobbys on television. In my mind, it was a very good and moving service, in particular, the duet reading of The Ode. The master of ceremonies read in English with a beautiful New Zealand lady reading in native tongue.
There were, however, some negatives. I thought the NBN presenters were wrong to conduct interviews whilst the Master of Ceremonies was speaking, talking during the wreath laying and at the tail of the service. Consequently we were deprived of information. I was also disappointed to hear the name of a commercial enterprise, a nearby hotel, being read as a wreath layer, quickly followed by a statement that commercial donations are necessary to fund the ceremony. I find that hard to believe. Finally, there were some gentlemen filmed walking around at Fort Scratchley while the male church leader was doing his prayer. Perhaps the camera crew could have avoided panning in that direction at that time? Apart from that whinge, well done Newcastle.
Stan Keifer, Arakoon
Hamilton South more than stigma
I AM writing to express my outrage at the tone of the reporting of life in the Hamilton South public housing estate, ("Estate of despair", Newcastle Herald 21/4). My partner and I are long-term residents of this estate, and can proudly say that the overwhelming majority of residents are law-abiding citizens trying to get on with their lives.
Our community is amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised in the region, but we look out for each other and we look after each other. We love our community, and we work at keeping it cohesive.
Yes, there are many problems in the estate. Sometimes some of the residents struggle. We support them. In the main, however, these problems are caused by people who do not reside on the estate but who spend a lot of time there. They are not invested in the community.
There is no question of the need for a policing presence on the estate, just as there is a huge (unmet) need for community nursing and social work on the estate. This is our community, and the members of it want it to thrive and to be safe.
I only ask that your reporting acknowledge the positives of this community and perhaps be more forthright in recognising and supporting our needs.
Carol Gardiner, Hamilton South
Hunter St now the hunted
I AGREE with Denise Lindus Trummel to a degree ("City 's heart deserves a return to glory days", Letters 26/4).
Newcastle's city mall would probably be better off being torn down and rebuilt, but would this bring people back?
Even a complete overhaul of the mall wouldn't change the fact that there are now less parking spots than ever before (especially with the light rail coming at a cost of 280 parking spots along Hunter Street), and increasingly less reasons to visit the city centre. Four more stores on Hunter Street are closing ("End of an era in the mall", Herald 25/4), and the once-flourishing street already lost the longstanding Frontline Hobbies, Rice's Bookshop and Spotlight.
I think the lockout laws dramatically decreased foot traffic and trade to night time businesses, and in that era a number of licensed premises couldn't stay afloat. It's also been proven that the closure of night time businesses has a flow-on effect that effects day time businesses, so is it any wonder that around this time a number of eateries and other daytime businesses closed, and less people now frequent the city centre throughout the day?
Adz Carter, Newcastle
What the COVID crisis earned us
A VERY heartfelt thank you to Australians who listened to health advice in 2020, made some personally difficult decisions to follow that advice and restricted contact with people to stay at home. Many made the decision to get vaccinated, despite that it was new technology and a small percentage of people had serious adverse reactions.
What you did meant the morgues in Australia were not full of people who had died of COVID, like in New York where they stored the excess bodies in refrigerated trucks. COVID infections caused the life expectancy in many countries to fall. The elderly population in residential care in the UK was decimated. In European countries doctors had to choose who would be more likely to survive, and thus who they tried to save. Then in India the supply of oxygen to hospitals could not meet the 10 fold need.
So the efforts of the average person in Australia bought a very precious commodity; time. Time to improve our knowledge, to develop effective tested treatments, what position to nurse patients, dexamethasone oral and intravenous antivirals and vaccination. The Omicron strain also appears less virulent. So the time you bought with your sacrifices has helped thousands of fellow Australians. Alas the virus has not gone away. In NSW in the last seven days 1139 people were hospitalised with COVID, 26 in ICU and 29 deaths, so please take care.
Christopher Marley, Adamstown
Lift standards on fuel efficiency
AT last, we are seeing some progress on fuel efficiency standards. It's incredibly disappointing that the previous government brought our car manufacturing industry to a standstill, when we are so well-placed to manufacture electric vehicles in Australia.
As for fuel efficiency, they chose the reverse gear. In the past decade, millions of tonnes of unnecessary vehicle pollution have been created by dirty car engines, because these regulations were not tightened. We are well below world-class standards as regards vehicle pollution. And this is not even counting the introduction of electric vehicles, which have no tailpipe emissions.
Thankfully the current Labor government is introducing an Electric Vehicle Strategy, which will include higher fuel efficiency standards. A national plan to roll out more charging stations would also encourage the uptake of electric cars.
Anne O'Hara, Wanniassa ACT
Slaps should mean cheaper taps
IF Hunter and Central Coast poker machines are "creating profits of more than $2.5 million per day", ("Pokies pain", Herald, 27/4), then why are our beer prices constantly increasing?
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
SHORT TAKES
JOBSEEKER? Who can look for work and live on $50 per day? You need access to a hot shower for good personal hygiene, a washing machine to clean clothes, good teeth for that unbroken smile, a good breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and a hot dinner (egg and chips?), public transport to the all-important interview, a bed for the night and a mobile phone. There's no way.
Sue Boele, Hamilton South
THANKS for that assessment of the political paralysis, Paul Duggan (Short Takes, 24/4). God forbid that anything enacted by governments should be allowed to continue to work. At the most basic level it seems that the role of opposition these days, upon gaining government, is to frenetically do anything to fix that which is not broken, and doing so by means they seem unable to explain. Clearly it is not clear, even to the clear-thinking lawyers, who clearly cannot agree as to what is clearly unclear.
Don Parkes, New Lambton Heights
ANZAC Day has always been the day we acknowledge our war time heroes, past and present, for their bravery in defending our country. In my opinion our Prime Minister politicised Anzac Day in his remembrance speech by seeking to divide diggers who have fought for this country along racial lines. I believe it's an utter contemptuous act of racial division.
John Cooper, Charlestown
THERE have been no reports of any of the 2500 attendees being arrested at Saturday's Gum Ball festival, and at Saturday's Groovin In The Moo festival, only 6 arrests were made amongst more than 23,000 attendees, ("By gum, a ball for music lovers"; "How Maitland got back its groove", Newcastle Herald 24/4). Both of these events were also fully licensed, so wowsers, once again, please take note. Oh, and if you think that I'm referring to you with my use of the word "wowsers", then you're probably right.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
I AM in total agreement with Michael Hinchey, (Short Takes, 25/4), regarding Tony Abbott calling George Pell a saint. Is there any reason for him to be called a saint? Absolutley no! Is there any reason to call Father Bob Maguire a saint? Absolutely yes, yes, yes! The good this man did certainly entitles him to be called a saint. The world could do with more men of the cloth just like Fr Bob.
Ian King, Warners Bay
RAY Peck, ("Recycling needs broad upgrade", Letters, 25/4), says solar panels are still 80 percent efficient after 25 years. My first lot had to go to landfill after only 7 years. The Liddell power station has lasted 52 years, and nuclear power stations, on average, last about 40 years. Technological advances with recycling have limited use while they are cost prohibitive. What happens to "repurposed" wind turbines at the end of their second life span?
