I AM writing this letter whilst travelling in a TGV train from Toulouse to Paris.
The entire train has wifi access, USB ports and a 230-volt power point available for each seat.
Presumably the new model trains that have been gathering dust will have these enhancements.
It beggars belief that the modifications required would take several years to complete and everyone is very quiet about when we may actually see them in service.
The quality of our regional trains are really in the dark ages.
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
Sharks no reason to blow off wind farms
I READ with interest the report about a shark encounter off Port Stephens reported by Jamie Culver who believes that an electromagnetic field created by his boat's electronics attracted the shark ("Encounter buoys wind farm fears", Herald, 1/6).
Mr Culver then declared with no scientific evidence whatsoever that this is reason enough that we now need to abandon the offshore wind farm's being installed.
Is he seriously suggesting that because the wind farms may attract sharks we need to abandon offshore wind farms which will be integral to providing essential 24/7 power.
Perhaps we also need to stop ships anchoring offshore from Newcastle as they likewise will have electromagnetic fields and their anchor chains, similar to wind farm anchors, may disturb the whale migration.
The noise of the ship engines will create havoc to the whales communications system and may cause whales to beach on Stockton Bight?
We sometimes have to weigh up the consequences of providing our essential services then determine what is most important or what we can go without.
We already know scientifically the huge collateral damage caused by burning coal to our landscape, air, health and our climate so I suggest we solely rely on scientific analysis and not mere thoughts or scaremongering before we stop any renewables projects.
Darryl Stevenson, Coal Point
Times are only getting tougher
Mr Albanese and Mr Minns,
People of your state and your country are hurting. It's for real. You and your respective ministers and your teams need to remove your ear muffs and eye blinkers so you can hear and see.
We count ourselves as some of the lucky ones.
However, we are on a fixed income, have a small mortgage - hence have a roof over our heads - but we still have to pay for utilities, pay the same for groceries and the list goes on.
We, like so many others, are broke.
This morning I had to invent a toilet roll holder out of a cane basket and chopsticks as we can't afford to buy a new one. Now that's not good. What we have, we try to share and donate wherever possible, but the future is grim.
When you were first elected, Mr Albanese, you invited people to come down to your local pub and have a chat about your vision for Australia. Now we can't afford the trip and we would need you to shout.
Perhaps you could both bring your own carton (albeit XXXX ) to our house to explain your visions.
We applaud your future plans for the Murray River (but what about the Darling too?) but we worked hard, paid taxes, and still cannot see much of a future.
Sue Perkins, Adamstown Heights
Kitchen heat isn't taxpayers' woe
I see where restaurants, cafes and coffee shops are currently doing it a bit tough they are seeking assistance from governments to help them survive.
I have to ask, why should governments be asked to prop up private enterprise? When one goes into business, they should do so based on a prepared business plan.
I appreciate that circumstances change, due to cost increases for products, as well as difficulties engaging staff. When confronted with these challenges, it is time to review management procedures and make the necessary changes to remain viable. This is the responsibility of business operators, not the government.
If you can't take the heat, I'd suggest you get out of the kitchen.
Stan Kiefer, Arakoon
Why council rates need oversight
IN response to union boss Graeme Kelly's opinion piece ("Why the cap on NSW council rates is a big load of rubbish", Opinion, 1/6): it seems strange that he should be supporting Newcastle council's desire for unfettered authority to increase rates when it is his members who will pay any excessive rate increases the council might apply.
In response to his assertion that Hunter Water was given special treatment by IPART for recent increases, he ignores the fact water rates only rose by about 4 per cent between 2018 and 2023 while City of Newcastle rates went up far more during the same period. IPART's 7 per cent increase last year might be seen as a bit of catch up for Hunter Water.
This is not to say Hunter Water are innocent of ripping off Hunter residents as I believe they did about 16 years ago when they moved the connection point to their sewerage mains.
It left residents with the cost of replacing inspection shafts, which by then were ageing, and which residents had contributed capital costs over 60 years to build.
The Newcastle Herald took this issue up at the time but to no avail.
In my view none of the local authorities can be trusted to spend resident ratepayer contributions in a responsible way. To leave councils unsupervised to set rate increases would see ratepayers ripped off.
John Davies, Newcastle East
Nicknames deserve official status
I MET a barman at a bar in Dublin. He had once been to our wonderful city on an Australian road trip. He lovingly referred to our city as Newy. I like this name as well. I think it's time our local councils get with the program and officially call Newcastle Newy and Lake Macquarie Lake Mac.
Andrew Whitbread-Brown, Cardiff Heights
Dutton is not right man for job
SO Josh Frydenberg is allegedly considering another run in federal politics. I would think that there are many Liberal voters who believe that the party has gone too far right and would like to have a more moderate leader. Peter Dutton is not the right person to take them into the future.
Colin Rowlatt, Newcastle
Embarrassing outing from Knights
IF Adam O'Brien continues to instruct our Knights to play one-out football all in the name of high percentages and being gritty, then I want my money back. There was nothing gritty about Friday's performance. It was embarrassing and needs to be improved - dramatically. The question is: can they get the job done?
Luke Hughes, Jewells
Will conviction spoil the friendship
IT would be interesting to know whether serial portfolio grabber Scott Morrison will keep cosy with a convicted crim? With the majority of Trump's diehards being of the faith, I guess I have the answer.
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
Blast for Trump types on money
MICHAEL Hinchey ("Trump's track record makes his character clear", Letters, 1/6), has hit the nail on the head with his critique of Donald Trump and his supporters. I couldn't have said it better myself.
