Why do so many businesses in Newcastle close before 5pm?
Whether it's a cafe, bakery, bank branch or retail store, many places shut doors at 4pm or 4.30pm.
For anyone working regular full-time hours, that means taking time off work just to access basic services.
This is not the conduct of a so-called city.
We often hear leaders and politicians talk about attracting more professionals, families and investment to regional areas, but it's hard to see how that happens when so many services are unavailable once the working day ends.
The NSW Productivity and Equality Commission's 2025 report Review of Regulatory Barriers Impeding a Vibrant 24-Hour Economy found that unnecessary barriers to later trading are holding back billions of dollars in economic activity.
The commission argued that making it easier for businesses to operate later would support jobs, local spending and more vibrant communities.
No one is suggesting every business should stay open late every day, but surely a regional city should be able to offer more options after 5pm.
Evening pathology collections, later retail trading and extended service hours would benefit workers, families and local businesses alike.
If we want thriving regional communities, we need business hours that reflect how people actually live and work.
Apparently having lower-lobe pneumonia with a pleural effusion is insufficient to push a patient into a high priority stream in the new Maitland Hospital emergency department (ED). Fast track was the best option offered, with a wait time to be seen of at least 12 hours without a bed being available at all if it was presumed that admission would follow.
The diagnosis had been made outside, a blood test and chest x-ray confirming the clinical impression. Despite 72 hours on high-dose amoxycillin, there was no impact. He remained febrile, short of breath and weak at 30 years old. It was evident, or at least should have been, that he needed IV broad spectrum antibiotics, oxygen and bed rest. Triage did not appear to recognise that imperative at all.
The waiting room was overwhelmed. The bed situation was gridlocked. Lack of inpatient availability prevented movement into the hospital. A liaison person informed those waiting that the "executive" were attempting to solve the problem. Opening the top floor of the establishment seemingly a good idea in my mind. Far too late, as the evening saw more people descend on ED. "It could be another six hours"... "We might not have a bed"... "Other hospitals in the Lower Hunter are in a similar situation"...
The decision to go to the private hospital ED, after contacting them, was difficult because of cost and distance. It was undertaken in desperation, it later resulted in being rejected following triage, allegedly due to lack of beds. It was a confusing and distressing response, leaving him sick and nonplussed in the city. A call to the private ED: "yes, you can attend" ... "we have beds" ... only to be told, after some assessment, "we don't admit cases of pneumonia unless they're unable to breathe". At least, on this occasion, he was given an intravenous broad spectrum antibiotic. And a dual regime of antibiotics to cover a wider range of pathogens to take orally at home. A full nine hours after initially presenting. With travel time a complicated impediment. Repeating the chest x-ray and blood tests is a pointless exercise in the overall scheme of things. A multi-ED debacle in one night. The sorry state of the local health system is fully illustrated.
I found it interesting that the NSW Coalition has suddenly decided that solar and batteries work with their newly declared renewables energy zone (REZ). After years of decrying that the huge open areas of the state covered with solar panels would never work, suddenly just the urban areas will do the job?
They now declare that the urban areas of greater Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong using solar panels and batteries can provide power for 10 million homes, now apparently declaring that the lengthy high power transmission lines are not required.
The LNP can't have it both ways, and now needs to state which policy was baseless. Surely our energy operators and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) would embrace this newfound discovery before now. It also needs to now declare that solar and battery rebates, largely in our urban areas as adopted by Labor, is a good policy that should reduce power accounts to zero. That's way better than the $275 reduction promised by Labor.
There is lots of talk and artists' impressions of what the Broadmeadow re-development will look like, and it's not bad. However, I have not seen much information on the housing that is also to be built in the same area. The entire project will be a big boost, but we must be mindful that too much housing could be a bad thing. More services will be needed to cater for the residents. I have not seen that mentioned.
Thank you to City of Newcastle and Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp for addressing the safety issues in Gregson Park. Children and families again have a natural play area.
Would it be feasible for the state government to refurbish the Regional Produce Markets building at Sandgate for a temporary Basketball Stadium until a new one is built in the Hunter Sports Precinct?
Any discussion about 30kmh speed limits on Honeysuckle Drive needs to be about possibly making it a 40kmh limit to align with Hunter Street. Hunter Street is quite safe at this speed. To avoid confusion on these two particular roads, I believe it to be the way to go. E-bikes, other electric scooters and skateboards have been known to pass me on Honeysuckle Drive and very little seems to be done about it. So why not?
Christine Robilliard ("Too many close calls on e-bikes", Letters, 24/6), show me a responsible e-bike rider and I'll show you where to find a yowie.
At the very moment when literally the entire nation is thankful we have a brilliant multicultural, multilingual broadcaster in SBS, Pauline Hanson wants to abolish it.
