IT'S becoming more prevalent that head contact is becoming more concerning in Australian football codes and that several head impacts resulting in assessments will require players to miss more consecutive games. I find it a conflict of interest that the media promotes huge boxing matches, which is basically condoning head contact, which is not canvassed as an individual health safety issue.
Rugby league is a contact sport, but so is gridiron, so in comparison how is HIA implemented in their games, or is it being reduced / minimised by the introduction of impact reduction helmets? Will this be the future of NRL and AFL? I firmly believe that introduction of headgear is the way to go, but surely a head guard of suitable impact absorption material should be made compulsory and trialled prior to implementing helmets worn in American football. Protection of players comes first and foremost. The visual viewing, pomp and circumstance comes second.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
A tragedy we can never forget
DAMON Cronshaw's article ('Memories of a tragedy', Newcastle Herald 9/3) brought back some memories for me, as well. Seeing the photo of Glanmor Willcox, who was directly involved in the terrible incident, reminded me of the days when he and his brother "Tiny" Willcox, who was about six feet and five inches tall, used to play first grade hockey for Stockton when I was a teenager in the 1950s. I always thought his name was Glen, but obviously, his teammates were calling him "Glan".
My older brother John, who had played hockey against the Willcox boys, was also in one of those amphibious transport vehicles at the time (pronounced "Duck" but strangely spelled Dukw). As the tragedy unfolded in the wild sea, John thought he was comparatively fortunate because his vessel remained upright, until he saw one of his friends, Darryl, in the water and calling for assistance. John shouted to Darryl to swim over to him but Darryl had lost his glasses in the ocean and his night vision was impaired, so John dived in and swam over to his mate and guided him back to safety.
Hearing details of the incident from my brother at our home was frightening enough at the time, and I can understand why Mr Willcox has such vivid memories of it some 69 years later.
David Stuart, New Lambton
Certifier system needs a rebuild
DID you say developer? Give me the money. Local councils have divorced themselves from certification of building design due to the cost, time and other woes when design has issues; as I believe is shown by the Llewellyn Street debacle ('A question of access', Herald 9/3).
Full credit to the council for now defending the right of way, but perhaps a fuller review of the plans before council approval would have averted problems.
The building industry system of developers having their own go-to certifiers in my opinion generally lacks full and proper independence.
Council asks the developer if they comply with condition 69, the developer says yes, and plans get rubber stamped. I think the council instead should have told the developer there were specific requirements of public access, explaining them in full.
I think some certifiers being paid by developers are obviously going to interpret clauses to the developers' best result where possible. Developers are always pushing the envelope. I have seen incidents of developers building over adjacent residential boundaries and councils denying any responsibility.
Paul Duggan, Garden Suburb
East End's chance to nab hope
THANK you for using a great word in the online headline for Madeline Link's story ('City of Newcastle mayor Nuatali Nelmes lauds event as a roaring success, hopes to nab five-year deal', Herald 13/3), nab. Nab means to take or grab something.
Hope is another great word. The lord mayor hopes to nab another five-year deal. People are taking a community survey, hoping their opinions may help council decide not give the go ahead to the owners of this race for a further five years. Hopes dashed already, in my view.
Here's what I believe has been nabbed from the residents of Newcastle East: quiet enjoyment of homes, clean air, the ability to access our beaches, and our hopes. In my opinion the NSW Auditor-General needs to be called upon to hold City of Newcastle and the state government accountable for using public resources for a private business.
Catherine Whelan, Newcastle
Perrottet's pitch only helps rich
PREMIER Dominic Perrottet seemingly kept most of his colleagues in the dark about his kids future fund scheme. If he had properly canvassed the policy amongst his political colleagues before announcing it, I reckon they might have counselled him against going ahead with it.
The state will match dollar-for-dollar deposits by parents into a dedicated fund for each of their kids. The minimum deposit is $400 a year, accessible to each child when they are 18 for education or a house deposit specifically. Who can argue against parents sacrificing for their kids?
But think about it. The Premier's scheme, if implemented, will exacerbate the generational divide between the rich and poor since it favours the wealthy. This subsidised bank of mum-and-dad works fine for people with lots of kids and a mega-salary, but what of others? Many parents are struggling to pay for housing and food today. They cannot afford to take advantage of the scheme and put money aside for each child. Hopefully voters will see this for what it is: a cheap, cynical and desperate attempt to win votes in marginal electorates. We can do better.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
Where's process on nuclear shift?
THERE was a time long ago when the residents of Australia made democratic decisions on significant changes through a letter or visiting an MP, which translated into debates and law changes.
These days more often we get a short mention on our local news, such as the Prime Minister deciding to abandon the nuclear bans on our ports and ordering half a dozen nuclear-powered submarines from France, or USA or UK. Don't worry about the bans placed on our ports after atomic testing at Maralinga. Don't worry about the Nagasaki bombing, the Chernobyl meltdown or the more recent tsunami in Japan.
We have a Russian president who threatens almost daily to unleash his atomic arsenal to level any neighbouring country standing in his way to resurrect the previous USSR. Didn't George Orwell warn us about this? So do we learn from history? Or do we repeat our previous mistakes?
How many more madmen with atomic bombs and or accidents does it take to render our one and only planet uninhabitable? There's nowhere else to go, Earth's fellow inhabitants.
George Paris, Rathmines
SHORT TAKES
I WOULD suggest that Kalyn Ponga be put on the wing to replace Dominic Young when he moves to his new team. The wingers are fast and least likely to get targeted for head knocks like the defenders. I have seen Kalyn dodge and weave his way through the defence lines and this may prove to be a better proposition than losing him altogether.
Susan Ayre, Maryland
IF you're being injured playing the game it's time to stop. Your health is worth more than dollars.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
I'M not a follower of Supercars. It doesn't bother me one way or the other. I live close to the interchange so I can hear the cars from my home. I imagine it would be a problem though, for the residents who live close to the track. To me, the noise was no worse than speedboats. I thought the noise from helicopters was more affecting. Of course, the icing on the cake came on Sunday afternoon with the spectacular display from the RAAF with the flypast. Wonderful.
Les Field, Wickham
OUR lord mayor tells us how good the car race was for Newcastle businesses, yet some businesses are saying trade was down up to 60 per cent. Also I might be wrong, but didn't Gosford say no to the race before Newcastle got to host it?
Bruce Cook, Adamstown
LIKE many people, I am opposed to the government's submarine deal, and I hope that it can be cancelled as easily as the French contract was cancelled. At the same time, I am ashamed to be on the same side of the argument as Paul Keating. His behaviour at the National Press Club on Wednesday was, in my opinion, unforgivable and disgusting. He does not seem to understand that ad hominem arguments win no sympathy. It's time for him to step down from making public comments.
Peter Moylan, Glendale
INNES Belcher (Letters 10/3) begs us to keep Supercars for another five years as it is the "only truly worldwide event" held here in Newcastle. I beg to differ. Could I suggest soccer as well as surfing. Both hold international competitions in Newcastle and do not cause the disruption caused by Supercars, and both of those sports are enjoyed by millions. Your father may not follow surfing but perhaps soccer is his thing. I know that I would not wish him to suffer what we are suffering for sport of any kind. As for "breaking a few eggs in order to make an omelette", I wonder if you would like to volunteer to be an egg in future as most of us living within a kilometre of the track don't want the job any more.
Denise Lindus Trummel, Newcastle
IN relation to VIP events, to quote Groucho Marx "I refuse to join a club that would take me as a member".
Mark Armstrong, Hamilton
HERE'S an idea that might contribute toward turning teenagers off vaping: instead of making them fruit and lolly flavours, how about say broccoli or brussel sprout flavour, or maybe raw onion? Worth a try?
