THERE was an expected crowd of 30,000 supporters for the Women's State of Origin on Thursday night at McDonald Jones Stadium. Can you imagine if the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre is constructed at Wallarah Oval, where it is projected that there will be 22,000 visitors per week?
What if there is a basketball game which seats 2400 supporters in the complex? That is, there will inevitably be games on at the same time as football matches, music events and soccer. Where will visitors park in the future? Already, fans park around the neighbouring suburbs and often many streets back to Wests New Lambton and beyond. Have the proponents conducted a survey of the traffic and parking now? If so, they would know that parking will be problematic and cause a headache for all.
I understand there will be limited parking spaces located on the Wallarah grounds as proposed, but the entry northward and exit southward will cause havoc with cars entering a feeder lane, and slowing the traffic on Turton Road. It will be a nightmare for drivers and fans in the future.
Hilary Oliver, New Lambton
Beach path delays have stacked up
THANK you, Newcastle Herald ("No promenade access until skate park finished", Herald 6/6), for objectively documenting the litany of delays and cost blow-outs associated with Newcastle council's reopening of the Bathers Way path at South Newcastle beach and skate park.
The Herald report did not canvas the efficacy of a very costly skateboard park built on a beach regularly subject to strong sand and moisture laden winds.
Council's reversal of its previous decision to reopen the pedestrian pathway before the skate park was attributed to the "potential of machinery conflicting with pedestrian access". Was this latest decision derived from any genuine community consultation, and is there any scope for compromise in enabling earlier safe public access to the pathway?
Without attracting the wrath of Mr Neylon, I believe we must discourage cynics from asserting council delays regarding opening the pathway and other announcements, such as the commencement of stage 2 of the multi-million dollar gentrification of a multi-story licenced Newcastle ocean baths pavilion, may coincide with the forthcoming NSW local government elections later in 2024.
Tony Brown, Newcastle
Nuclear push ignores the facts
JOHN Arnold ("Energy pandering offers no help", Letters, 1/6), is correct: Peter Dutton has assumed those potentially living near a nuclear power plant support nuclear on the basis of a "high energy IQ".
Does Mr Dutton have a good understanding of this most complex of technologies? It is not simply the technology which is problematic. He appears not to clearly interpret data and evidence from many nuclear-energy countries, eminent scientists and economists in our own country. Add to that the fact that the business sector, such as major super funds, the big retailers AGL and Origin, and major financial investors, do not think nuclear is viable given the costs of building a plant and the prices needed to recover those costs.
Mr Dutton's campaign for nuclear is high energy, but where is the IQ?
Fiona Colin, Malvern East
It's ugly, but do we need Trump
I UNDERSTAND that people who lean to the left deplore Donald Trump, who leans to the right. That said, he may not be right, but he is better than nothing, which I believe President Joe Biden presents.
As a two-way bet, anything is better than nothing. The US can't be the leader of the free world guided by someone who clearly doesn't know what time of day it is.
Yes, Trump may fit all the names that dispute his character, but when he takes centre stage everyone listens. Maybe the world and indeed the USA, requires what some may call a bully to straighten out an indecisive globe that I believe has lost its moral compass, that prefers to attack the victim and reward the aggressor. I believe it takes a bully to stand up to Russia, China and North Korea; a bully who says what he means and does what he says. At present, I believe the USA is a joke and Australia is not far behind.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Knights woes on scoreboard nothing new
ALLEN Small ("If Knights need a scapegoat, blame me for loss", Letters, 5/6), you are a harsh judge. Five years ago Adam O'Brien said the defence was on song and the points would come, yet here we are. You don't forget those things.
Mick Kembrey, Cessnock
Balance lacking on wealth split
The low-paid workers get a pay rise, and employer groups complain small businesses will close. The Reserve Bank raises interest rates to a point where people cannot afford to spend, and small businesses close. Banks are making huge profits. Do we have an answer to this problem?
Darryl Tuckwell, Eleebana
Migration needs an explanation
DARRYL Stevenson ("Migration's no scapegoat for all of our woes", Letters, 6/6), why do we need 150,000 migrants? What is wrong with our birth rate alone? I'm one of those who thinks we should stop migration, at least for a couple of years.
Graeme Bennett, Warners Bay
Huge demand demands supply
THE Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) now expects electricity demand to double in the next 20 years. Catering for the doubling of demand will require doubling the already estimated solar panels and wind turbines that currently decimate our land and seas. We still do not have from Mr Bowen the cost to taxpayers of the unreliable renewable conversion, but whatever it is it has now doubled. It is starting to sound like nuclear power may be cheaper.
John Cooper, Charlestown
Voters will get their say soon
JOHN Tierney ("Unheeded call for accountability and genuine democracy", Opinion, 6/6) raises and highlights some pertinent points: the City of Newcastle's poor decision making, and the state government's lack of understanding and appreciation of our unique city. We are in desperate need of a shake-up.
Vicki Dunn, Tighes Hill
Conscription wrong prescription
I SEE John Cooper ("Where's national pride in defence", Letters, 7/6) thinks we should reintroduce conscription. No country that purports to be a democracy should force people to join the military. If people want to join and be cannon fodder for American wars, then that's their choice. But no one should be forced to.
