THE proposed streetscape activation trial in Darby Street will supposedly see 16 car spaces moved to the carpark behind the library ('Wider path for Darby outdoor dining trial', Herald, 4/5).
However, there looks to be little space behind the library for more parking with all the available area currently utilised. So it would seem the "move" of 16 spaces is likely to be the rezoning of library spaces from all day parking to time limited spaces. The precinct will still lose 16 car spaces. The impending art gallery expansion will also see the loss of around 40 spaces on the Darby Street side and in the library carpark. Displaced commuters will be looking to park in the already saturated surrounding residential streets and there will be less parking options for Darby Street patrons. There may be no need for wider footpaths in Darby Street if visitors can't find a carpark.
The trial will also see the Darby Street speed limit reduced to 30km/h. As stated by the Herald, Darby Street is a key route to and from the CBD ('Another view of street 'shared spaces'', Herald, 4/5). It is in fact gazetted as a regional road under the NSW Road Network Classification hierarchy. The restaurant stretch is currently zoned 40km/h and this looks to function well for both traffic and pedestrians. Zoning a main road at a lower speed than the surrounding residential streets has the potential to encourage rat-running by frustrated motorists, impacting residents' amenity and making these streets, which carry more cyclists than Darby Street, less safe.
Glenn Burgess, Cooks Hill
Time to add ferry stops
THE Stockton ferry is an iconic attraction to Newcastle. Perhaps it is time to add Honeysuckle and Carrington as stops. This would be both a tourist attraction and very appreciated by people who find the distances too great. It may not mean every journey but, say, one an hour during the day.
A kiosk on the Newcastle side would be a viable addition. This is one of the most visited places here, particularly by waterfront walkers. The entire ferry and Queens Wharf precinct is long past due for renovation and vision. As the beginning of the Cathedral corridor, there seems no reason why such a project has not been undertaken. The loss of rental income from the ferry commercial building must now be considerable, apart from that, it is derelict and reflects badly on Newcastle's image, it is among the most visited of places in the city. Why the delay?
Fred Whitaker, Newcastle
Make empty rentals available
THE high cost of housing is a national disaster, but there is a barrier to finding a solution. Many sitting politicians own two or more investment properties, presumably because they don't expect their parliamentary pensions to be enough to live on. For them, rising house prices and rising rents are a bonanza, so they are not motivated to solve the problem. Legislation that drives up house prices, like the negative gearing rule and the support for sub-prime mortgages, seems to have been voted in by members who failed to declare a conflict of interest. Conflicts of interest should be part of the long-awaited anti-corruption body.
One thing that might help ameliorate the shortage of affordable rental properties is to take a closer look at investment houses that are left empty. If a house is left empty for a year or more, it should be made available, at a rent to be set by the Department of Housing. If that results in poor people being put in luxury houses, too bad. That might just wean developers off their focus on the luxury end of the market. It might also make Australian property less attractive to foreign money launderers, but we can live with that.
Peter Moylan, Glendale
Trouble with technology
THE great and wise Telstra has a new app aimed to simplify all communications with customers. A friend in country NSW who has to use a flip phone to get reception, and has no reception on wifi, has constantly been bombarded with SMSs to open the app or lose use of his phone.
This was impossible for him to do in person. He had a relative in the city sub for him to clarify things and find a solution. Friend spent 2.5 hours on the phone to Telstra; transferred twice, eventually getting answers and some resolution and was told an answer would be sent to her email. This is the point it became ridiculous. She received no email. The Telstra rep said her email did not exist. This email has been used by her for 20 years. Another 30 minutes restored her email, without all her contacts, and she was unable to restore the contacts because the password they agreed on did not work. Again, interim, eventually all returned to working order after a week. Two days ago her country friend got the Telstra SMS again. Again she acted for him, and faced the same issue. Today she cannot access her email. Yesterday, 'Groundhog Day', she heard that her email did not exist, even though Telstra uses this email to send her bills.
Lyn Rendle, Rankin Park
Low rates were not due to policy
THE Coalition claim that it has kept interest rates low on its watch is hogwash. At 200 per cent, Australia has one of the highest ratios of debt-to-household income in the OECD. This means that consumer spending is particularly sensitive to the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) increase of the cash rate by 0.25 per cent ('There's more to come', Herald, 4/5). I accept the Coalition's claim that this rise in official interest rates was necessary, since interest rates have risen in the rest of the world. If Australia didn't increase interest rates, the $AU would fall, our terms of trade would deteriorate and Australia would import more inflation. But the Coalition cannot also claim the converse: that it has kept interest rates low during its watch, that this is good economic management, and that under the Coalition interest rates would always be lower than under Labor. The government doesn't set interest rates. Interest rates, for any federal government are a 'given' when it designs general economic policy. The RBA, under its charter, is independent of government. It is obliged to keep inflation within 2-3 per cent by adjusting the official cash rate.
During the last three years, the RBA has conducted quantitative easing, keeping the cash rate at 0.1 per cent by buying government debt. This has resulted in $350b in government debt on the RBA's books. This debt is likely to be written off, rather than resold to banks and the general public. The RBA's unconventional quantitative easing cannot be claimed as good government economic management by the Coalition.
To curb household demand, an increase in interest rates is crude and discriminatory. It is used because it is quick and easy. It targets people in debt, particularly recent home owner-occupiers who are mortgaged to the hilt. Whereas home investors can cushion the blow by writing off any rise in interest by reducing their taxable income, and by increasing rent to tenants, owner-occupiers do not enjoy these luxuries. So, banks can expect more mortgagee sales and 'jingle envelopes', especially from recent borrowers who lose their jobs.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
SHORT TAKES
IN reply to Tony Morley (Short Takes, 6/5): if you're only charging $90/hr, you are slowly going broke. That aside, the tax write-off for assets purchased go towards growing a business and employing people. To put a vehicle on the road with a qualified plumber with all the equipment needed, insurances, holiday pay, wages, unproductive hours, etc costs in excess of $60/hr. The business then runs an office, the owner draws a wage and pays tax - not much left out of your $90/hr. As you can see, we are getting close to $22/hr. Would you risk your house and assets for that?
Mark Bowen, licensed plumber for 40 years, Broadmeadow
DOES Natalie Hudson feel it is OK for biological males to compete in women's sports ('Everyone deserves dignity and respect', Letters, 6/5)? That is where Deves is getting all the flack. She has apologised for the comments that she made previously. I thought that Natalie being one for fair play would see in her heart to forgive Deves for her previous statements for which she regrets.
Bruce Brander, Belmont
CAN someone, other than NRMA dribble, tell me how petrol all of a sudden became nearly the same as before tax relief? This is a joke and a government needs to address it.
Bruce Cook, Adamstown
THE reason for the dramatic rise in newsprint costs is the locking up of native forests from sustainable logging. Greenie pressure groups caused this. Koalas can be blamed too. Bluegums (eucalypts saligna), a prime newsprint source, are grown in vast plantations on Kangaroo Island. Koalas love them. They were introduced in the 1920s. Their numbers grew to 50,000. Bushfires culled 25,000. Let's hope that the trees recover before the koala population once again grows and threatens our newsprint supply and reduces costs.
Geoff Walker, Mallabula
IF you pay people peanuts you get monkeys. God help our young and aged people.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
ALBO always smiles, while ScoMo always smirks.
Simon Ruddy, Newcastle
HERE'S just one example of Scott Morrison putting politics before people, "it's not my responsibility, I don't hold a hose"!
Mark Sheerin, Hamilton South
MAC Maguire (Short Takes, 4/5) I can relate, having been one of the countless recipients of the frequent incessant texts from Clive Palmer and Craig Kelly. If they think I'd support them, they mustn't know about me finding out their mobile phone numbers and sharing them on social media.
