In response to Milton Caine's letter (Herald, 17/8), what I want for Newcastle as a ratepayer is exactly what is happening.
The city is springing back to life slowly but surely. New businesses such as retail and hospitality are now taking up vacant space and the city is coming back to life.
The unique QT hotel, pictured, is bringing its own quirky style back into the CBD and with that comes interstate guests looking to spend some money. Same for the new Kingsley Hotel. The retail shops under my building are reporting on good steady sales and saying that there are more people around. The beautiful facades of the East End development have thankfully been retained and construction of these developments are either complete or under construction.
Comparing your taxi trips being reduced to how "totally dead" Newcastle is, unfortunately not accurate. Don't get me wrong I love taxis but most people now get Ubers or if you live in the city you are on foot. Newcastle CBD is not dying, it is in fact on its way to prospering.
Catherine Graham, Newcastle
Please end train troubles
REGARDING Ann Gabbott's ('Incessant rail strikes hit some of us harder', Letters, 9/8) I do feel that the people who act as representatives of unions need to consider the people who are impacted most by the ongoing rail stoppages who include the young, the elderly, the poor and disadvantaged people who have no choice other than to rely on rail transport.
These people often have no alternative way of getting to work, appointments and other commitments. Losing a day's pay for people in our community who can least afford it would be disastrous and not being able to attend a vital medical appointment for which you may have been waiting months, very frustrating.
It has been pointed out that there are serious safety issues with the new trains and we understand that these issues need to be resolved, but the public is losing patience with what appears to them to be selfish actions with unthought consequences.
It's beginning to look like a vanity issue with no one willing to back down and lose face. Please, is there no way that government and union officials can come together to resolve the issues without causing further disruptions.
Joy Conner, Merewether
In fear of the next flood
CLIMATOLOGISTS suggest that we are in for another wet summer. The ocean surface temperatures off Northern Australia, of the western Pacific and the east Indian oceans will be warmer than average. The Pacific Ocean's La Nina, and the Indian Ocean's Dipole will conspire to increase evaporation in the oceans around northern Australia. Our summer weather patterns will bring the resultant moisture south and cause increased rainfall and flooding. The much-vaunted O'Kane Flood Review's 28 recommendations, remain just recommendations ('We cannot keep doing things the same', Herald, 18/8).
For many flooded-out householders on the Northern Rivers floodplains, another flood within a year will destroy them financially. They cannot insure their houses as their insurers have increased the premium to make it unaffordable. They recognise that the NSW government's buy-back scheme which promises to move them to higher ground is just political hype which may never happen for them. After living in a van or couch-surfing for months, they have finally taken the punt. They have extended their mortgages and borrowed the necessary money to repair and rebuild their houses. After waiting months for the work to be done, they have finally moved in.
Then comes the 2022-2023 flood. Like the itsy bitsy spider, they must start all over again. But this time, since they are mortgaged to the hilt, and interest rates are higher, their banks don't want to know them. Why, it is enough for many of them to finally believe that global warming is real and not a 'greenie conspiracy' after all. They may even curse the previous federal government for doing nothing about climate change over a decade, apart from making false claims and pontificating about targets whilst justifying and approving the opening or extending of more 'transitional' coal mines.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
Nuclear not so safe
JOHN Cooper, ('Death rates may surprise you', Letters, 27/7), as a scientist and radiation safety officer, I do not take cues from "greens or others". It's not clear where your "official information" is sourced, however other sources far exceed the numbers of deaths you have quoted.
I suspect the smaller than actual death statistics are lethal doses within operations rather than to those of members of the public and of slower acting radiation sickness as a result of disasters.
As to the claim of no emissions. Guess what? Nuclear power plants emit radiation.
Carl Stevenson, ('The dangers may be overstated', Letters 27/7), my point was that uranium is a finite resource, it will run out.
The renewables will be ever present, hence infinite. The appeal to authority argument of other nations having nuclear warships does not make it right, sensible or safe.
As to being a safe form of energy production, are you aware that in Europe some countries supply iodine tablets to people living within 50 km of nuclear power plants?
This a potential defence against thyroid cancer from uncontrolled radioactive iodine emission. As for radiation from Caesium and Strontium, that is another story.
Marvyn Smith, Heddon Greta
ScoMo's ego is No.1
ALL prime ministers must have some sort of ego to survive in the rough and tumble of politics. I thought Kevin Rudd was the most egotistical prime minister we ever had but Scott Morrison really takes the cake.
He claimed he didn't inform the various ministers that he had taken over their portfolios so it wouldn't undermine their confidence in conducting their own jobs. Sorry, he had just taken their jobs from them.
Also he said he did not remember being given power over Treasury and Home Affairs until he was informed by Department officials. Apparently these powers just emerged from somewhere. Sounds very similar to ex-Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
This confirms his apparent zealistic mission to save Australia. ScoMo, you're the new champ.
Robert Green, Georgetown
Twist in the Morrison tale
SCOTT Morrison is hitting the stage again. A church man who believes he is god's gift and doing it for all our own good but deciding not to tell us for fear of upsetting our morale and efficiency.
Democracy seems to have many twists, especially in the hands of an expert don't you think?
For even thinking of it, I reckon Morrison deserves jail and for actually doing it he deserves political excommunication permanently.
Democracy is democracy and don't let us forget it. Keep an eye out for plum jobs for our friend, let's say in several years' time.
