YOUR LETTERS
Newcastle Herald
Friday March 25, 2011
My life on the busesI AM at present suffering the inconvenience of travelling on public transport.The first problem is that there is no timetable attached to the post where I catch the bus at Carrington, so I wait and hope for the best. Most times I have to catch a taxi, because I have waited so long I could miss my appointment.The timetables seem to have been planned with no thought of people having to catch connecting buses. Living at Carrington, I usually have to catch two buses to get anywhere.I find trying to catch a bus from Westfield Kotara into Newcastle is difficult. You can wait up to 40 minutes for a bus - and then they all come at once.The worse thing is the time-based tickets. One hour is not enough time when some buses arrive only every hour. This can be very stressful.I think one of the criteria for working at Newcastle Buses should be that employees are expected to travel on buses to see if the routes they have planned actually work.Saundr’ BentleyCarringtonGreat name for a great stadiumTHE powers that be will be looking eventually for a name for the western grandstand at Ausgrid Stadium.As the eastern grandstand is named after rugby league great Andrew Johns, I think it would be appropriate to name the new grandstand after a soccer player.After all, the Jets share the ground with the Knights, so I think most supporters of both codes would agree to this proposition.I put forward the name of one of Newcastle's own soccer legends, Ray Baartz. He is respected by all Novocastrians. He has played with top teams in the world game and is a former Socceroo.Since being a part of the Tinkler group, we have him to thank for keeping Nikolai Topor-Stanley at the Jets, and he had a hand in enticing Socceroo Jason Culina to Newcastle from the Gold Coast.Ron ParrRedheadWe're on the edge of destructionIT'S not hard to despair about our ability to save ourselves from ourselves when it comes to human sustainability on this planet.Just look at the continual wars, disappearing oil, accelerating species extinction, the poisoning of the land, sea and air and, of course, climate change.The realities of all are plain. Don't look now, but all this northern winter the Arctic sea ice area has stayed below the record low set in 2006.Meanwhile, our politicians and industry groups (and their supporters) still scream about a carbon tax that, if introduced, would help achieve a 5 per cent emissions reduction by 2020.Yes, you heard right - a miserly 5 per cent.Studies indicate the whole world has to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2025 and 80 per cent by 2050.I rest my case.Brian PurdueMarylandI ENJOYED going for an early morning pushbike ride the other day around our beautiful, pristine coastal rubbish tip.We could awaken one morning and see countless species of marine life floating belly-up in the harbour, dead as a doornail.The masses will gather to look at this, some of whom will be standing there scratching their thick skulls, wondering how on earth this could possibly have happened.Maybe to get over it they will take to the surf for a refreshing swim and find themselves attacked by killer dolphins.Then, of course, we'll have to hunt down and slaughter these savage creatures.And come Christmastime we can relax and celebrate humanity while we sit around and tuck into a fisherman's basket. Hallelujah, one and all.Ian GarryNewcastleCoal and traffic need sorting outI READ with interest about the proposal for the upgrading of coal-loading facilities at Kooragang Island ("Coal-loader options" Herald 23/3).Nowhere in the article was there any mention of the traffic congestion being experienced by those using this section of road in the daily grind of getting to and from work.Those using Egret Street face the need to travel backwards to use a roundabout to get to the Industrial Highway.This is an absolute disgrace and all politicians need to be made aware of this farce.I was informed that not enough traffic uses this road and that is why we can't get proper traffic control at the end of Egret Street.There are traffic lights at Williamtown Airport that control traffic using the airport road - when there is a perfectly good roundabout just up the road.Maybe some of the money the government gets in coal royalties should be used for this purpose and fix the problem.It's probably too late for this election, as I believe there are already way too many promises that won't be kept by either party.Greg LoweElermore ValeSubsidies are in the wrong placeTHE threat to shut down the wind turbine at Kooragang Island to make way for the T4 terminal ("Coal-loader options" Herald 23/3), which would expand the world's biggest coal export port by 60 per cent, is symbolic of the way state and federal governments have treated renewable energy over the past five years.Almost every renewable energy initiative has suffered cutbacks, while the coal industry receives $12 billion in taxpayer subsidies every year.Twelve new coal-fired power stations are being built around the country and coal exports are doubling - yet in renewable energy Australia lags behind the rest of the world.Meanwhile, actual climate change refuses to acknowledge the apparent belief of Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson that it doesn't exist.Both sides of politics need to come clean about whether they want the Hunter to be hooked on coal for the next several decades at the expense of our local industries, health, water and global climate.Jonathan MoylanHamiltonLet the insurance companies payWITH a federal government so far in the red, how on earth can they even think of approving the proposed Australian Victims of Overseas Terrorism Payment ("Terrorism victims in line for compo payout" Herald 23/3)?Why on earth should our tax dollars go to these people who were in another country and have been harmed by something totally out of our control?I feel for these victims of terrorism but I can't comprehend why they should be paid a sum of up to $75,000 for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.If the estimated 300 people get the maximum $75,000 each, that works out to be $22.5 million.And that's only for the estimated number of people who have been "physically or psychologically harmed".I thought that was what travel insurance was designed for.And where does the buck stop?Can I say I'm now afraid of flying due to the September 11 attacks and claim compensation?Chad StreatfieldAdamstownI will drink life to the leesI THINK it's time Jeff Corbett hung up his column and got his lycra on ("Old bikers out of hand" Herald 24/3) - or maybe he wears lycra all the time and it's a bit tight somewhere.His attitude to Ulysses Club members is disgusting to me. At least they are having fun and have smiles on their faces. Maybe holding hands shows they're human.Talk about hypocrisy - who has matching lycra, helmets and bikes? And look in the mirror about weight. I'm big because I'm disabled and can't exercise easily, but I want a life. I ride a Harley trike and though I'm not a Ulyssian, a lot of them I know are in same boat as me. As for age, they put me to shame. The older members are hard to keep up with. Mr Corbett, get a real life.Donna NorrisGlendaleLetter of the weekThis week the letter judged the best, most succinct and interesting will win a special Herald letter-writing pen. The winner will be announced on Saturday on this page.
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