I have to agree with Callum Pull regarding the Honeysuckle Drive speed limit ("Push for verdict on waterfront speed limit", Newcastle Herald 13/6).
To call Honeysuckle Drive a "high pedestrian area" is false. The times I drive on it, which is every day, I cannot agree with the ridiculously low 30kmh speed limit.
Additionally, why is there no right turn heading east at Steel Street and Honeysuckle Drive?
All traffic wanting to go west leaving the car park near Stewart Avenue must travel to the Worth Place roundabout.
This congests the roundabout and Honeysuckle Drive in both directions. Honeysuckle Drive traffic gets backed up to Merewether Street as well.
The result: 30 minutes to drive one kilometre at 5.30pm. Very poor planning.
I believe the anger directed at Rising Tide suggests many people have not actually read the group's demands.
To be clear: they are
People may disagree with one or more of these demands, but they should debate them honestly rather than indulge in ignorant character judgements or stereotyping.
What is also ignored is that governments, economists, and even parts of the fossil fuel industry increasingly acknowledge coal exports face structural decline. The Reserve Bank of Australia has stated there are "uncertainties for the longer-term outlook for coal exports" due to renewable energy growth and changing steel technologies.
The Minerals Council of Australia now speaks in terms of "net zero," "de-carbonisation," "lower emissions technologies," and managing the transition to changing global energy markets.
Its own publications admit that major trading partners including Japan, South Korea, and China have committed to net zero emissions targets, which will considerably reduce demand for fossil fuel exports over coming decades.
The real question is not whether change is coming, but whether we prepare for it. Waiting until coal revenues collapse before investing seriously in new industries, infrastructure, and jobs would be economically reckless, and socially immoral.
Newcastle has enormous potential in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, rail infrastructure, research, and clean industry. Planning for the future is not anti-worker. It is common sense.
I add my voice to the anger and frustration expressed at WIN's cutbacks to news delivery in Newcastle. As many have pointed out, local news will be diminished and jobs will be lost, but the impact on the journalists of the future is another important concern.
NBN has been a valued partner with the University of Newcastle's journalism program, offering work placements to students and jobs to graduates.
Some of the faces you see on NBN News - and some you don't see - are graduates of our program and generously return to campus to share their experiences with students in guest lectures and forums. Further, the Local Lens project is a tangible collaboration in which our students have worked with NBN journalists to produce podcasts on issues of interest and importance to our community. All these valuable connections will likely be lost, and our community will be poorer for it.
Recent news from Newcastle council reports a need for a new billboard to welcome visitors to our city. I wonder how long it will be before this board is defaced by graffiti like so many others, the worst being the council's own Queens Wharf building.
This city has a big image problem. Graffiti needs to be addressed before spending more money to allow this disgraceful face of the city to continue.
I note that Newcastle council believes new, impressive sandstone city entry signage is needed. Perhaps the council needs to think big and put three impressive signs announcing arrival by car to greater Newcastle City, plus another at our airport, all declaring our population and tourist highlights.
Put them on the south side when departing the Central Coast, on western side before Maitland and north of Raymond Terrace, financed by all the councils in Greater Newcastle City as all have an interest in attracting tourists. I note that Sydney City signage is on the outskirts of greater Sydney that includes all councils. I have never seen a sign declaring Sydney City when approaching that council area.
Politicians seeing the signs may encourage more government grants pro rata to greater Sydney. 10 per cent of Sydney's infrastructure and cultural grants would be welcomed here. Newcastle Art Gallery might have attracted over $170 million instead of $10 million.
I'd like to thank Steve Barnett ("A man who committed his life to saving yours", Letters, 15/6), for his warning about melanoma and his thanks to Professor Richard Scolyer. I lost my husband over 20 years ago to melanoma. It used to be a hideous disease, and is so easily avoided by managing your time spent in the sun and having regular skin checks. Remember, any tan is a sign of skin damage.
Good on the police for trying to hold the Mayfield idiots accountable. We can only hope the judiciary backs them up.
I suggest all Newcastle, Hunter, Central Coast and Northern NBN News viewers turn off Nine news at 6pm until NBN News is reinstated with all our great announcers.
Please don't change NBN news and staff, they give the best local news of all TV channels in the area. Please cancel all changes. I will be devastated if we lose such great local coverage.
Great to read about the petition to WIN TV. One thing that appears unconsidered is the fact that not only is half an hour of local news on weekdays an insult to the huge number of viewers, but starting at 5.30pm means many will be unable to watch because are on their way home from work.
For many years the signs welcoming visitors to Newcastle have been a disappointment for many Novocastrians with their appearance and surroundings, so it is pleasing to see Liberal councillors recommending a review. A Google search led me to a webpage with numerous town and city signs in Australia. That could be a good starting point for ideas.
