RECENTLY I attended a meeting of Tomaree Residents and Ratepayers Association [TRRA] in order to better understand the procedure regarding the forthcoming elections.
The meeting was extremely informative and residents and ratepayers are strongly encouraged to attend the TRRA forum at 7pm on August 20 at Soldiers Point Bowling Club to meet the candidates standing for the mayoral election and those standing to represent the East Ward as councillors.
Unfortunately at the last local government election 36 per cent of people in the East Ward that were eligible to vote did not do so, either from lack of knowledge of procedure or having no opportunity to meet the candidates.
This election is crucially important especially since for the first time there is to be a popularly-elected mayor.
Wouldn’t it be best to know for whom you are voting and to hear what they stand for?
Jean Armstrong
Soldiers Point
CONTINUOUS POTHOLES
I WOULD like to bring to the attention of Port Stephens Council the condition of Port Stephens Drive from Sahara Trails to Nelson Bay Road.
This section of road is badly in need of repair. There are potholes after potholes on both sides of the road.
A month ago I was driving home from Raymond Terrace, it was a day when we had a lot of rain and the water had pooled in the holes.
I had a car travelling in the opposite direction that hit a pothole and the water inside it and veered onto my side of the road, nearly causing a head-on collision.
This is just one incident. Other times I have seen people driving on the wrong side of the road trying to avoid these potholes.
Can this problem be addressed before there is an accident?
S Alta
Salamander Bay
BIKE THEFT DEVASTATING
HOLIDAYS are supposed to be carefree and fun - playing with friends and bike riding.
My son was devastated to see that his BMX bike was stolen from our house recently. He got up and got dressed and had planned to go riding with his friends and siblings only to find some heartless person had stolen it.
He had waited for Christmas for a new bike after donating his old bike to the local charity before Christmas to give some other child some enjoyment of owning a bike.
He had saved his money, anything he could to do up his bike.
It just makes us parents angry that we can save and buy our children things and have that taken away from someone who has no respect or care for others.
Word is that these bikes being stolen are being repainted so they cannot be caught.
Cheryl Marks
Raymond Terrace
MYNA BIRD SOLUTION
IN REGARD to the Indian myna bird, I am concerned of the lack of recognisition that Port Stephens Council and community has for this pest.
The Indian myna kills out the native bird population and will breed in plague numbers in a very short time.
The council has notified that they will be unable to finance the continuation of a control program so I propose to them a possible solution. Firstly, have a bounty on each myna bird to encourage the young people to trap the birds.
Secondly, get the support of an organisation such as the ‘Men’s Shed’ to produce the traps and sold at a reasonable price to cover their costs.
Thirdly, centralise a pickup location for a ranger to collect the birds and dispose of them in a humane manner and to arrange payment for the ‘collector’.
I see benefits to this proposal as giving the youths in the area more meaningful way of filling in their spare time rather than getting into mischief.
Gerry Rickard
Raymond Terrace