Transport vision needed
WHEN will we ever learn to reduce road tolls in Port Stephens?
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The police force is rightly concerned over recent road tolls in the Port (Examiner, April 26) after lives young and old were sadly lost. Port Stephens Council appears to be preoccupied with increasing building heights and population in the Tomaree Peninsula with little regard to the increase of traffic on Nelson Bay Road and elsewhere in the Port.
What is the council's role in reducing the loss of life on the Port's roads? How many times do residents and ratepayers have to call for a transport vision?
High road tolls should not be part of "a great lifestyle".
Ernest To, Medowie
Cruise on up to the Bay
I AM writing as a resident of Anna Bay and in regard to the number of cruise ships and tourists visiting the region.
I have wondered how best to bring more tourist dollars into the whole of the Port Stephens and especially the Nelson Bay area. Cruise ships dock at Newcastle and bring their passengers to Nelson Bay for whale or dolphin watching which is great, but if those cruise ships had permission to drop anchor outside the Nelson Bay heads then their passengers could be brought ashore in the ships’ own tenders and be dropped off at the new pier in Shoal Bay, an approximate 30 minute journey depending where the ship drops anchor.
P&O, Carnival, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean all now visit ports like Eden on the South Coast or Mooloolaba in QLD where they drop anchor and bring their passengers ashore.
This would increase the number of people visiting our town and they wouldn’t have to be transported by bus from Newcastle.
I am fully aware that Nelson Bay is not deep enough to accommodate these large ships but in my opinion, if the business chamber and Port Stephens Council were to invite cruise companies to Nelson Bay [they could investigate] what opportunities they have here.
I am also aware that a lot of people would be against this as some do not like massive [amounts of tourists] invading our streets and foreshore and I can understand that as well, but at least I think this proposal could be worth a feasibility study.
Charles Traa, Anna Bay
We need to bypass tragedy
While politicians of both sides advocate further dual roads into the Bay, which will bring more welcome visitors, spare a thought for those residents of Shoal Bay and Fingal Bay.
Think also of those very important emergency services drivers who have to navigate through heavy traffic during holiday periods. We need to start thinking of a bypass road before a tragedy occurs.
Gerry Mohan, Shoal Bay
Why the need for change
I would like to comment on the article in the Examiner of April 19 regarding the proposed change to postal voting for council elections.
I personally disagree with the change, I think it takes away the level playing field for candidates even more so than what already exists, with candidates who have more wealth having an advantage over candidates with limited resources.
Secondly, any voter who would prefer to vote by postal ballot already has that available to them, so why the need for change?
Thirdly, the people wishing to be elected to council should be available for the public that happens on election day when people are there and have an issue on their mind to discuss. Fourthly, I do tend to agree with the comments of Councillor Arnott regarding the economic benefit, [which would be] lost to the local economy. Lastly, and very importantly, the scrutiny of the ballot would, I think, be very much reduced which would always bring about a distrust of the result.