However, the 10-storey ‘Manta Ray’ application and the Church Street eight-storey ‘Ascent’ consent will not only impact amenity but are objectionable as entirely out of context in a small town environment and being more suited to a city planning and landscape as in Newcastle.

As a small coastal bay-side tourist oriented town, situated in a distinctly small and unique amphitheatre of undulating topography, this town is in dire need of ecologically sensitive planning.

It is this unique and special context along with its present and future amenity that must, but is not taken fully into account by developers, planners and the decision-making majority on the Council.

The 10-storey ‘Manta Ray’ and the eight-storey ‘Ascent’ will have the potential to alter and transform Nelson Bay into the city-like environment residents and tourists come here to avoid. Excessive building heights out of context in this environment will over time transform our streets into shadowed, visually obstructive canyons.

We can and must do so much better but the leadership needed continues to evade us despite the informed awareness within our communities.

I write to make public a decision by Port Stephens Council to take one lane of traffic away for a distance across Mustons Gully, on Mustons Road, Karuah.

The reason for this was to create a safe area for pedestrians to walk along that section of road. It has been poorly planned so that a give-way has been put in place for motorists travelling south on Mustons Road with those travelling north having right of way.

The problem is that those travelling either way, but in particular those who don't have right of way, have little to no chance of seeing what is coming the other way until on to the section of narrowed road. The issue is difficult to remedy because of the curve in the road at both ends of the problem area, compounded by the fact there is a dip in the roadway.

I note NSW Premier Glady Berejiklian has chosen to hold the next Liberal state council meeting in beautiful Port Stephens.

The Premier should be commended for her courage. Three years ago her government sold off core koala habitat to a local developer, yet they still haven’t fixed their self-declared ‘mistake’.

Three years ago residents in Williamtown were told of serious PFAS contamination yet Berejiklian’s government still hasn’t banned the toxic chemicals. More than three years ago her government promised to ‘fully duplicate’ Nelson Bay Road, yet instead, all we are getting is a single roundabout upgrade. Four years ago ICAC Operation Spicer revealed the shortcomings of the former Liberal Member for Port Stephens along with six Liberal MPs in the Hunter Region. Courageous indeed.

While the state government has introduced a great scheme on apprenticeships in the construction industry, someone has overlooked the largest growing, lowest paid and least subsidised industry.

Australians are getting older and many now, and in the future, will need some form of care being home or nursing home. Certificate 3 and 4, a necessity in the aged care industry, is not subsidised by governments and mostly paid by the employee prior to receiving employment. So when are politicians going to recognise the valuable work of employees of aged care by subsidising their training?