No consensus sought
In recent times, the federal government strongly pushes ahead with personal and company tax cuts, and still is building Snowy 2.0, inland railway, multi-billion-dollar submarines, a second Sydney airport, and other major infrastructure.
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Meanwhile, the NSW Government reduces fees and charges on a range of services, and is revitalising Newcastle, building motorways, tunnels, light rails, new trains, even a few multi-million-dollar roundabouts, and other infrastructure.
Now, Port Stephens Council forges ahead with plans to increase rates (Examiner, Anna Wolf, July 19) supposedly to fund a wish list of $404 million of community infrastructure which has yet to gain a general consensus that the list is at all a good idea.
Surely this is an irony for the councillors elected on a promise to be strong, fresh and ethical for the community?
Ernest To, Medowie
Residents welcome
I wish to congratulate Nigel Waters for his excellent letter in last week’s Examiner [Bay DA tall order].
He did mention how we all wish to have more permanent residents in Nelson Bay, albeit in low-rise [buildings].
With the current plan to developing the sports field large enough for a city, we just need to encourage more permanent residents as we all agree it would be a good thing.
Then we could make this town into a city and have all the advantages of city living.
George Allen, Nelson Bay
Make use of assets first
Rather than impose crippling rate increases, Port Stephens Council could easily liquidate assets in its possession and use the money for better infrastructure.
In Tanilba Bay there are large designated 'parks' left over from the 1930s subdivision.
The council will never use them as such.
Sold off they make great little medium density subdivisions.
They already did this with Monash Close and there are a lot more that can be turned into big bucks with a simple rezoning.
Geoff Walker, Mallabula
Concern heartwarming
Thank you to Good Samaritan Nadine (?) and her two boys who waited with my sister on the side of the road in the sand hills for a couple of hours after a tow truck was called for a breakdown.
Their concern and safety of a stranded visitor and stranger was very heartwarming.
There are many good people, like this family, in our community and my sister and I are very thankful for their help last weekend.
Michael Loomes, Anna Bay
No desire for rate rise
As I recall Mayor Ryan Palmer put the Fingal Bay link road as a major initiative if he gained office as a result of last year’s local government elections.
Now in less than a year he has seemingly abandoned that promise on the basis of unaffordability.
The latest announcement is that he proposes to increase residents rates to pay for stimulation of the local economy, drive business, attract visitors, fill empty streets.
I thought this aspect was a responsibility of investors and the business community, not the ratepayer of whom a vast majority are retirees and have no desire to bankroll initiatives which advantage the big end of town and change our peaceful environment.
The latest is a proposal for residents on the southern peninsular of Fingal Bay to suffer a change to one-way traffic and drive a further 650 meters to exit their properties - purely to make safe the influx of a very short -term visitor explosion.
Sounds familiar, “jobs and growth”, never mind the constituents.
Already I can`t wait for the next elections.
Roger Ball, Fingal Bay
Read also: Letters to the Editor: July 12