Don't be so 'shellfish'
Good job John 'Stinker' Clark - well done for making the public and the Fisheries aware of the plight of the pipis on Stockton Beach.
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I have lived in the area all my life and have seen the pipi population come and go.
It would be a shame now that they have finally reached reasonable numbers (not good numbers) to allow commercial fishers to harvest them by whatever the system.
It is good to see both fish and birds in reasonable numbers on the beach as well, largely due to sufficient numbers of pipis.
Fish travel north so why not let them feed up on pipis along Stockton Beach then catch them in nets in places like Boat Harbour, One Mile Beach, Fingal Beach and Jimmies Beach.
The fish will be fatter- more weight, more dollars; a lot more than the money gained from pipis.
Simon Visser, Medowie
Also read: Letters to the Editor, July 4
Park a pawsitive move
Congratulations Port Stephens Council for investing in a fenced, off-leash dog area at Soldiers Point.
The community's infrastructure needs are not necessarily extravagant and every Port residential community should have access to dog off leash areas.
These facilities are good for pooches but more importantly good for the social, mental and physical wellbeing of their owners. Our community members should not have to lobby for such basic facilities, infrastructure plans that link with budgets should be in place.
On August 27, 2015 a small article appeared in the Examiner announcing the first off leash area in Port Stephens to be installed in Coachwood Drive, Medowie.
As a Councillor I was able to fund this using the grand sum of $15,000 in repealed section 94 funds covering fencing, dog poo bag, dispenser and picnic table facilities. The Council provided landscaping and some excess pipes and Medowie Tidy Towns ran working bees to clean up the grounds.
Cr Doohan came to the party to fund a much appreciated drinking water supply installation. There was no need for fan fair or official openings for this well patronised and appreciated facility.
The Medowie recreation park located next to the Medowie community centre is another popular facility with Medowie residents and transient visitors.
The Excelloo branded "Dingle's Dunny" in my first term of Council remains the only community toilet facility in Medowie if you don't count the Woollies bunker despite strategic and infrastructure plans.
Medowie's popular recreation park never officially opened with again no fan fair or media photo opportunities.
Sometimes we need to just get on with the bleeding obvious.
There must be local government elections around the corner and no I'm not running.
Geoff Dingle, Medowie
Also read: Letters to the Editor, June 27
Dismantle the 'eyesore'
I read with interest Charlie Elias' article [Examiner, July 4] about the reasons why the tall crane has to stay positioned in the centre of Nelson Bay for everybody to view, while absolutely no building activity is taking place.
I understand [developer] Rod Salmon's frustrations at not being able to get on with building his large complex.
The reasons for not proceeding are not the council dragging its feet.
If I am right, I suspect the council has members who favour a rapid commercial development in town.
Other councillors are very much attuned with the wishes and feelings of a large part of the local resident community. This tends to drag on decision making. In the meantime the crane is stuck on the undeveloped building site, generally an eyesore for the people of Nelson Bay.
Reading about Mr Salmon's other ventures in the area, I feel that to remove the crane and then reassemble it at the appropriate time when building can start would hardly impact on Mr Salmon's wealth.
Or do we just have to look at that eyesore for another few years?
Donald Bourquin, Nelson Bay
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