Despair at 'progress'
Despair. I felt despair when I saw trees cut down at Tanilba bay to make way for boats and caravans.
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I felt despair when I heard of koala numbers declining. I felt despair when I saw the beautiful, old trees cut down on Nelson Bay Road, near Anna Bay to make roads faster for tourists.
I felt despair when I saw the amount of beautiful trees cut down along Nelson Bay Road, near Fern Bay to make another entry for development.
I can only hope that developers and council have a process in place to replace our trees elsewhere. This is not progress.
Liz Barnes, Tanilba Bay
Also read: Letters to the Editor, September 5
Beauty in accessibility
"Tomaree Headland, it's not 'Disneyland'!" John 'Stinker' Clarke was quoting Laura Vella, a Sydney visitor on a fishing holiday (Sport, Examiner, August 29).
Too often it takes a visitor to see the natural splendour of the Tomaree Headland and the wonderful surrounds that some locals tend not to see nor appreciate.
The proposed sky-wire maybe an example of such myopic tendency. When I had a job transfer from Sydney to Newcastle in 1985, one of the first places my family visited was the Gan Gan Lookout at Nelson Bay. From there we had a 360 degree view east to Tomaree Headland and the blue water, south to Central Coast, west to Hunter Valley, and north to Worimi land.
Those days the CBD was a pleasant shopping village, nice restaurants, cafes, no high rise apartments nor tower cranes. We should make our treasured environment more accessible and inclusive without ruining it. This means accessible to the disabled, the young and the aged.
Let's build a better access road and accessible paths to the Gan Gan Lookout, and provide picnic areas with world-class accessible amenities and toilets.
We'll provide similar improvements to Mambo Wetlands, Koala Sanctuary and the like for eco-tourists.
I believe this is the vision encapsulated in the Hunter Regional Plan and the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan for Tomaree Peninsula: "a major recreational, tourist and retirement destination".
Ernest To, Medowie
Also read: Letters to the Editor, August 29
Intimidation unnecessary
Recently my 12-year-old grandson was happily fishing on the Nelson Bay foreshore when he landed a good size luderick.
As he was placing the fish in his bucket, so as to take a photo before releasing it, he was set upon by two 'superheroes' who absolutely abused and intimidated the boy because they thought he was going to keep it. They told him that it was illegal to keep fish and that they would call the police and have him arrested if he didn't release it.
As the boy was by now scared stiff, he quickly released it before he could explain what he was about to do and before he got a photo. These people should just mind their own business. Fortunately for this pair, my son wasn't there or they may have found out what the water temperature was like.
David Enderby, Corlette
Time to have your say
Comments close on the Tomaree National Park Plan of Management Draft Amendment on September 16, 2019.
This is the instrument which could open the door to inappropriate development and activities such as 'SkyWire' and bungee jumping at Tomaree Headland. Comments on The Draft Tomaree Coastal Walk Strategy also close on September 16.
What is not clear in the strategy, is a proposal by NPWS to close the tracks to the summits of Stephen's Peak and Quarry Hill, once the eastern edge tracks are developed.
This means there will be no avoiding the potential "circus" at Tomaree headland, if you want a summit walk. If you don't support aspects of these proposals, please consider making a submission before it's too late via:
or
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/research-and-publications/publications-search/draft-tomaree-coastal-walk-strategy
Simone Fox, Shoal Bay
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