Lack of leadership
Despite many stoushes in Port Stephens Council between past mayor Bruce MacKenzie and myself, he never stooped as low as calling the local constabulary as a mechanism to resolve issues with councillor indifference over meeting practice.
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While the council may have adjusted its code of meeting practice to allow this process to occur, I find it difficult to understand how the stretched and valued resources of our police can be called on to intervene over 'rolled eyes'.
The Mayor needs to demonstrate he is above verbally berating his fellow councillors and calling them 'smart arses' and if anyone needs to be pulled into line its Mayor Palmer. Raymond Terrace police station is a very busy police facility dealing with serious matters ranging from domestic violence, drug-related crime and break and enters etc.
They have little time to waste on resolving 'schoolyard brawls' and should not have had to attend this meeting.
The lack of respect shown in this case says little for the current council leadership and the frivolity of this entire exercise is available for all to see on the council's website. Residents can make up their own mind about what has happened in this spat, they do not have to rely on second hand information.
Geoff Dingle, Medowie
Also read: Letters to the Editor, December 12
Simple summer solution
Port Stephens Council says it wants our feedback via a survey on a potential new paid-parking system in Nelson Bay, though we aren't offered a clear option online to give suggestions.
Yes it does propose 'free' parking for residents and possibly workers and/or ratepayers but assumes we all want the system rolled out.
To be clear most Nelson Bay residents, ratepayers and workers know that parking and traffic only become real issues in summer, on long weekends and school holidays. So why go to the cost and bother of implementing this system which doesn't seem to have been trialled in any other seaside town?
It seems to be a permanent solution to a temporary but recurring problem.
Providing a free beach bus in peak periods will help fix the twin problems of limited parking and traffic congestion.
About 10 years ago Mosman Council trialled a free 'summer bus' which linked the shopping centres, transport hubs and Balmoral Beach.
It became popular with locals dropping kids at school and popping to the shops plus with visitors. It became known as the 'Mosman Rider'.
Visitors will be turned off high-tech paid parking when most want a low-tech break from the city and locals are getting sick of visitors at peak times.
Kassia Klinger, Salamander Bay
Also read: Letters to the Editor, December 5
Gift of hope this Christmas
The challenge of financial hardship and social isolation at Christmas is more complex and challenging this year as The Salvation Army responds to the poverty, the devastating impact of a rolling bushfire crisis and the relentless impact of drought.
Fire-fighters throughout New South Wales and parts of Queensland, will spend Christmas fighting out-of-control bushfires.
Some people living in bushfire-affected areas still won't have access to their homes. Many in our cities and towns will be alone on Christmas Day, with family breakdown and social isolation leading to loneliness and despair. Christmas is the busiest time of the year for The Salvation Army. We distribute half a million gifts and toys, assist 300,000 people and serve more than 100,000 meals.
We'll also be active in evacuation centres in fire- affected areas, and in distributing drought relief and Christmas-cheer in rural and regional areas.
It is our privilege to bring joy and hope at this time of year to families and individuals experiencing hardship and despair. But we can only do it with the help of generous Australians who support us.
By donating just $29 to The Salvation Army's Christmas Appeal, you can help put a present under the tree and food on the table, bringing hope where it's most needed.
Lieut. Colonel Neil Venables, The Salvation Army
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