This builds on the Climate Change Policy adopted by Council last year, and on its membership of the Cities Power Partnership. We are pleased that Council recognises that climate change is a significant threat to our environment and our way of life and is committing to implement meaningful sustainable practices.

CAPS has been working with Council for three years on this issue, including advocating for more specific targets and timeframes, and last year our President Alisha Onslow called on Council to "set measurable targets, and include such goals as transitioning to renewable energy for all council operations by 2025".

Now that Council has committed to this goal, CAPS looks forward to the next steps, which should include the 'roadmap' for carbon neutrality and a more detailed Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan, which was promised in the overall Policy.

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As a retired boilermaker who worked in the rolling stock industry, I am not surprised as to the quality of the of the products that are imported such our coal wagons, passenger carriages, locomotives, ferries and the list goes on.

Who is responsible for this mismanagement in awarding these contracts to overseas companies?

I have seen the skills of workers such as draftsman, engineers and metalworkers lost and workers cast aside - often forced to find jobs outside their industry or accept the dole, due to sending work overseas.

Next election choose a party that will support a manufacturing industry with proper wages and safety and award conditions.

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Really, are the potholes in Port Stephens a critical issue for our future?

Yes, they do need to be repaired when they occur but that is a day-to-day responsibility of council staff.

Let's hope the upcoming local government election outcome is not all built around a pothole repair mentality. I have already been to a number of candidate forums across Port Stephens and it seems that potholes are an issue.

Surely, we should be electing council representatives who are focused on local matters that effect our future such as services and amenities, education, town centre upgrades, employment, transport and environment etc.

In fact I believe we should be focused on our younger generation who will need to be educated and trained so that can develop the skills necessary to obtain local employment. One of the local government election brochures I recently received from a political party highlighted the pothole mentality.

That has made me believe that elected representatives on our council should not have political affiliations. Let's try and keep our elected council representatives as independents who form their own opinions for our community.

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I believe that both Margaret Wilkinson and Peter Cooper (Letters, Examiner, November 11) raised a poignant reminder of how rates money and government grants had been allocated to basic services and to nice-to-have infrastructure in Port Stephens in the past few years.

There was no suggestion of pork barrelling in favour of any particular ward(s) in the LGA. However, the point about making funding decisions without bias nor favour to any political view, but for the betterment of the community is valid. Ultimately, it's about integrity and strong leadership in local government.

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