DEAR News Of The Area, It is curious that in the 6 March NOTA article titled “Port Stephens Council reaffirms stance on offshore wind” that a union representative backed by the Labor Environmental Action Network asserts there was consultation. Justin Page even described it as “absurd” that councillors were unaware of any consultation. Yet I […]
Letter to the Editor: Iran war is illegal under UN Charter.
DEAR News of the Area, All wars are tragic, inevitably causing unnecessary death, destruction, chaos and misery, at great financial and social cost. Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter prohibits war, calling for member states to: “refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political […]
Letter to the Editor: Election outcomes determine mandate
DEAR News Of The Area, This is a response to Ian Roberts, Fingal Bay (Letter to the Editor, 19 February). Mr Roberts claims there was “no political mandate” for offshore wind. The record tells a very different story: it was opposition groups, not Labor candidates, who turned offshore wind into a federal election issue. Social […]
Letter to the Editor: What mandate for offshore wind zone?
DEAR News Of The Area, IT’S somewhat laughable that Robina Badger (Letter to the Editor, 19 February) felt “stunned” by community uproar about an offshore power station (wind farm). There was no political mandate: I’ve lived for 36 years in this coastal strip without hearing one serious election candidate grandly promising to take power generation […]
Letter to the Editor: An invitation to fair dinkum debate
DEAR News Of The Area, I WRITE in response to Kathy Brown’s (5 February) and Robina Badger’s (19 February) letters. I am a 50-year resident of Port Stephens and as Secretary of The No Offshore Turbines Port Stephens (NotPS) group I have been at the forefront of the community effort to protect the integrity of […]
Letter to the Editor: ‘Intense and aggressive’ campaign against offshore wind
DEAR News Of The Area, I AGREE wholeheartedly with Kathy Brown’s letter (5 February). I felt frustrated and a little intimidated by the very noisy and aggressive campaign to dismiss the idea of an offshore windfarm, before the survey even got off the ground. What happened to all the people who voted overwhelmingly for Labor […]
Letter to the Editor: How can affordable rental housing be guaranteed?
DEAR News Of The Area, Council’s “Your Port” Summer newsletter sent to ratepayers declares it’s “Making housing more affordable”. It says: “We’ve reduced contribution costs for people building Affordable Rental Housing projects, encouraging developments in this vital category”. Affordable rental housing IS needed vitally: needed by essential-services plus other low-income workers (i.e. in hospitality plus […]
Letter to the Editor
DEAR News Of The Area I REALLY must respond to the article Zone ‘Revived’, published in the last edition of NOTA (29 January). Firstly, the old nugget that all the community is against offshore windfarms. Alison Penfold, NATS member for Lyne, is quoted: “Offshore wind is simply not feasible or wanted off the Myall (or […]
Letter to the Editor: Peace and joy in the Christmas rush
DEAR News Of The Area, CHRISTMAS is nearly here again! Is the pace of life getting faster? Christmas brings family gatherings and presents. We wish each other “Merry Christmas” and, hopefully, we have a good time. But Christmas can be busy and stressful, so please pause for just a moment. You’ve likely heard, in a […]
Letter to the Editor: False assertions on Tomago
DEAR News Of The Area, I REFER to the recent letter from Charles Hemming, in which he links the increasing amount of renewable energy in the grid to what he terms as the likely demise of the Tomago Aluminium Smelter. This assertion is not true. All of the smelter’s electrical power is currently supplied by […]
