Newcastle's maritime history deserves to be celebrated and on display

This has been going on far too long. Our children, grandchildren as well as the wider community need to see that Novocastrians are proud of their city, that we are aware of our history and want to share it.

How amazing would it be for people on cruise ships to come and see an amazing, interactive maritime museum? Instead travellers are disembarking to see that the vineyards are the only thing Newcastle has to offer.

My great grandfather immigrated as a member of the rocket brigade and lost his life while working in the harbour. Our family knows his story, but he and many others need to be celebrated and remembered for their contribution to this great city. This history shouldn't be stored away somewhere, forever lost. It's time we stood up for our independent city, that we be proud of who we are and showcase our maritime history.

Despite Australia's generosity to date to aid Ukraine's defence, more must be done. Russia cannot be allowed to win. President Zelenskyy has particularly begged for Australian coal to warm his people's homes. Many houses show severe damage, allowing the brutal weather to make their lives unbearable.

NSW has around 35 working coal mines; Newcastle Harbour is the largest coal exporter in the world; Mt Arthur mine is one of Australia's largest coal mines; the NSW Minerals Council and CFMEU jointly own Newcastle Infrastructure Group, which has a 50-50 joint ownership with China to control Newcastle's export terminal. All together, that's a formidable and wealthy group.

Surely they can work together to speedily organise coal shipments to Ukraine now, plus the NSW government can forgo their usual royalties for these shipments. After all, the coal belongs to all of us. Chris Bowen doesn't want the coal, the Greens certainly don't want it, but Ukraine does.

WHAT a fortuitous coincidence that there are three articles in the same paper my letter was published relating to similar issues. Tony Proust ("More woes if the rosemary goes", Letters 27/2) notes the council is quick to remove useful plants on a nature strip in Wickham because of one complaint. Helen Douglas ("Libraries ready for a new chapter", Letters 27/2) acknowledges that only "one Library in Newcastle provides a wide range of activities from preschoolers to seniors, which compare with libraries in urban and regional areas in Sydney". Guess where? Wallsend.

The most pertinent article to me was Sage Swinton's on Brown Street ("The 'appalling' state of steep city street", Newcastle Herald 27/2). In print it had a picture capturing the dangerous, hazardous streetscape showing "chunks of the road have chipped away, large tree roots are visible on the road and footpaths have lifted".

Bill Snow's letter ("Weed out unappealing neglect", Letters 28/2) is a perfect example of a city without pride and pleasure in its heart, and what's lost by not presenting Newcastle as a much loved and admired city/area in which to live. These examples all point to the council. Personally I believe the petition signed by hundreds ("Petition calls for Jeremy Bath to resign over letters", Herald 23/2) has been ignored.

THE value of political polling in Australia could be equated to a lunatic's lunch: all over the place. Recent Resolve Political Monitor (RPM) polling asked which major party was better in terms of good governance and economic management. It had the LNP at 37 per cent and Labor at 34 per cent, despite a decade of wage stagnation and economic chaos with the LNP at the helm.

Regardless, one would have thought there was enough evidence to prove Labor was the far better option. It has turned $1 trillion of debt into a surplus. It has delivered a promised federal integrity body, and amended the Stage 3 tax cuts to ease the cost of living.

The LNP by contrast have opposed or delayed good Labor legislation on each of the above occasions. If 37 in every 100 Australians think the LNP are a better bet than Labor, then Australia may not be the clever country after all.

I'M not a Taylor Swift fan, I'll leave that to the teeny boppers, but how disappointing must it have been for her fans. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she didn't come out of "hiding" once to give an interview for the thousands who paid huge dollars to be at her concert. Similarly, Elton John and Paul McCartney. The exception to the rule is Pink, who has made herself readily available for interviews and public/ fan selfies. Well done Pink, at least you don't need reminding, that it is the fans that make you what you are today, without them, you are nobody. Take a leaf out of Pink's how to treat fans book.

IF ever there was a good reason for Australia not to become a republic, just take a look at the long, drawn out lead-up to the November election in America. If the best candidates they can come up with for president are Geriatric Joe and Dodgy Donald, then words fail me. It seems to be that bucket loads of money and an ego of huge proportions are the only things needed to run for president in the good old U.S. of A. What we have at the moment is, in my opinion, far better than becoming a republic and becoming like America.

LIKE him or not, Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest does know a thing or two about energy and the environment. Imagine if Australia did place a levy on fossil fuel extraction and imports, earning us $100 billion a year. What if that was spent on supporting the cost of living challenges facing everyday Aussies and assisting the rollout of the required sustainable and renewable infrastructure, wouldn't that be something? Norway has taxed their gas companies like this for decades, and now has a $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund. Meanwhile, the Australian public has pittance to show for the public resources large corporations have exploited at the expense of our environment. It's high time we used their profits to build better, cleaner systems for future prosperity.