Why not build the basketball courts over the footy stadium car park?

It resolves the green space issue, utilises transport infrastructure and provides parking.

Cost prohibitive, I hear you say, but as a medium to long term solution and enhancement to the area it's a no-brainer.

We need solutions outside the park.

WHAT can I say about recent events involving the wonderful Australian natural environment and the federal government? Announcements made by the Prime Minister have led to exasperation of the highest order. It is now obvious that protecting our precious environment is very much a secondary consideration in the eyes of the federal Australian Labor Party. This is a monumental let down for the people of Australia.

CAN a Liberal voter or Liberal politician tell me what their government would be doing better than Labor to help the cost of living when it is corporate greed causing a lot of it?

THE sites for Australia's future nuclear power facilities are simple; put them in Labor strongholds. These people will never vote anything but Labor so the Coalition should plonk them in Labor or Greens' safest seats. No vote lost to the Coalition and no polo fields sacrificed.

MILTON Caine ("Two-state fix tried and failed", Letters, 22/4) makes it sound so simple: Palestinian bad, Israel good. However, your choice of 'strip' to describe an area that was once a flourishing society tells us exactly who is the victim here.

I'VE never been a fan of Trent Robinson, an overrated coach with the talent he has at his disposal, but I give him one thing; he puts his players welfare first. Also, I thought Brodie Jones and Phoenix Crossland were our best players both coming off the bench. Crossland tightens up the middle when he is on the field.

Follow the money to spot social media's flaws

CLICKBAIT is a good term for internet spams, scams, misinformation and disinformation ("Spammers, scammers behind AI internet flood say experts", Newcastle Herald, 22/4).

We lament state censorship as a denial of freedom of speech. But we should, instead, follow the money trail. Clicks earn social media site owners money. We should discount the assertions of the owner of X, Elon Musk, when he states "the point of freedom of speech is allowing those whose views you disagree with to express those views".

I believe he really means he shouldn't be prevented from making money off of dishonest and criminal postings.

When dishonest material is published online, this is undemocratic, since it prevents voters from making informed decisions about various claims about government policies. When the material posted is a scam, it is simply an old-fashioned fraud.

The pedlars of dishonesty and scammers are hard to trace. Therefore, it is past time for social media sites' Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA's) cooperative, voluntary code be replaced by a compulsory code. The claims of various people online should be sampled and fact-checked. If 'information' is found to be dishonest or fraudulent, then the social media site owners should be fined or otherwise sanctioned.

If the national governments of totalitarian states can devise firewalls or algorithms to censor information for nefarious reasons, then surely this can be done by the wealthy owners of social media sites.

BEFORE Christmas, I suffered a stroke while on holidays at Jimmys Beach. I was attended by the only ambo in Hawks Nest, assisted by the members of the town's Fire and Rescue station.

A dash to the Mater for treatment. Once home, another stroke occurred that saw me admitted to John Hunter. In all, nine weeks in hospital. A miracle-working doctor inserted a stent in my brain, which seems to be working fine. I owe him my life as I am now much improved.

My letter is to thank all the wonderful people who came to my aid, including doctors, nurses and ancillary staff at The Mater, John Hunter, Maitland Public and Shortland. And the guys at Hawks Nest. I will not forget your great efforts. Thank you

THE country is experiencing a crisis in a number of areas. First, domestic violence, which will be controlled only if governments are prepared to re-introduce the ultimate penalty for perpetrators of this crime. Second, the cost-of-living crisis, which the federal government is trying to control.

If voters think that a Coalition government is the answer, they are badly mistaken. Grossly overstimulating the economy during the COVID crisis caused inflation to go through the roof, resulting in consecutive interest rates rises, a main cause of the crisis.

The housing crisis will take time to control. A major shortage of tradesman and building supplies is the main problem here and a quick fix is not going to happen.

TO quote Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes ("Fun and games at newest playground", Herald, 22/4): "council was committed to bringing people together to keep active and build social connections in their neighbourhoods".

Why then does the council want to develop Wallarah and Blackley ovals, which are a valuable greenspace in a residential area that is crucial to help achieve the council's goal stated above? They want to replace the ovals with a basketball stadium, a development that is for paid and registered users only. It's a development that does not bring the community together, but rather shuts it out; a development that does not allow local people to keep active or build social connections.

Cr Nelmes also said that "we know how much our community values open spaces and their local playgrounds". Yes, lord mayor, yes we do. So stick to these statements and help keep the green space that allows local residents to exercise, play and socialise. Build the much-needed basketball stadium somewhere else. Once these ovals are gone they can never be replaced.