Doctor Death !

Yesterday a jury returned a verdict of guilty in the trial of Doctor Jayant Patel. This man was accused of the manslaughter of three patients - but has been indirectly linked to the deaths of seventeen more. He faces probable life in prison.

Patel was appointed director of surgery at Bundaberg Base hospital in 2003, despite previous charges of medical incompetence in the United States that resulted in limitations on the operations he was permitted to perform.

This should not be the end of the matter here. Equally negligent were those whose job it was to check the qualifications of the doctor before his appointment.

There is another disturbing suggestion concerning the endorsements provided by other members of the medical profession.

It seems that when asked to provide a reference for a colleague that they barely know, many doctors will accept that this is simply a courtesy expected of them - and will reel off a glowing testimonial that may tip the balance on an appointment.

Such a falsification delivers unsuspecting members of the public into the hands of a doctor who may decide if they live or die.

It is time the medical profession faced reality and accepted responsibility for carefully scrutinising a colleagues skills before writing a testimonial.

Should they be careless in doing this they should face the prospect of standing in the dock - and sharing the responsibility for risk to the life of that doctor's victims !

A death in custody.

Few would doubt that the colour of a persons skin has a lot to do with the way they are treated in custody.

The death of an Aboriginal elder in Western Australia can only be added to the list of black people who have met their death in suspicious circumstances.

That this man was thrown in the back of a paddy wagon for a multi hour journey on a very hot day - and the two prison guards were aware that the air conditioning was working fine for the cabin they were in - but not working for the prisoner - seems to be beyond belief.

Temperatures in excess of fifty degrees - without comfort stops or checks on the prisoners condition is unforgivable. This man was dead on arrival - the subject of heat stroke.

It is the final indignity that a court has found no blame attached to the two men charged with his care. They will walk free - and in all probability do exactly the same in future.

Had a dog or any other animal been conveyed in those conditions and that manner the RSPCA would no doubt have taken the case to court - and got a conviction.

And had the prisoner been white - a transfer in such circumstances would not have been approved.

It seems that justice is not colour blind !

New ASIC powers.

From next week the Australian Securities and Investment Commission ( ASIC ) will have the power to disallow the " exit fee " strategy used by the banks to lock people into mortgages.

It seems strange that ASIC should only be permitted to dispense justice in nominated sectors of the economy. Surely any unfair deal in the finance sector should be within ASIC's brief -- to investigate and remedy.

These limitations seem to be spread widely across all those institutions that are legislated to guard the public from rapacious conduct by industry.

Another example concerns the Telephone Industry Obudsman ( TIO ). For some unknown reason the TIO is limited to only investigating complaints that are less than twelve months old.

There have been instances where overcharges go back years - but the TIO can only order a refund on the last twelve months of such robbery.

Control of exit fees is a first step - but it is time the brakes were released to allow all regulatory authorities to deal with any form of banditry !

Parking meter peril !

The city of Wollongong was inflicted with parking meters while in the hands of administrators chosen by the state government. This action took place against the wishes of the majority of citizens - and now the chickens are coming home to roost.

Business owners report as much as a forty percent drop-off of trade since shoppers were required to pay to park.

The council insists that shoppers will get used to paid parking and things will return to normal when the shock wears off.

That attitude flies in the face of reality. Wollongong mall and it's surrounding streets are not an enticing place to shop. The mall is dreary - and indeed a dangerous place at night and the upgrade plans do nothing to change that situation.

Parking meters simply provide one more reason for shoppers to choose Corrimal or Warrawang - or experience a " real " shopping centre at Miranda.

Sadly, the people of Wollongong are stuck with this mess.

In a year or so the administrative trio will be gone, replaced with an elected council and the damage will be apparent. Empty shops abandoned by those who could no longer make a living, making the city centre reminiscent of the fate that befell upper Crown street.

And the victims didn't get a vote on the parking meter issue !

Justice delayed.

Justice delayed - is justice denied !

In 1908 the affairs of Wollongong Council made the front page of most newspapers in this country. A sordid tale of money for favours, building approvals for graft, sex, and wide spread corruption emerged. Elected councillors demanded both personal gain and support for their political party in exchange for passing building projects that did not comply with regulations.

The council was sacked - and replaced by a three person board. Prosecution for various offences against accused felons was recommended.

Now - in this year 2010 - court action is about to take place.

Why ? Why has it taken years for the wheels of justice to grind so slowly ?

The whole concept of justice is that it be settled quickly and a verdict arrived at. Surely the collection of evidence should not take years to compile .

The sad conclusion is that this matter will still drag on through the courts - and a conclusion is unlikely to be reached even in this year !

Under the microscope !

Julia Gillard's elevation to the prime ministership suggests a more open form of government. Kevin Rudd got into trouble because he made decisions without consulting with his colleagues - and his plans lacked the checks and balances necessary to avoid rorting.

The new prime minister has been involved in politics for a very long time. As a university student she headed the student's union - and at that time the flame haired left winger had some torrid things to say about the directions this country was taking.

It is absolutely certain that both the opposition and the media will be trawling through the archives to resurrect comments from those days. We can expect the talk show hosts to compare the past and the present to try and evaluate the real Julia Gillard.

She has a big job ahead of her. The Labor brand is on the nose at both Federal and state level and it's fate at forthcoming elections is far from certain.

A fresh face at the helm signals a new start and Julia Gillard has shown that she has poise and direction in her previous role at deputy prime minister.

Australia will judge her on how well she settles the mining tax dispute, resurrects the carbon reduction scheme which Kevin Rudd dumped - and manages the factional bosses that plague all Labor party leaders.

The indications are that she is up to the job !

Uneasy lays the head .....

In less than an hour we will know who will be the prime minister of this country.

The present prime minister will bring on a spill of all positions, and will then compete with his deputy. It will be resolved by the numbers game.

Shakespeare said " Uneasy lays the head that wears a crown ".

Unease also shakes the nerves of politicians holding seats with slim margins, plus the factional bosses and the army of supporters who have their snouts in the gravy train as a result of political patronage.

It has become clear that Kevin Rudd has lost the confidence of the Australian people. His administration has failed to deliver the pre-election promises - and despite unlimited spin - the judgement is that he has failed.

Self preservation is a dominant emotion and immense pressure will have been brought on those who will cast a vote this morning.

For better or worse - Rudd's fate will be decided before this day ends.

The user-pays principle !

Wollongong residents have gained a reprieve from the council plan to charge a flat rate $2 entrance fee for the five council owned swimming pools - at least until next year.

The pools at Berkeley, Helensburgh, Port Kembla, Unanderra - and the Continental pool near Belmore basin cost $ 3.6 million a year to maintain - and the council is strapped for cash.

The sticking point for most people is the imposition of a fee for something that has traditionally been free. We are used to free use of the pools, paid for by our rates and the user-pays principle sets our nerves on edge.

Unfortunately there may be more to come. Another big ticket item on the council books must be our free library system.

Citizens simply walk into a huge number of suburban libraries and borrow books - most of which cost in excess of $ 30 - for a week - at no cost.

If we think of charging a fee to use our pools - and potentially deny children of the poor a chance to learn to swim and have some free fun - how long before council demands a fee for each book borrowed ?

Its a chilling thought - but once accepted user-pays knows no bounds !

Scripture versus ethics !

Half a century ago the weekly Scripture class was something that kid's dreaded ! Some old " Bible basher " would rant and rave on for half an hour about something that did not interest them.

Scripture is an optional decision for parents, and today's kids exert pressure to the extent that up to eighty percent now dodge this lesson - and usually spend the time doing their homework - or playing games.

Now it is proposed that those opting out of Scripture join a secular programme intended to teach ethics - which seems to be badly needed in this day and age.

Hopefully a well devised approach might get young people thinking about the rights and wrongs of living peacefully together in our modern society. It is certainly worth a try.

The churches are howling blue murder, but parents thinking back to to those despised Scripture classes of old might remember that they contained very little about ethics. The whole content was about going to church on Sunday and obeying the laws of that particular religion.

Teaching ethics may not do a lot of good to many young people - but it will certainly not do any harm !

The Telstra war is over !

Common sense finally prevailed and the war between Telstra and the Federal government has been settled. Subject to approval by Telstra shareholders - which is a foregone conclusion - Telstra's copper cable network will be integrated with the National Broadband Company ( NBN ).

Telstra will received $ 11 billion compensation, plus a further $2 billion for separating it's wholesale and retail divisions - which was a requirement of the Federal government that was bitterly opposed.

The settlement is a win-win situation. The Federal government will be able to implement the broadband rollout years faster than going it alone - and it will make a massive saving on the overall cost.

Progressively the old fashioned copper network will be replaced by cable, but this will be sited in Telstra's underground ducting, saving the cost and chaos of digging up the nation's streets and highways.

For the average computer user it means that broadband will be connected years ahead of the previous schedule - and for a lot less money !

The shifting political mood.

Yesterday the voters of Penrith delivered an almighty kick in the butt to the state governing Labor party. In part this was punishment for the criminal behaviour of the former member, but a twenty percent swing in a seat which is usually considered safe Labor territory with at least a ten percent cushion - indicates a swing in the mood of politics.

This is clearly evident in the abysmal approval ratings for prime minister Kevin Rudd. Rudd swept into office in a wave of almost hysteria - promising change and fresh thinking. Surprisingly, voters turned away from John Howard in droves, despite his government delivering a healthy economy, control of boat people arrivals and little political controversy.

Great things were expected of Rudd. He certainly experienced the misfortune of the Wall street caused recession soon after taking office, but since day one his record has been one of dismal failure. It is hard to point to a single election promise that has not been either abandoned - or mired in recrimination because of poor management and mishandling.

Perhaps the issue that voters find hardest to forgive is the abandonment of the emissions trading scheme, the insulation fiasco - and now the dubious rationale of the mining super tax.

Rudd seems to have lost the confidence of the voters - and Rudd was the reason those voters swept Labor into power.

It seems that we are entering a new, cyclical political cycle and politics in Australia are about to become fragmented. As has happened in Britain and other countries the old two party system is about to change with new players emerging.

The road ahead may be about to deliver a bumpy ride !

Our strange law !

Recently two drunken young men savagely bashed a complete stranger in an unprovoked street attack. They were arrested - and at a later date each was put before a different court. Both pleaded guilty - and here the story diverged !

The differing opinion of the two judges resulted in one receiving a longer gaol sentence than the other.

Now, the person with the longest sentence has appealed on the grounds that his sentence is excessive - and it has been reduced.

Both men were equally guilty of a common act, committed in company. Perhaps one had the good fortune to engage a more eloquent council to plead on his behalf - or perhaps the magistrate hearing the case just happened to be in a more benevolent mood that day.

What is amazing is that apparently there was no thought of appealing the lesser sentence - on the grounds that parity would be a fairer outcome if it was increased.

Obviously different sentencing for the same crime is wrong, but what is also wrong is the tendency for all such appeals to reduce rather than increase the time of imprisonment.

This brings no closure to the unfortunate victim !

Parental leave.

Legislation has passed to bring Australia into line with the rest of the developed world when it comes to parental leave. This country - and the United States of America - were the only such countries without a universal scheme.

New parents will be entitled to eighteen weeks paid leave at the average wage level of $ 570 per week when a child is born - or adopted !

To qualify, they must have worked for at least 330 hours in ten of the thirteen months prior to that birth - and be under earnings of $ 150,000 a year.

The aim is to allow mothers - or fathers - to bond with the child as either is entitled to this period of paid time off work. Retention of their former job is guaranteed - but there is a down side to the legislation.

Basically, the government has stuck every large and small employer with an added business cost. In addition to the eighteen weeks leave they can opt to stay home for a year without pay - and still demand their old job back.

Problem is - in this fast changing world skills go out of date at diabolical speed - and employers have to get a temporary employee to fill the gap, and the law concerning terminating such a person is unclear - and could lead to costly litigation.

Few would argue that parental leave is not a good thing, but it comes at a cost. Every business in the land has just been saddled with not only a direct new addition to it's wages bill - but the problem of trying to juggle staff numbers to keep the business viable.

The government - with the approval of others in the parliament - has just bestowed a gift to families - by giving away other people's money !

And added another financial liability to all who employ people !

The money trap !

Hordes of people dream of winning Lotto - or suddenly becoming seriously wealthy because the bank puts a few million dollars into their account.





It seems that both things happen - but only one is legal !



Months ago some dopey bank clerk added a few zeros to a funds transfer - and a Sydney couple found that they had ten million dollars in their account. They couldn't believe their luck - and transferred the sum oversea - and bolted !



They are now fugitives , and if the law catches up with them they will probably do gaol time - and lose any money recovered.



Another case involved a single man who suddenly found a few spare millions had been credited to his savings account. Being a cunning fellow he did nothing - and allowed the capital to grow interest while he ignored it.



When the error was discovered he claimed the interest - but - sadly - no cigar and no luck in the court. The bank retrieved their money - and the interest.



It seems the only hope for the little guy when Lady Luck smiles in this way is the chance that the error will go undetected until the statute of limitations runs out.



But even then the banks would probably continue to appeal all the way to the high court.



Better luck might be had buying a regular Lotto ticket !

Air crash fallout !

Yesterdays air crash at Canley Vale is certain to renew calls for the closure of Bankstown airport.

The fact that a medical flight carrying an experienced pilot and a flight nurse in a modern aircraft crashed in a heavily populated suburb was certainly a risk to residents, but risk is something that goes with all forms of air travel.

Sydney has three major airports. Kingsford Smith at Mascot, Bankstown and the military airport at Richmond. As a consequence, a range of aircraft from jumbo jets, fighter aircraft and heavy transports - to light planes are in the air above metropolitan Sydney.

It is inevitable that from time to time there will be accidents that kill pilots, other air crew - and residents living below.

Perhaps the only valid complaint is the fact that Bankstown is the major flight training centre for this state - and as a consequence large numbers of light aircraft under the control of trainee pilots are sharing our congested air space.

Common sense dictates that the greatest risk of a crash comes during the training period. There is logic in the demand that pilot training be removed for a densely packed suburb and transferred to an out of town location - where the air space is uncluttered and the ground below is free of homes.

Otherwise, the call to close Bankstown makes no sense at all !

Danger from space ?

An amazing sight over central Australia. The Hayabusa space capsule entered Earth's atmosphere in a blaze of light. Most of the space craft burnt up but the delivery package descended by parachute - and made a soft landing near Woomera.

Hayabusa was launched by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) seven years ago and travelled over four billion kilometres. It landed twice on the asteroid Itokawa - and collected dust samples - which it returned to earth.

No doubt that this is an amazing achievement, but hopefully the scientists in charge are aware that it is also poses a risk.

We know so little about space. It is quite possible that deadly pathogens exist - and that probes like Hayabusa may introduce them to this planet.

When the Europeans first landed in places like North America and Australia they brought with them diseases such as Measles and Influenza that had not been previously experienced by the native people.

The result was deadly ! Lacking any form of immunity, they died in their hundreds.

Let us hope the people handling Hayabusa have the good sense to treat this dust from an asteroid from the far reaches of space with care.

Otherwise - the result could be tragic !

Racial slurs !

Once again the use of a racial slur has had had an unsettling impact on sport !

Timana Tahu has withdrawn from the Blues State of Origin side, assistant coach Andrew Johns has stood down from his position - and has been stood down from a lucrative media job in the television industry.

There are no winners - only losers - but it also seems that there has been a loss of perspective.

This remark was made at a bonding session in a pub. Once again, the curse of all codes of football - alcohol - was being consumed.

The demon grog has an unhappy history of loosening tongues and shedding inhibitions. Expletives and racial descriptions slip into conversations without the balance that would usually apply if the person was completely sober.

There is no question that this remark was offensive. Timana Tahu had every right to react with indignation - but whether the insult was intentional or just adding colour to a less than sober moment is open to conjecture.

Unfortunately we seem destined to never completely eliminate the racial slur. Sometimes it simply explodes in anger on the field of play, and sometimes it emerges on the social scene - where alcohol is playing a part.

Apologies have been given. Time to lay the matter to rest - until the next time !

Unfair criticism !

This is a story of two sixteen year old girls who tried to be the youngest to circumnavigate the globe alone. Jessica Watson made it - and sailed home to fame and fortune. Abbey Sunderland had the misfortune to be dismasted in a wild storm deep in the Indian ocean - and required a rescue.

Such is the perversity of public opinion that the cost of mounting that rescue is heavily criticised in the world media - and yet age or sex had nothing to do with damage to Abbey's yacht " Wild Eyes ".

Had it's skipper been a middle aged male this criticism would have been muted !

Several years ago several yachts in a round the world classic came to grief in the great southern ocean, leading to the rescue of Tony Bullimore by the Australian navy - and later several other competitors, including a French woman.

Somehow the public saw this differently to the epics of Jessica and Abbey !

It seems that gender and age still colour our thinking - and many in the community are keen to erect barriers to stop young people from pursuing their dreams.

Changing times !

This is a " long weekend ", supposedly to celebrate the Queen's birthday. It originated in a past century and the idea was to honour the monarch by graciously allowing the citizenry a day off work.

Unfortunately changing circumstances have led to a great divide in our society. That paid day off now only applies to those who are fortunate enough to be permanent staff. The vast majority of people who work " casual " or are regarded as " temporary/permanent " and are paid by the hour - gain no benefit.

If their place of employment shuts for the Monday holiday, then they get the day off without pay, or if the business stays open and they are called upon to work - then it is just another normal working day.

The crazy thing is that this has absolutely nothing to do with the actual birthday of the monarch - and is not even celebrated universally in all the states.

Because it falls in winter it probably only serves some purpose by becoming the start of the ski seas0n.

Maybe a good time to reschedule to a more useful summer date - and possibly a more appropriate reason for the holiday !

An unwanted invention !

Full strength beer has an alcohol by volume strength of about five to six percent, while " light " beer ranges from one percent to two and a half percent. The road safety people have been urging drivers to change to the low alcohol product to help reduce the road toll.

It is discouraging to find that two boutique breweries - one in Germany and the other in Scotland - are waging war to develop the world's strongest beer.

It is a slow and costly process carried out over twenty-one days. Brewing is carried out at temperatures of -6 degrees, and as alcohol freezes at a lower temperature the water content can be removed - and the process repeated.

The first beer - named " Tactical Nuclear Penguin " achieved an alcohol by volume rate of 32% - about the same level as Vodka. That has since been overhauled by the Scottish brewery with a world beating 41 percent. They obviously enjoy a dig at their German competitor by naming that brew " Sink the Bismarck ! "

Fortunately this is unlikely to be served at your local pub anytime soon. And if it did, a 330 ml bottle of " Sink the Bismarck " would cost you about $ 60 !

It would also qualify as the most unwanted invention of the twenty-first century !

Australian made !

Buying goods made in Australia is important to many shoppers. Our manufacturing industries are not only a source of pride, but they employ Australians and therefore contribute to our standard of living.

Sticking a " made in Australia " label on imported goods is a crime few would forgive - and it is heartening to hear that Australian courts and Australian judges take the same dim view about this offence.

Primo Smallgoods, a huge food processor which processes 10,000 pigs a week at it's South Australian plant pleaded guilty to slapping an " Australian made " label on imported foreign bacon - and copped a massive fine.

The court handed down a fine of $ 237,500 for the offence - and added another $ 200,000 by way of costs.

The size of the judgement will certainly make any other firm considering passing an import as Australian made to think long and hard.

And shoppers will now have a degree of certainty that " made in Australia " means what it says !

The budget !

This morning the citizens of New South Wales will digest last night's state budget while they eat their breakfasts. There is some good news. More spending on roads. Relief from stamp duty for some. The usual mixed bag of promises - all of which may or may not happen !

But one item clearly stands out - because it will have an effect on most citizens.

There will be the reintroduction of hidden mobile speed cameras - and the government admits that it expects revenue from speeding fines to double.

Of course the excuse is that these devices will reduce the road toll, but a lot will depend on where and how they are used.

It will be just too tempting to site them where inappropriate speed limit changes occur - or on stretches of road where speed is limited by supposed road work - but no work has been carried out for weeks.

Coupled with the demerit points system, the introduction of a new hazard for motorists is going to result in many more lost driving licenses - and with that lost jobs and general misery from an increase in poverty.

Unfortunately, the need for revenue raising has brought out the bandit instinct in government thinking. Get set for a planned raid on your wallet !

Security breach !

There are alarming reports that search engine Google has scooped up sensitive personal information in the course of constructing it's " Street View " atlas, giving a pictorial view of the world's cities.

Recording vehicles travel through all streets recording camera views and at the same time using the global positioning network to precisely establish their location on the map. It seems that this combination has somehow enabled information from wireless mobile phone and computer systems to download certain information into Google's computers.

These news reports are providing scant detail of just what information is involved.

As a matter of urgency, full details of the extent of these security leaks should be made available. It could be that they are relatively harmless - but at the same time if they reveal items such as passwords or access codes they could lead to loss - or compromise personal security.

There will be suspicion that we are not being told the whole truth because of this vagueness.

If a serious threat exists - we have a right to know !

Wollongong Mall.

It seems that the debate over Wollongong Mall is never ending. Money has been allocated for refurbishing but the design pleases few people - and the question of a closed mall or a traffic flow defies resolution.

Unfortunately a force of nature indicates a natural decline for Wollongong Mall.

Crown street - before the Mall - was a seedy street of ageing shops, rapidly being replaced by a new, vibrant shopping centre in Shellharbour - the geographical centre of the twin city complex.

Property owners in Wollongong established the Mall as a desperation move to try and halt this degeneration. It lacked " soul " - was short of parking facilities - and totally failed to establish a night scene.

Wollongong is wedged between the escarpment and the sea. Population growth can only expand south of the city and we already see the migration of shopping to where the people are. This is evidenced by the concentration of big discount stores in Warrawang. Not a single store of this nature now exists in our city centre.

The Mall - in the form of a regional centre - will continue, but in a slowly reduced form. It is inevitable that the business migration will continue to expand south of here because that is where the future population will be housed.

We need to face the fact that Crown street is no longer the geographic centre of this region !

Ever widening asbestos claims !

James Hardie Industries must be bracing for a fresh round of damage claims after a court awarded $ 326,000 damages to a motor mechanic diagnosed with Mesothelioma. This deadly lung disease was caused by his work in fitting asbestos brake linings to motor vehicles.

The award will open a whole new round of claims because just about every garage and service station in the country would have been involved in relining brakes - and that would involve grinding and fitting the pads - and blowing out the dust residue with compressed air.

Unfortunately even a single exposure is enough to start the disease process - and that usually takes about twenty years to make an appearance. Asbestos was only recently replaced as a brake lining, hence there is a huge pool of potential claimants waiting in the wings.

This raises the question as to whether James Hardie can survive to meet it's obligations - or whether it will also be a casualty of the product that made it rich !

Ongoing disasters !

This week delivered more ongoing political disasters !

Cancellation of the Metro scheme will cost the state close to half a billion dollars in compensation claims. Consider what this wasted money could have done to the underfunded Princes highway - or our deadly twenty seven mile stretch of Picton road ?

Two more state ministers left their portfolios. One quit because caucus cancelled a plan to improve the focus of juvenile justice thinking - and the other was asked to resign because a benefit in office was not reported - as regulations require.

It seems that this rabble masquerading as a government is in terminal decline - and yet it must serve in office until March next year.

The phrase " rats leaving a sinking ship " comes to mind.

Gas heaters !

The death of two young boys in Victoria raises urgent questions about the safety of gas heaters - particularly so because there are concerns about unflued gas heaters throughout this state's school system.

So far little tangible evidence of these deaths have been forthcoming. The public has a right to know - in fact a need to know if the heater in question was unflued - and the circumstances that led to death.

It has been suggested that carbon monoxide poisoning was the likely cause of death and that the young age of the boys made them more vulnerable than their mother - who survived the accident.

We have started the winter season and huge numbers of Australians will turn on unflued gas heaters in the next few months to warm their homes. It is essential that they be informed of any risk - and advised on what steps to take to reduce that risk.

The education department claims unflued gas heaters in schools are safe - provided that certain rules apply. What we need to know is precisely what those rules are ?

This has been a tragic event causing death and the only sensible outcome is to bring unflued gas heaters into public focus and explain what risks they pose - in plain language that the ordinary person can understand.

Anything less is unacceptable !

Rising water levels.

Concern has been raised over the future viability of Wollongong University's " Innovation Campus " at Squires Way, Fairy Meadow. It seems that there is a thirty centimetre disparity in the levels predicted by global warming on flood levels for this site.

The plan calls for twenty five buildings worth many million dollars - and so far four have been completed with a floor capacity of 35,000 sqm. It is expected that over 5,000 people will work at this site.

The people who live and work in the adjacent suburbs - and who have sunk their money into homes - will be more than interested in this flood projection.

If rainfall and rising sea levels are going to make the Innovation Campus an unviable proposition, what happens to the home owners when the water rises ?

The question in many people's minds must be the approval of more new homes in areas that the experts predict will be subjected to rising water levels. Should this be allowed if the future is doom for beachside suburbs ?

Its time councils and politicians came clean on this issue - and devised clear building guidelines.

A " bland " Mall !

Wollongong mall is not an interesting place to visit outside of shopping hours - and given the impression from the drawings of the government architect - it will become even less interesting after the modifications are complete.

The " birdcage " will be gone and the mall will feature huge areas of open space - to give security and prevent undesirables from " lurking " .

Unfortunately these changes will do nothing to change the reason that the mall is a failure. It simply lacks a reason for people to go there outside of day time shopping hours !

The shops are not interested in night trading - and there are no restaurants or night activities to draw people and add vibrancy.

We might as well face reality. Whatever changes are made to the mall it will remain dormant at night because the restaurant strips have been established in Corrimal and Keira streets - and that is where the action is !

The only sensible plan would be to continue to retain it's pedestrian feature in daylight hours - and open it again to car traffic at night !

Justice denied !

It seems strange that when elected councillors of the same political persuasion as the state government are found to be corrupt - the entire council is removed and the affairs of this city put into the hands of three administrators.

It is reasonable to assume that persons so appointed by the state government would share a similar political outlook and have had cordial previous dealings with the administration involved.

In other words - the corrupt are simply replaced with stooges who will continue to do the bidding of their political masters.

Unfortunately there will be repercussions that will endure long after the stooges depart - and one of these will be the fate of that magnificent civic treasure - Gleniffer Brae.

Without public consultation Gleniffer Brae may be sold - and once out of council hands it will be lost forever.

There seems to be not the slightest notion of justice when the city of Wollongong is punished for the actions of a corrupt few - and those few remain free years after the event.