As I have gotten older, I have thought “what is a good environment for older people” and, I confess, I have a long-held dream and it is about Kable Avenue.  An avenue is a tree-lined street, and, from the northern end, Kable Avenue does start that way, on one side at least. (We’ll have to write off the bit from Brisbane to Darling Streets.) Thank goodness for some civic minded council from the past for planting the beautiful plane trees, now huge and leafy and shady.

My vision is to make Kable Avenue a true avenue, tree-lined all the way on both sides, embracing Bicentennial Park and the children’s playground. Even then it will be starting to feel like a people place. But we have to get rid of the ugly parts. Unfortunately, there’s not much can be done about the back of the Target building, which is atrocious. But trees could hide it a bit. The three storey building on the next corner is pretty awful too - more trees please.

I rather like the back of Ray Walsh House, but much more could be done with landscaping, to create a “hanging gardens” effect.

The old two storey house with the restaurant in it has charm too, so I’d let that stay.

But from there down to the end of the avenue, send those businesses to Taminda where they belong. Out, clean sweep!  Then there will be space for well-designed apartment blocks and, my special personal dream, a retirement village. And trees, all the way down on both sides.

Col Murray has already suggested high-rise apartments near the CBD, not too high, Mr Murray, please. Kable Avenue would be a marvellous place to live, both for young working people and for older, retired people. I have written before about how wonderful it would be for residents to be able to walk up through Fitzroy Street to Peel Street to meet friends at any of the zillion coffee shops now in the CBD, or to do business, attend shows, go the library and gallery and shop. Or cross the road to spend time in the beautiful, leafy park. Doesn’t that sound like a truly wonderful, cosmopolitan lifestyle, one that isn’t available now. And that is my vision for Tamworth.

Maybe, after that, we could look at Marius Street.

Jan Morris, 

West Tamworth

With the same-sex marriage postal survey only having days before it closes on November 7 many Australians are still unaware of what it is all about. While the Yes campaigners claim it is only about "love" and "equality" the Federal Attorney General's Department has advised that there would need to be approximately sixty consequential changes across twenty five Commonwealth Acts if same sex marriage becomes law.

In the months that have lead up to this point in time many Australian politicians, and much of the Australian media have willfully mislead the Australian public. They have avoided a central issue, and that is the human rights of a child to have a mother and a father. They have also ignored the importance of adults recognising that a child's needs must come before the desires of older people.

Sadly there has also been no indepth study of what has happened in countries overseas such as in the United Kingdom, Canada, the USA, European countries and New Zealand. Yes supporters state that the world has not come to an end in these countries and Australia needs to catch up with them. Paul Kelly of the Australian describes these types of comments as fatuous remarks designed to deceive.

What appears obvious is that in these countries more and more children have become confused about their sexuality after same sex marriage was introduced. The [un]Safe Schools program, which is tied to same sex marriage was sensibly stopped in NSW by our state government as it has been shown to be not (about) bullying as claimed. Unfortunately the ACT and Victorian Labor governments are continuing with the program.

After same sex marriage was passed in other countries .. parents rights regarding their children's education have been denied. Schools that do not support the programs appear to be having their government funding cut as what appears to be happening to a Jewish school in England.

In the USA where same sex marriage has come in, and prior to President Trump being elected the debate was about who uses which public toilets, particularly in schools, and as gender is fluid males could simply go through an administration procedure to identify themselves as females to use those toilets. Also in the USA there is now the issue of males identifying themselves as females and winning female athletic events.

The Yes campaign for same sex marriage is a trojan horse. It is politically dressed up to look nice with the word "equality", but like the drugs ice and ecstasy nice words hide a dark reality. It is claimed to be part of a political agenda identified with Marxism which will not stop if same sex marriage becomes a reality in Australia, as has happened overseas.

People need to get their NO votes in now before it is too late. Many homosexuals, who don't wish to be pawns of the Left, have already voted No!

Bob Patrech

Figtree, NSW