Renewable energy use in China hit 38.3 per cent of that nation's total installed power capacity as it moves rapidly away from coal-based energy production.

As a coal basin of both thermal and coking coal production we should be listening to global industry and political warnings over thermal coal. The economies of scale enjoyed by the joint mining of these products look to be at threat if China's energy redevelopments from cleaner energy sources continue at the same pace.

We need to heed the advice of these experts to ensure our local community's future, and look beyond coal for future "Jobs and Growth" in our region.

Peter Wills,

Breeza

Tourism is good but not quite realistic for Gunnedah. It's too isolated and too far from major airports. It's too costly to tour over there. There's not much sight to see until the tourist facilities are established.

I have two properties in Gunnedah. It's so hard to get tenants or to see. They've been on the market over a year. The asking price is $20,000 lower than the purchase price. Still no one even makes an inquiry. I guess declining population is one of the reasons. Too many restrictions and even protests for new industries develop in that area is a major reason. Who wants to live in a town where there is no jobs? Hopefully it won't gradually become an empty town.

Camilla Leung,

Greystanes

I wish to express my offence at Barnaby Joyce's Facebook statement that you'd have to be 'barking mad' if you think we can change the climate.
I believe in the science behind climate change and I believe in my own observations about what has happened to our local climate in the last 60 years. I think it is downright insulting of my supposed elected representative to call me 'barking mad' because of those beliefs.

I know that we have come to expect rants and unintelligible gibberish from our member, but this one crossed the line.

Mr Joyce needs to look further afield than one alleged scientist if he wants to be truly honest with us. If he doubts that humans can change the climate, he should look into the business of rising emissions and what science shows they will do, and are doing, to our climate.

Mr Joyce should talk to farmers who are now calling for strong action against climate change, tell them they're barking mad. Thanks to Mr Joyce, the Murray Darling Basin is in crisis mode. Now, he wants to not only turn a blind eye to the fact that the whole country (let alone the world) is in crisis mode, but also insult us because we are trying to make the world a better place for future generations.

I call on Mr Joyce to retract his recent Facebook statement and admit to his constituents, at least, that he has made a bad mistake in belittling them.

Dale Curtis,

Armidale