With regard to the Local Government Regulatory changes announced by you, the Minister for Local Government, on Friday April 17, 2020, I wish to ask for a considered review of the recent decision of the New South Wales Parliament, to allow regional councils to suspend 'advertising' in regional newspapers. I believe consequences of this change will have a negative impact on local publications and the broader community.

At the present time, Australia's historically significant country newspapers are suffering widespread closure, 60 small newspapers being wound up by News Corp alone. With the spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent downturn in business activity, regional printeries are being forced to cease publication and outsource print jobs.

As a direct result of your announcement of this state government amendment, Tamworth Regional Council has withdrawn advertising from the "Manilla Express", one of a diminishing number of independent newspapers left operating in this state.

This move undermines the support of small business operations recently initiated by the federal government and in fact runs counter to support promoted by you, in announcing these changes.

Firstly, I take issue with the term 'advertising'. Advertising is specific to sales. The publications concerned are community information notices, provided as an obligation of regional councils for the benefit of ratepayers. I fail to understand where such expenses might be redirected in the face of COVID-19.

Secondly, in a worse case scenario, our not insignificant rate payments would surely be sufficient to cover any shortfall in council's budget for the publication of local government notices, be they regular information, or irregular, as in the current COVID-19 circumstances. With regard to identifying 'newspapers' specifically in your media release, is it the presumption of the Department of Local Government, that all NSW. ratepayers access council notices through online services alone? We are not yet print publication free and if set the task of defending print, we may never be.

The readers and writers of our society are not prepared to see our print publication heritage turned over to digital media entirely. Regional communities like ours all over Australia are endeavouring, in the face of the spectre of corporate monopoly, to save their local newspapers through advertising, patronage and community relevant reporting. In this instance, sanctioning a cost-cutting measure such as "removing the requirement for council notices to be advertised in newspapers" does not provide the "financial support to businesses suffering from reduced cash-flows", as sited in the announcement made.

Aside from this community's reliance on its weekly edition of the local paper, "The Manilla Express", established 121 years ago in January 1899, is one of a very small number of independent publications still left standing following the corporate buyout of the majority of mastheads established within a very proud Country Press tradition. The remnants of such a tradition should not disappear in the face of government amendments.

This a plea for your support, Minister, in reconsideration of this recent amendment. It exacerbates the precarious financial position our country press proprietors already find themselves in as a result of the growth of online services, an already challenging situation, now compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diana Nichol, Manilla

Life is definitely a lottery at the moment. Did you happen to pick an "essential" career? Could you have ever imagined what 2020 would bring?

What would you go back and tell yourself on New Year's Day ... buy shares in Zoom, do not book that long awaited holiday, get that dog you've always wanted!

After a number of really tough years I was determined that I had hit rock bottom and 2020 was going to bring a fresh start.

My personal life could only get better and my challenging career of 30 years must pick up. So much for a positive approach!

So I found myself at Westpac in Peel Street last month, needing some guidance and help with my ever dwindling account.

I was ushered into the office of the lovely and outgoing Sarah Purkiss. She proceeded to help, chat, guide and laugh with me.

I'm afraid I got a little agitated when she explained the challenges she was facing juggling childcare and work at the moment.

"But you're just so lucky to still be working! I've been to hell and back these last few years and when I finally thought I was getting back on my feet I lose my job."

Well it turns out Sarah has been through difficult challenges of her own, and has done so brilliantly. It was a sober reminder that there's always someone doing it tough, and to complain about your hand in this lottery is just plain self indulgent.

So we chatted about the positives in this disaster; knowing that our farmers were enjoying the rain and the demand for their products, the hope that we all support our local businesses, happiness knowing my friends Leasa and Rae at Simply Shine Hairdressers were about to reopen their doors and get their hardworking staff back to work (I was laughing as when they called and asked what day would suit I was like "oh I'm free for the next year or so!") and how great our neighbours have been checking on each other, helping with any shopping or just having a wine and a laugh over the fence. I was there for ages!

So it was a huge shock when I turned up at Simply Shine and found that somehow Sarah had remembered me mentioning my appointment and called ahead and paid for it.

What a wonderful gesture in such an awful time ... and the best thing about 2020 is people having so much more time. Time to listen and help, time to sit and laugh, time to spend with their family, time to realise how lucky we are.

KC, Tamworth

l find it very hard to comprehend the mentality of this NSW Government and those elected as due to their own failure of control we were put in lockdown.

The Premier and her yes boys are now using bully tactics. As these people are no more than a board of directors why is it we as their employers have to put up with there crap and grin and bear it?

The worst of this whole mess is when the public realise the mess these splineless yes men have put us in, and are finally sacked. They will be laughing saying 'hey we stuffed up but look at the pension you clowns are paying us for life', so honestly, how can anyone show respect?

D Davis, Manilla

One of the consequences of this COVID-19 period is that when one of us passes there is limited opportunity to share memories of the life of the deceased.

I hope this little insignificant story gives some comfort to the Hickson family in their loss.

In 1958, Bob coached the Tamworth Primary School boys Blue hockey team. Bob would have been 16 at the time, we were an impressionable 11 or 12 years old. Bob had promised each of us a bottle of "Lilymans soft drink" after each victory.

I was too young to ask how he could afford this gesture. Under his direction, we were undefeated throughout the season until playing our last game against the lowly placed Oxley Vale team.

To our great dismay, we were defeated by them, ruining the opportunity of an undefeated season and worse, the loss of the after game bottle of soft drink.

On walking off the field we were ready for a blasting from Bob, but he got us all together to explain we had all played well and that Oxley Vale had just proven to be the better team on the day.

To our collective delight he then came forward with the prized bottle of drink.

On finishing our drinks, we were surprised to see our coach handing out a second round to each of us. I learnt a life lesson that day!

Vale Bob Hickson.

David Cohen, Tamworth

We remember a trip to Adelaide with Bob and Margaret in 1988 when Matthew represented NSW at the U15 national hockey carnival. So many Tamworth boys were in that NSW team. Good times. RIP Bob. Our thoughts are with you, Margaret.

Peter-Yvonne Rollings

RIP Bob, wonderful memories of him playing cricket. Always someone who the young cricketers looked up too.

Helen Morton