I am writing this letter because you need to step up and do the right thing. The right thing is often hard to do but you need to do it. You must be strong and lead, that's your job.

The majority of Australians have done the right thing during this pandemic. They have stayed home, they have worn masks, they have distanced themselves from their friends and families, they have closed businesses (some permanently) and/or worked from home. They are missing out on funerals, weddings, celebrations, hugs and much more.

I am married. Between my husband and myself we have four well-rounded grown children who all have jobs and contribute well to society. They are caring, loving and all work hard.

We have not seen two of them for over two years. The other two for over one year.

We live in Tamworth NSW. Our children live in Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The recent outbreak in Sydney has been devastating to us. We now have all four of our children in lockdown areas.

We are currently in lockdown as well.

We have been trying to get vaccinated for six months and have only been able to book an appointment recently for the first week of September. My parents live in a remote country town and have not been able to get an appointment yet. They are 80 and 78 years old. Our daughter in Melbourne has only just become eligible for AstraZeneca, she lives alone and has done the right thing through each outbreak there. She cares about others and puts their health before her own. The lockdowns have taken a huge toll on her mental health but she knows it's the best way to keep everyone safe.

Tonight, my eldest son received a message saying he is a close contact and needs to get a test and isolate until he gets his results back. He runs an essential business in Sydney. I am devastated by this news, but hopeful the test will come back negative. He has just had his first Pfizer vaccination (Tuesday 3 August). His partner is still trying to get vaccinated but hasn't been able to get an appointment anywhere, even though he is an essential worker and in a high-risk area. My son has been checking Health NSW every day, more than once, for many reasons. He checks for hotspots before going shopping for food. He checks for changing rules for his area and his business. He does the right thing but has now been exposed to a positive person.

While I'm writing this letter (11:30pm), my son is in a long line with his partner at the 24hr testing station at Canterbury Hospital waiting for a COVID test. He's been there five minutes and has already spoken to two people there not wearing masks. He is probably in more danger of catching COVID while lining up now for a test than he would have been if he just stayed home rather than doing what you have told him to do.

This is breaking my heart. I am terrified. This is affecting young people now. You have to do something more.

Politicians were the first vaccinated. Essential workers are still waiting.

Every day on the news we hear the same thing from Gladys: "Get vaccinated, it's the only way out now."

Where do we get vaccinated? Why is it the only way out now? There is another way, lock down hard!

Now, before more people get sick and die!

My 30yr old son in Newcastle is a tradie and is still working. He checked to see where he could be vaccinated and was told he's ineligible. Ineligible! You are making school children a priority now, yet people in nursing homes, doctors, nurses, essential staff (Coles, Woolworths employees etc) have no way to be vaccinated. School children can stay at home and learn. They can redo their year 12 if necessary.

Essential workers can't work from home. It makes no sense. If year 12 students are a priority, then why not Uni students in their last year?

You need to rethink what needs to be done. Vaccinate the essential workers, the community who are at high-risk. I am in the 1B stage. I keep checking availability and found two local doctors' surgeries are giving the Pfizer. One told me I had to be a patient there. I asked if I could be a patient and was told they're not taking new patients. The second said they could get me in in October. I asked if it made a difference that I am in the 1B category and they said it makes no difference. Do we still have categories?

Sydney will never beat this outbreak because it has been in a soft lockdown. Clothing shops are open? Car washes? Bunnings? Coffee shops?

You need to understand we are not stupid. We know it is better to close everything for a short time (1-2 weeks) instead of allowing this drag on. Allowing people get sick, people to die, businesses to close, employees to lose their jobs - the list is long, heartbreaking and wrong.

Your people are suffering and you are allowing it.

Please remember this tonight when you go to bed and try to sleep, let this sink in, Australia had zero cases, the whole of Australia had zero cases! Don't tell me it's different now because it's Delta. The rest of Australia is managing it. New Zealand is managing it. You are not.

You let the virus in. You control the borders and the quarantine hotels. Not us, you!

I protected my children when they were young. It was hard but I did what needed to be done. I did it because I love them and it was the right thing to do. I didn't do it because I wanted to be popular, voted in or patted on the back. I didn't change the subject when the questions were hard, I gave honest answers. I stepped up and did it because it was the best thing for them. Now it's up to you to protect them.

You keep talking about 'living with COVID', you need to know we are not prepared to 'live' with COVID right now. Right now, we are dying with COVID. It was your job to prepare us, vaccinate us, and you have failed.

You have made a such a mess of this. People are sick and there's not enough vaccines to go around. Stop telling people to get vaccinated when they can't be, bring in more vaccines so they can be. We were in a good situation here and we were prepared to wait to get vaccinated until you let the virus escape and spread.

Be strong and lead. Do the right thing, don't be lazy and choose the easiest thing.

Shut Sydney/NSW down for a week or two and kill COVID.

Cheryl Hardwick, Tamworth

In 2015 Tony Abbott set a target for Australia to lower greenhouse emissions by 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels, by the year 2030.

Dr Pershing the US Deputy Climate Envoy has made it clear that the target set by Tony Abbott for Australia to reach by 2030 has been "overtaken by events" and is now inadequate.

The Biden administration is putting ever increasing pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to adopt a far more ambitious greenhouse emissions reduction target.

The US has committed to halving its greenhouse emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and G7 nations have made the same collective commitment.

It is quite obvious that the emissions reduction target as set by Tony Abbott, and presently being used by our Federal Coalition Government , is very much out of date and therefore needs urgent revision.

The big question now is will it be at all possible for our Federal Coalition to make the necessary revision to our present greenhouse emissions reduction target by 2030, with Barnaby Joyce being the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the Nationals?

Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank South Australia

According to Kevin Anderson, the NSW government is doing a good job managing the current COVID outbreak. Really, what planet does our local member live on? Perhaps he needs to stop with the political spin and have a reality check.

The outbreak began on June 16 with one case in Bondi, it has now grown to 13022 cases (as of today 23rd August) with sadly 74 deaths. Cases are now spread over the state, with Far Western NSW being one of the area's major concern, due to the vulnerable indigenous population.

Every day we are treated to the lunacy of magically opening up when 70 per cent of the adult population is vaccinated. Which by the way won't happen until the middle of November. This fails to take into account children who are becoming infected with the Delta strain, and would be sitting ducks

The arrogant and incompetent LNP government have now put the entire state in a lockdown that may drag on for months, due to their pathetic initial response. As usual with The LNP they take zero responsibility for anything, and will deny, deflect and spin and hope the problem disappears. They really are the worst government the state has ever had.

Scott Hyams, Tamworth