'The previous government failed rural people' | Letters to the editor

The chief of Country Mayors, the Mayor of Gunnedah, Jamie Chaffey knows we don't need another inquiry into rural crime, yet he is happy to call for one if it puts his now insignificant party in the spotlight for a while, but even Jamie knows the previous government failed rural people as the lack of 24-hour policing in Gunnedah demonstrates. What did the Nats do over the last 12 years and what can be done now to address the lawless issues afflicting the people of NSW generally.

The Young Offenders Act, 1997 is no longer fit for purpose and needs amending or replaced. Regardless, what the police bureaucrats or Police Minister may say our Police need more resources. There are gaps everywhere due to resignations, long term leave and illness and the State can't even fill recruitment classes.

Morale has collapsed, there is little esprit de corps and their work catching miscreants is generally unappreciated by the courts, with offenders on this perpetual circle of offend, caught and processed by police, appear in court and released because no one has a desire to incarcerate a 12 year old who at that tender age is not responsible for his or her actions.

The parents could be, but some of them are at home high on illicit materials or alcohol and it is largely an unsafe location for a 12 year old to be. Better to be out on the streets, up to no good with friends. We need more investment in services that work that turn these unfortunate kids away from a life of offending, save we'll lose them forever. We need to address the causes of recidivism. A parliamentary inquiry is unlikely to deliver that.

Locally our Tamworth police need a new station. Their 1990 facility is also no longer fit for purpose, they work in cramped and generally unsafe conditions including rooms with little concern for Workplace Health and Safety provisions.

Mark Rodda, Tamworth

An invitation has been extended to the Mayor of Tamworth to attend the council catch-up in Manilla on the 2nd Dec 2023 between 10 - 11am at Molly May's Manilla street along with councillors Marc Sutherland and Steve Mears.

As there are plenty of questions that need answering about the services and substandard work outlying areas of the TRC like Manilla etc, receive. Especially considering the push for the SRV.

We have been ignored for nearly 20 years now, and we have no confidence in this council to fulfil it's promises. So the Mayor being the captain of the ship, should be in Manilla. He obviously feels the need to be at the CATCH-UP at Bicentennial Park Tamworth the week before on 25 Nov 2023.

The outlying areas are all part of the TRC. That seems to have been forgotten. A simple Yes or No reply to my emailed invitation would be be nice Russell.

Wayne (A Concerned Manilla Resident)

Having a go at people who actually understand science, Barnaby recently made the inane statement that "I know the Teachers' Federation tells you you've gotta save the planet because it'll instantaneously combust".

Seriously, Barnaby, what is this need you have to belittle the things you don't understand? Why make up lies like our previous PM? Are you actually incapable of being an adult in the room?

It is akin to your repeated whining about the Dungowan Dam, of which the NDL printed numerous photos of you and various coalition state and federal MP's skiting about the dam getting built. They go back to 2019 and yet your mob did little but make and re-make the announcements while repeatedly underestimate the price. While you did nothing the cost tripled.

Admit your own failure, Barnaby, and those of your political mates. They had no intention of building the dam, otherwise they would have started it instead of wasting three years making announcements and pretending they had the increasing amounts of money ready.

Also, I would suggest that Tamworth businesspeople ignore the advice from Barnaby to invest in coal-fired power plants and nuclear energy unless you want to go broke. When the owners of the current coal-fired power plants won't invest in them, when governments won't invest in them, well you would have to be a fool to do so.

Andrew Brown, Nundle

On the news on Monday 13 November 2023, people in Tamworth were complaining of trollies being left everywhere 'in gutters, on footpaths in the Peel River just everywhere' and I say not only trollies but some people who walk their dogs are too lazy to take dog bags to pick up their dogs poop.

Council was asked to do something about the trollies but the person that asked did not get an answer, because council is not interested in anything that does not bring in money.

Aldi is the only supermarket to take the initiative to look after their trollies. It is time all businesses using trollies wake up and learn from Aldi in relation to their trollies and introduce the Aldi system.

The community has had enough of these trollies laying around all over the place and if you do not, you may find that you may be missing some of your trollies and when you do find them you may have to pay to get them back, as they may have been picked up to keep the community clean and safe.

Daphney Mandel Hayes, South Tamworth

On behalf of the McGrath Foundation, we would like to thank the Namoi community for their incredible fundraising efforts during the recent Pink Up Namoi fundraising campaign.

Pink Up Your Town is an opportunity for communities to turn pink in solidarity with people experiencing breast cancer, whilst also supporting the McGrath Foundation in our goal to fund 250 McGrath Breast Care Nurses by 2025.

To date, our 204 McGrath Breast Care Nurses have helped support over 127,000 families in Australia experiencing breast cancer. This would not be possible without the fundraising support generous Australian communities like yours.

It is thanks to the commitment of amazing communities like Namoi that we're able to continue funding McGrath Breast Care Nurses to support families experiencing breast cancer across Australia, for free, taking us even closer to our mission of ensuring everyone experiencing breast cancer has access to a breast care nurse.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks for the generosity of the Namoi community during 'Pink Up Namoi', we are truly grateful for your support.

Tracy Bevan, Ambassador & Director, McGrath Foundation

Nature designed the atmosphere of planet earth to hold just enough carbon dioxide to provide sufficient heat to allow life to flourish, not too much carbon dioxide that would heat the earth to a point where life would not be possible and not too little carbon dioxide that would freeze all living things.

It is obvious that humans have ignored the life providing examples set by nature. This is because burning fossil fuels to provide energy is causing the pouring of massive volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that could bring rising planet earth heat levels to a point where life on earth would no longer be possible.

Brian Measday, Kingswood, South Australia