'If these poles and wires were genuinely for the good of Australians, they would be underground or on public lands'

If you find it hard to believe Australian governments (State and Federal) would threaten and intimidate just ask the people of Dunedoo, in fact ask any one of hundreds of rural communities being forced to "host" renewable projects across Australia.

We have watched with growing alarm what appear to be deliberate ploys to manipulate country people into agreeing with schemes they know are both wrong and inequitably burdensome. But if you can get a population fearful enough for their children, their homes, their income, their wellbeing, they are much easier to manipulate, to turn against each other, to induce compliance. And what are we seeing as EnergyCo "engages with stakeholders"? Uncertainty, fear, anxiety, shame and embarrassment. All the warning signs of assault on mental health and wellbeing.

Minister Sharpe can deny it all she likes, but just ask the people of Nundle or Walcha what it feels like to see former friends cross the street to avoid each other, or come to fisticuffs on the golf course.

Do you think this is an accidental outcome of the renewables culture wars? It is either deliberate or gross incompetence. How can a fractured community provide the resilience framework for good mental health outcomes and peer support?

If these poles and wires were genuinely for the good of Australians, they would be underground or on public lands, not destroying lives and livelihoods. But the ugly truth is they are not for some vague, amorphous "public interest", they are for the corporate vested interests building the infrastructure - the REZ sites, the poles and the wires. And ultimately they are for the state government eyes lusting after the sale of the renewable grid infrastructure to private corporations in the future.

Divide and conquer. This is not about intransigent country people selfishly resisting change that is in the "public interest". This is about the rape and pillage of our countryside for vested corporate interests, whose government masters will even stoop to using well-understood high stakes mental health tactics to achieve their end.

Dr Merryl Uebel-Yan, Valley Alliance member

Following the recent meeting I gave some thought as to mental health, we know visual impacts and the stress dealing with Energy Co, losing control of what you can do and property devaluation.

Prior to moving to the Dungowan Valley we lived at Oakville near Windsor, we had power lines through our property 150m from the house, we looked at them every day, but most of all even when in bed you could hear the buzz of the lines and crackle in the cool or moist days like fog or mist.

I can remember various incidents when fencing in the HVTL envelope of getting static shock off the farm ute and at times hairs on the back of the neck sensation walking underneath the wires.

These where big towers three layers of wires each side with four wires per sling each equating to 24 wires. What voltage I am not sure. The line supplied Liddell in the Hunter to Sydney and ran through the sandstone escarpment rough country.

The property at Oakville was of course reduced in price when purchased and restricted a lot of development on the 15-acre holding and no doubt the original owner as what will happen here take the money and run.

So, in short, noise will be an ongoing factor not yet mentioned, and this will mess with anybody's head.

Valley Alliance thanks for your valuable efforts and hopefully we get more answers than what we did at Tuesday's meeting.

Dan McArdle, Dungowan Valley

I mirthfully note that the Leader's story about the new swimming pool complex stated that "The total budget for the aquatic and sport health centre is $45 million."

If that is the case, the council should provide us a list of the items that will be cut when the inevitable cost blowouts occur.

My bet is that the price will easily exceed the budget and council will tell us that they have to sell assets or cut staff and services to make up for this.

They should be held to account and people need to remember that the best way to make a motza in business is to get a contract with any level of government in Australia.

Andrew Brown, Nundle

Welllllllll, the rate hike's have finally been thrust upon our Tamworth region, regardless of how we feel. The council hierarchy tells us that it's the rate hike they need to be able to keep functioning as a viable council for now and in the future, most councillors stood up in the meeting to spruik gobble gook for its justification, but not one word was spoken about council's own belt tightening, e.g. the long awaited new swimming pool centre, after allowing our two remaining pools to slip into disrepair after years off neglected maintenance.

Why would you stand up in council crying for a new aquatic centre in one hand and then cry about how we need to have this long awaited rate rise because council is up against the wall financially and is fast become an unviable council that can keep our local roads and infrastructure in reasonable shape. To my frame of mind, this is not good management. I feel they want new shiny things but have shown they can't look after the things they have got.

Phillip Allan Jones, Moonbi

The recent announcement by the Federal Labor Government in relation to the future of Australia's gas industry is, in my opinion, totally Impossible to accept. The announcement virtually ensures that gases burned by the gas industry to create energy will continue to release massive amounts of greenhouse gases, ,a major cause of human induced climate change, into the atmosphere of the Earth for decades to come.

Have the Labor party given up attempting to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?.Are they completely ignoring that global heat records are being smashed around the World year after year? What about the other wide range of climate related promises made in the lead up to the last Federal election, how many of these have also been pushed to one side.?

I fear for the future of the human race.

Brian Measday, Kingswood, SA

Mother's Day is a special cause for celebration, for many Australian families. But Labor's announcement last week about its "Future Gas Strategy' certainly blighted my enjoyment of the day. The 'Wreck-the-Future Gas Strategy' would be a more apt name. How can the government claim to back a clean energy transition, when they plan to support gas extraction for decades to come? Gas is a heat-trapping pollutant, and its extraction and use contribute substantially to global warming. A ten-year-old can tell you that. I'm sure that for most mums, a liveable future for our children and grandchildren would be the best Mother's Day gift we could receive.

Anne O'Hara, Wanniassa

Nowhere in all the budget commentary do I see funding for the one thing that identifies and sustains us all - Australia's beautiful natural environment. Albanese's Labor government has committed to no new extinctions and pledged to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030. Without funding, however, these commitments are nothing more than empty promises. Even in a cost-of-living crisis we can't afford to leave wildlife and nature short-changed.

Amy Hiller, Kew