DEAR News Of The Area, MidCoast Council’s Community Conversations have been, understandably, affected by the recent devastating flooding, and the clean-up effort that ensues. Originally, the Tea Gardens Community Conversations were to be held back in late May, and have since been rescheduled for Tuesday 29 July. In the wake of a few erroneous postings, […]
The Write Direction: Feeding the political trough
CYNICS of our political system might suggest the whole game looks like feeding time at a piggery. It is essential to make sure there are enough buckets of slops for all to enjoy. That is probably a bit tough, but it is often the way the public views this political feeding frenzy. When governments are […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, WHEN I was in the hairdresser last week, I overheard the woman opposite me tell the hairdresser that she wanted a new style because she was about to leave her husband after 18 years of marriage. On my way out, I took a quick glance at the person in question, and realised, to […]
The Big Screen
ANOTHER week, another long-awaited “legacy sequel” in 28 Years Later, the pseudo-zombie, post-apocalyptic, horror film from director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire). As the title implies, it has now been 28 years since the “rage virus” was initially unleashed upon the world, causing those exposed to instantaneously become uncontrollably violent. A small group of survivors living […]
Winter
From the Mayor’s desk: Cr Claire Pontin
THE communities of the MidCoast area have just experienced the worst flood in living memory. Council staff and I are working round the clock to address the widespread damage that this has caused and to seek ongoing support from the State and Federal emergency support agencies. I have been meeting with Ministers and agency heads […]
Letter to the Editor: Protecting our energy tradition means updating it
DEAR News Of The Area, AUSTRALIA has long supplied energy and manufactured products to the world. We can protect this tradition by updating. Local companies have already moved into cleaner production and we already supply more than 40% of our National Electricity Market with clean energy. At independent industry think tank Beyond Zero Emissions, we […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, I am going away with a group of school friends and we are sharing rooms. To save money, we booked a room with two queen beds, but one of our group members has become an incessant snorer. I’m a light sleeper. How do I tactfully ask that she is not my bed companion […]
Afford
The Write Direction: Unrealised taxation
I REMAIN frustrated by the government’s latest tax attack on superannuation funds. We don’t know what the exact position will be or how it might be altered by the government’s negotiations in order to get it through the Senate, as already the Greens are trying to increase the tax levy in order for it to […]