Council spokeswoman Heather Kennedy says  the information on the mall costs may be available in the new year. That will be a miracle if my precedent is valid.

Twelve months have passed since I applied for information on the remediation costs of land at the ‘‘Gateway’’ site, on the corner of Flinders and Campbell streets – the infamous Quattro site. The irony of this situation is that selected private business people in town know the expenditure  blowout.

At face value it may be argued that, if the commercial media can get information with a short turnaround time period, then why does it take the council more than 12 months to respond to a common ratepayer?

The term ‘‘commercial in confidence’’ has been  used often in the public sector. Councillors who are supposed to represent the people are sworn to secrecy on many project matters.

Government information is a public good and transparency is the light that not only disperses the darkness but allays ratepayer concerns regarding efficient resource allocation.

I look forward to seeing the remediation costs at the ‘‘Gateway’’ site being a line item in the annual report financials.

Ray Robinson, Corrimal

  Despite his history of violence and of lying to police, Greg Bird appears to be untouchable by the authorities. His “bullet proof’’ status was confirmed when in 2008  he assaulted his then girlfriend, Kate Milligan, causing her to suffer facial fractures and severe lacerations.

 The lacerations were due to Bird having “glassed” her during the assault. Initially Ms Milligan had Bird charged with assault, but later  she and Bird lied to police, claiming it was Bird’s flatmate, Greg Watson, who had committed the assault.

 An expensive police investigation proved Mr Watson was in Queensland at the time of the assault. Eventually Greg Bird received only a “slap on the wrist” for committing the assault and for “wasting police time”.

 Clearly, unless the NRL Integrity Panel moves to deal more realistically with Greg Bird and the damage his continuing presence in the NRL is causing,  its  own credibility will be at serious risk.

Barry Swan, Balgownie

 There is a budget emergency and debt crisis.  The government has spoken.  The rich will keep their privileged position under our tax legislation and the big companies keep their government subsidies and handouts.

Ben Morris, Wollongong

 ‘‘Build it and they will come’’,  Duncan Gay said as he turned the sod for the expansion of a road to nowhere in western Sydney.

The Illawarra has been calling for the same approach for the building of the Maldon-Dombarton rail line. But the implied advice from the government is ‘‘no-one is coming to the Illawarra so why build it?’’ This is despite overall evidence ‘‘they will come if it is built’’.

Let the government be consistent and apply the same standard to all of NSW. The point that hurts the most is the $100million allowed for the road probably came from the lease of Port Kembla Harbour.

Ian Young, Corrimal