When looking up rehabilitation centres for gambling we found there weren't many at all and mostly there for alcohol and drugs and getting in is harder than getting past the doorman at your local club to access the machines.

The waiting list seems to be longer than the credits of " Ben Hur " and if you are intent on getting in one must ring every Monday and Thursday morning to see if there is a position available.

Then one goes through a blood and alcohol test and if this is positive you could miss out, but isn't this a bit of a contradiction especially for alcohol addiction when this is their desired addiction. So they could miss out if there is alcohol in their system?

 Okay, if the government gets 'X' amount of revenue from alcohol and gambling they should at least put a certain amount  back into the community in the form of rehab centres.

But also have enough to cover the amount of addicts that are the by-product of these revenue-raising products and also provide enough counsellors and medical practitioners to support these individuals to counter the effects of this addiction.

It's got to the stage where families are taking the brunt of the problems onto their shoulders and there needs to be more centres for not just the addicts but now for counselling of family members too, as they have their own problems stemming from this addiction.

These are all problems that develop from governments gaining revenue from popular recreational avenues and instead of dealing with this in a rational way it is left to escalate to a degree where more and more people in society are affected.

T Dunn,  West Wollongong

Once again we are witnessing the consequences of the complete failure by our governments to properly husband Australia’s finite naturally occurring resources.

On this occasion, the failings of government have resulted in the cost of electricity and gas to average Australian households increasing from July 1st by around $370 per annum.

In recent days NSW’s AGL, announced an increase to the cost of electricity to their customers of 16.3 per cent and for gas, 9.1 per cent.

This ability of fuel and energy companies to hold the Australian people to ransom, lays with the refusal of Federal Governments to even consider the implementation of a national fuel and energy policy.

Instead, governments have handed complete control of fuel and electricity cost to consumers, over to six multinational energy resource gatherers; Santos, Exxon, BHP, Origin, Arrow Energy and Shell.

Such has been the level of incompetence of our current government; it would be cheaper per gigajoule, to import back the LNG we have already exported, than purchase it domestically.

In the light of our governments demonstrated inability to protect the national interest, is it time for the people to take action? Perhaps the nationalisation of our energy resources is worthy of consideration?

Barry Swan, Balgownie

SHORTAGE OF SEATS ON NEW TRAINS

I caught a train to Sydney last year for a medical appointment and was shocked at how dangerously overcrowded they were. Had to stand all the way from Sydney to Wollongong while suffering the effects of the treatment I had received. I was in good company as many other elderly, frail people also had to stand. Never again. Next time I'll add to the congestion on the road.

_ Peter