The current remedial work on Bulli Pass will save all us NSW taxpayers in the long run.

More importantly, it will save lives.

Pete Rainbird, Figtree

With US president elect Donald Trump declaring an intention to include among his massive military build-up an additional 100 fighter aircraft; an opportunity has arisen for the Turnbull government to solve its ballooning budget deficit while assisting “the Donald” to reduce the number of additional aircraft he needs by 58.

This could be achieved by offering “the Donald” our 58 on-order Lockheed/ Martin F35 fighters at a fire sale price.

Okay we have paid $24 billion for them so far, but to-date there is little if any indication the F35 can actually fly.

Donald as a businessman would no doubt not pay more than fire sale rates for an aircraft which is proven to be aerial “lemon”.

A reality apparently lost upon the Turnbull government.  

But hey, even at scrap metal rates we might get something to help pay off the Australian Budget deficit which has tripled since the LNP took office in 2013.  

Barry Swan Balgownie

In reply to the letter by Ben Morris "Captains make better choices" (Illawarra Mercury, Wednesday November 16, 2016), over the past four decades, not a year has passed without news reports of dire threats to the Great Barrier Reef.

Some have been new threats, others old ones, refreshed or just reiterated.

Typically the source is presented as an "expert".

None of these prophesies of doom have materialised and the Great Barrier Reef has remained a vast and essential pristine natural region.

Of the nearly 3000 reefs in the Great Barrier Reef complex, only a few dozen are regularly visited, and even these have relatively sparse usage with detectable human effects being rare or trivial.

When alleged experts fail to address evidence, engage in contests over credentials or impugn credibility on the basis of affiliation, this is not scientific debate but simply politics masquerading as science.

In 2012, a new global assessment revealed nearly 1200 proposed coal-fired power plants.

Australia supplies just over 30 percent of the world’s coal, so we are in a good position.

The billions of dollars being paid to government help fund things we all benefits from like employing police, nurses and teachers, as well as building roads and hospitals, not to mention the tens of thousands of workers, the businesses and services that support, supply and rely on the coal industry.

Like the Democrats in America, Labor has left its traditional base of blue collar workers behind and embraced green economics.

President-elect Donald Trump's victory was helped by the vote of blue collar workers who have seen their factories close and jobs gone to live off welfare, because of Obama's green economics.

Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow

Please Mick Chamberlain (Dapto Rotary), anyone attempting to rid us of the graffiti we wake up to each morning is to be commended whether writing about it or removing it.

Rotary removal projects are one positive way of not seeing it again in that spot for a while and of course this is fine.

So too is stirring our three major parties as to their policy on graffiti of which they have none. You really shouldn’t assume, Mick.                                

Brian Johnson, Gymea