If there is one thing that has changed for the worse in the harbour, it's the amount of rubbish accumulating on the bottom of the harbour and floating around it's edges.

On Saturday I came across the largest amount of rubbish I'd seen to date, spread across the surface of the harbour, especially on the southern side of the harbour. Port Macquarie just installed seabins in their Marina with support from a NSW EPA grant.

I am wondering what, if anything Wollongong city council is doing about rubbish entering the harbour and our other waterways - surely we can do more to clean up our harbour?

An issue that is starting to divide the community and rightly so. A large number of people have to exist on the meagre Newstart Allowance. Most of the people on Newstart have (1) not had any influence on workplace restructuring (2) had no influence of domestic economic decisions, or (3) influenced global decisions that led to them being unemployed' they are at the end of the decision making process.

Then you look at the stats and the biggest group of unemployed are the over 55's who have already contributed significantly to the Australian economy and have expectations of being treated better.. The Newstart Allowance is a dismal amount for people to survive and look for work.

The Labor has abandoned any support to increase Newstart, Shame Labor Shame. What could be the consequences, begging on the streets, for those who follow history, maybe unrest and revolution on the streets,..

Labor and the Greens need to push for an increase. There are signs the economy is heading for trouble. But this won't be resolved by LNP words or slogans. Instead of a coin maybe a note be donated to the beggar.

Peter Corkish, Wollongong

John Hewson in his article a 'Government oblivious to economic woes' reveals the true state of the economy. He quotes a recent survey that revealed that " 46 per cent of Australians are living pay to pay which equates to 5.9 million people who might find themselves unable to cope if they lost their jobs and they would only survive for a month or less ". Jobs loss is now and so is survival.

The survey also revealed that 1.9 per cent of Australians have a " problematic credit card debt" and it is " 120 percent of GDP". The recession is now and is being addressed at the coal face in the soup kitchens and in free meals . Its time it was addressed at the top by a government that still flaunts the mantra of a having a strong economy that won them government.

It was the lie about having a strong economy that saved Morrison not a miracle. Miracles are in short supply there won't be one to save him next time.

Reg Wilding, Wollongong