Here comes yet another stupid idea from the backroom brains of our Wollongong City Council. Opening up the Crown Street pedestrian mall to pushbikes. The argument put forward for the establishment of a pedestrian mall in the first place, was that there was an urgent need for access to a safe shopping area where nothing but people on foot occupied the entire area free from threats of harm from wheeled-based traffic, including any skateboards.
This proposal was amended to allow delivery vehicles access to business premises for two hours a day. With all the palm trees and rock obstacles blocking the place, unrestricted access has been reduced to half the area anyway. Will the council accept full liability and pay the legal costs of mitigation and compensation for the serious accidents that are bound to happen?.
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I say leave it to pedestrians only. It cost ratepayers millions to build the place (twice), and council still didn't get it right, now the silly buggers want to change it yet again.
Dave Cox, Corrimal
Make gambling an election issue
It's just too easy. I don't mind a day at the races and a flutter on the pokies. Generally I bail out when I've done my dough, but it's too easy to "challenge" the odds and continue to "invest" to get a win. The continual stories of theft, addiction and crime leaves good people gutted.
The fact that the NSW government has every gaming machine hooked into their financial data banks means that they hold a fair degree of responsibility for these scenarios. A TEAL moment if ever there was one.
Tom Wren, Mangerton
Refugee double standards
I found the item in the Mercury (July 22) outlining the welcome the people of Illawarra are giving the Kondratenko family of six, who escaped from war-torn Ukraine to seek refuge in Australia, both heart-warming but a bit puzzling. This is what I expect of Australians, but it did make me wonder about the people who Australia has kept in detention for years for also trying to escape from hardship in their countries. The double standards need to be explained.
John Martin, Woonona
Police need more power
Too often we see police ridiculed and confronted by criminals and troublemakers, with officers initially powerless until the law is broken. It must be stressful for the officers and also embarrassing for the majority of the public who just want to be assured that the force has the authority and ability to protect us. These days, police need more power to effectively carry out their duties with less interference from an outdated legal system. Stop treating our police like" Keystone Cops" and give them back the respect they once had.
Steven Thomas, Shellharbour
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