IN 1949 George Orwell said amongst predictions for his ‘1984’ titled book that “the people will not revolt. They will not look up from their screens long enough to notice what is happening”. I can’t help thinking this prediction is highly relevant for our present financial situation. How anyone could

DEAR News Of The Area, SUBMISSIONS closed Friday 6 October for individuals to “have their say” regarding the remediation of the Kororo Lagoons. The Korora Lagoons are facing the same fate as all the other waterways between Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga. The fact they are man made is irrelevant to any decision regarding

DEAR News Of The Area, I’M sure by now you’ve all had this Referendum ‘up to pussy’s bow’ but some of us oldies still have concerns about the Voice, including this one: How will the Voice succeed in ‘closing the gap’ in disadvantaged Indigenous communities and eliminating domestic violence towards women and

DEAR News Of The Area, I HAVE noted over the last few months there has been any number of comments from the general public in relation to the upcoming referendum. Unless I have missed something, not one of the mostly Yes submissions have been from people that have either never been

DEAR News Of The Area, AS a constituent of an Australian democracy I believe I am entitled to an opinion. Recently the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, opened the cultural centre in Coffs Harbour. A majority of ratepayers objected to the construction of this building which is rumoured to end

DEAR News Of The Area, GROWING up in Australia in the 80s I was taught to fear and hate Aboriginal culture[s]. So I learnt to fear and hate the idea of the primitive, nomadic life of Aboriginal people. I was taught that, for 10,000s of years Aboriginal people just walked about

DEAR News Of The Area, WE have another worrisome fire season coming up, well, actually already here in some parts of the country. This is an appeal to smokers. Please, please don't throw your cigarette butts out of the car. Or anywhere else. Today I walked along a section of Solitary

DEAR News Of The Area, THE following letter is in response to comments from Gurmesh Singh and Michael Kemp on Coastal Harvestable Water Rights. Mark Twain famously said: “There are lies, damned lies and statistics.” It was a shrewd and perceptive observation of how statistics can be used to muddy the waters,

DEAR News Of The Area, I’D like to respond to the letter in your publication (29/9/2023) from Ann Thompson. I feel I must do that to counter the misinformation and muddled thinking that she expresses, with the arguments typical of the No camp that have long been debunked. 1. Racism. It was

WEARING a ‘Liberals for Yes’ t-shirt in some parts of regional Australia makes me think of the comedy series Little Britain where actor Matt Lucas was the ‘only gay in the village’. In my case I feel like ‘the only black Liberal in the village’. Now imagine my feeling