DEAR News Of The Area,

BOTH Margaret England’s and Richie Tassicker’s letters to News Of The Area on 28 January 2022 are spot on.

Margaret’s letter (‘More refugee representation’, p22): How can we, as an empathetic and caring community, possibly agree with or support the abhorrent and inhuman treatment of refugees/asylum seekers by our federal government?

These refugees and asylum seekers are real people, whose lives are being whittled away for no other reason than political ideology.

And there are enough of us who keep demanding governments be tough on so-called ‘crime’, when seeking asylum is, as they well know, not a crime.

We all need to care a little more about our brothers and sisters from other lands who are not as fortunate as ourselves to live in a wonderful country like Australia.

Richie’s letter (‘No more high-rises at Park Beach, p22): While progress is necessary, in my opinion, rampant and uncontrolled progress is ruining parts of our city and other cities and towns around the country.

Richie makes a lot of sense when he reminds us of the uncontrolled and poorly planned sprawl of humanity in Sydney.

It’s like a cancer, spreading to the north, south and west.

It’s astonishing that Sydney’s population now exceeds the total population of New Zealand.

There must be more thought given to the rate of progress a city or town can sustain and still be a liveable environment.

The traffic in Coffs is now bordering on that of major cities at peak hours.

It used to take only a few minutes to get from south to north of the city when I moved here in the 80’s.

Look at it now – and still at least 5-6 years before the long-overdue bypass may be completed.

Regards,
Trevor PIGOT,
Coffs Harbour.